Live like cockroaches: A homeless immigrant's struggle leading to stereotypification

Abstract

The use of cockroaches as a metaphor to describe the conditions of immigrants in immigrant literature is a problematic and controversial topic. It is a form of dehumanization that reduces individuals to pests or insects and constitution of demeaning stereotypes and xenophobia. The use of this metaphor can be traced back to colonial and racist attitudes towards non-white, non-Western individuals who were often depicted as primitive, dirty, and inhuman. This view which was used to justify colonialism and segregation is still prevailing in contemporary society through media and cultural representations. In Rawi Hage's novel Cockroach (2008), the use of the cockroach as a metaphor is a central theme throughout the book. The novel tells the story of an unnamed Lebanese immigrant who is struggling to make a new life in Montreal, Canada. The protagonist sees himself as a cockroach, a resilient survivor that can adapt to any environment and cope with any hardship. The cockroach metaphor in this novel might be interpreted in several ways. On the one hand, it can be seen as an indicator of the protagonist's resilience and ability to survive in a hostile and challenging environment. Since the cockroach is known for its ability to survive in harsh conditions, the protagonist sees himself as embodying these traits. On the other hand, the use of the cockroach as a metaphor might also be seen as the representation of the maltreatment of immigrants in Western societies. The protagonist is often marginalized and discriminated, and his identification with the cockroach can be seen as a way of highlighting the way that immigrants are often seen as pests or insects by mainstream society. Thus, the aim of this chapter is to examine Rawi Hage's novel Cockroach in order to reveal the struggles of immigrants in a new country who try to survive although they face many problems, including isolation, discrimination, poverty, and cultural exclusion. © 2023 Peter Lang Group AG, Lausanne. Published by Peter Lang GmbH, Berlin, Deutschland. All rights reserved.