“I Wish I Hadn’t Returned Here”: Homecoming as a Form of Exile in Sahar Khalifeh’s The Inheritance

Abstract

This article investigates the different forms of exile lived by four characters in Sahar Khalifeh’s The Inheritance (2005). The study traces four Palestinian characters - Zayna/Zaynab, Nahleh, Kamal, and Mazen - from their exile until they return to their homeland, suggesting that their homecoming or return was a form of exile. By relying on postcolonial studies and Edward Said’s theorization of exile in Reflections on Exile and Other Essays, this article delves into the struggles of exilic characters, their ways of compensating for their loss of home, and the different reasons behind their exile and return.