Introduction
The novel, according to Fatima Daas, “The Last One,” establishes expression of the intricate complexities that exist in identities in one’s life and experiences. The novel focuses on the protagonist’s narrative in life, being that she happens to be a queer Muslim lady from contemporary France but from the descent roots of North Africa. The novel tries to explain and intersect the notions of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality aspects of Fatima’s case. These factors play a significant role in the protagonist’s life as she explores her real identity, shaping her experiences and relations with other people. The essay, thus, tries to argue about the interconnection of the characters’ identities that seem to influence the trajectory of each other, resulting in a complex, multifaceted existence of the character’s identity.
The Interplay of Race, Gender and Sexuality
Various characters in life typically exist in a constant tangle of association, affecting the lives of other individuals, especially in an attempt to find one’s true identity. There is a particular relationship that exists between the type of religion, race, and sexuality and how these individuals try to accept themselves and their identities. In the novel “The Last One,” the protagonist presents a correlating problem with her identity that draws its existence from the prospect that she is a queer woman (Daas, 2021).
Additionally, it also becomes a more profound effect that she happens to be living among the white and secular society, yet she claims descent from North Africa, Algeria. The conditions she finds herself in become somehow a burden as they constantly work against her will to allow her to express her feelings willingly. She happens to feel that she does not belong compared to the rest of the individuals due to her uniqueness.
Fatima portrays the various intersections in society enmeshed in individuals’ identities and how these prospects are interlinked. In most cases, she finds herself struggling to grasp her identity in the surroundings of white individuals and the fact that her sexual interest and preference classify her as different from the rest (Daas, 2021). In this case, the identities mutually reinforce each other as they do not work independently. The different forms of identities in society play a significant role in depicting the nature of the multifaceted experiences that people tend to have in their lives.
One aspect that exists from the interlinkage resonates from the fact that Fatima happens to be a Muslim woman and, at the same time, she is also queer. There is a conflict that arises from sexuality and religion with all the expectations that come from the Muslim background. The overall teachings from her Muslim religion tend to influence her understanding of her life, considering some aspects as taboos (Daas, 2021). Her religion classifies these actions as being unacceptable to society, and in no instance should anyone practice them as it would be a direct violation of what they believe in as the norms of life.
An intersection also emerges from the interplay between gender and race. In this case, Fatima has a particular feeling related to the fact that she is not one of the whites. She claims to be of Algerian descent, yet her surroundings are those of whites living in France (Daas, 2021). She so happens to experience that some bias exists from the manner of the interactions that she has with these white people. The protagonist encounters several challenges resonating with how she relates with the people around her who are not family. Her identity relates to that of a racialized woman and how it affects her life. She tends to select the spaces and interactions she finds herself in, trying not to relate with most people, which also highlights the presence of intersections in race, ethnicity, and gender. Some of the individuals in her surroundings might fail to consider that she is just as normal as they are, making Fatima avoid interactions with these people for fear of being disappointed.
Correlation to Other Intersections
Other intersectionalities exist within identity paradigms that affect individuals’ lives and how they relate with other people in their surroundings. Mainly, there is a decisive cohesion between intersectionality and identity within the current society and how it operates to regulate how its members behave and correlate (Parmenter et al., 2020). Multiple sets of identities exist, allowing individuals to be diverse and, in turn, choose the most preferred method that they can quickly adapt and correlate with others (Moffitt et al., 2020). The interconnectedness between the protagonist and her relationship to her identity is part of the whole concept of society and its regulations.
A crucial aspect that can be used to correlate with identity relates to the concept of intersectionality, which can explain its occurrence and how they interact. The intersectionality concept explains that it is difficult to understand every single aspect related to the operations of identity, particularly in their singular webs of isolation (Parmenter et al., 2020). The whole point of the intersection concept points to the fact that the protagonist experiences biases from society, her religion, and even gender in her quest for identity. They all play a vital role in influencing how she will react to the norms of society and her orientation towards sexuality. She can eliminate one aspect of the web of causation to her identity problem. However, another factor will still affect how she relates to other people in society.
People tend to have specific experiences that are mainly related to the type of identity they want to portray to others. Some people might hide their true identity to seek approval from society or their families, while others decide to live with the consequences as they embrace their true nature. The experiences are shaped in a manner that operates about the multiple identity categories. The protagonist considers that her religious affiliation does not approve of her sexuality and similar experiences from other people who experienced conflicts upon opening up, becoming another hindrance (Daas, 2021). Her race also tends to be another factor since she is already experiencing difficulty relating to other people and needs first to acknowledge that various dimensions are affecting her identity.
Conclusion
The novel “The Last One” explores the interplay between sexuality, religious orientation, ethnic background, and gender. All these affect the protagonist’s life and identity and relate to shaping her experiences. Intersectionality tries to explain the concept of understanding the interconnectedness of the various identity categories. Other people face similar challenges, and using the intersectionality concept can explain how they react to their surroundings. The novel reflects on the significance of appreciating the complex nature of individuals’ identities in the diverse society where people live.
References
Daas, F. (2021). The Last One. Other Press.
Moffitt, U., Juang, L. P., & Syed, M. (2020). Intersectionality and youth identity development research in Europe. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. Web.
Parmenter, J. G., Galliher, R. V., Yaugher, A. C., & Maughan, A. D. A. (2020). Intersectionality and identity configurations: A qualitative study exploring sexual identity development among emerging adults within the United States. Emerging Adulthood, 10(2). Web.