Identity and belonging in Leïla Slimani’s Lullaby

Abstract

Goncourt Prize (2016) awarded Lullaby, a novel based on a real event, by Slimani tells a tragic story that ends with the killing of two children. Although the work seems like a thriller novel at a first glance, it exhibits a reflection of belonging and identity crisis in France. This crisis, for sure, is a result of France’s long history of colonialism. Two protagonists of the novel, Myriam, the mother, and Louise, the nanny, are the ones who are unsatisfied with their identities and in need of belonging. This article aims to investigate the traces of colonialism’s effect upon Slimani’s characters, especially Myriam and Louise

Keywords

• belonging
• identity; lullaby
• race
• slimani