Resilience in Adversity: An Exploration of Racism, Sexism, and Islamophobia in Susan Muaddi Darraj’s Novel Farah Rocks

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17144721

Abstract

The given article makes use of the theory of intersectionality by Kimberle Crenshaw to examine how the identity of Farah Hajjar, the main character of the novel by Susan Muaddi Darraj Farah Rocks, is complicated due to the multiplicity of her identities: she is a Palestinian-American Muslim. It claims that what Farah was going through is not the single axis of racism, sexism or Islamophobia, but a convergence of them that forms a distinct mode of oppression, and, as a result, a unique mode of resilience. The analysis breaks down some of the most important texts in which Farah identities are functioning, proving how her gender, ethnicity, religion and position within classes make her an insider and outsider at the same time in the American society. The novel is placed as a very instrumental entry-point into the world of children literature, as it breaks the monolithic stereotypes and it explains the workings of systems of power on youth. Finally, this essay will argue that this article is an instructive example of how to deal with stacked prejudice because it models an intersectional resilience, which is built on the family, cultural pride, and critical self-awareness, and provides a roadmap on how to manage the layered prejudice. The work is a contribution to both the literary studies and intersectional feminism because the proposed research employs the strong theoretical framework to a novel written in the middle grade genre and indicates the potential of the genre to deliver advanced social criticism.

Keywords: Intersectionality, Islamophobia, Racism, Sexism, Children Literature, Palestinian American Literature, Susan Muaddi Darraj, Resilience.