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Essay / The encounter with social invisibility in hope and other dangerous pursuits, a novel by Laila Lalami
According to Laila Lalami, the entire process of emigration is swallowed up by social invisibility. The fictional novel explains how migrants encounter social invisibility. Migrants lack social connections. They are isolated from society and find themselves alone, like islands or invisible beings. Emigrants lack social acceptance. This is evident through Faten, who cannot get any help even from his frequent customers. She suffers the fate of prostitution in a foreign country until she later realizes that she is the only one who can support herself. This creates a clear picture of social discrimination among emigrants in their new countries. The aspect of social invisibility is also evident in Aziz as a Spanish émigré. Back home, Aziz presents Spain as the best place to live and shares great stories with his family and friends. However, this is ironic given that Aziz is a victim of invisibility among the native Spaniards. At some point during his immigration mission from Morocco to Spain, Aziz was detected by the Spanish Civil Guard and deported. It is a sign of discrimination. Even in his life in Spain, Aziz faces invisibility. Both, among other migrants, describe the element of social obscurity caused by emigration (Lalami 2005 p. 102-156). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The author lists social invisibility as the contributing factor to emigration. The characters emerge invisible in their Moroccan society. Due to his position in society, Faten cannot obtain justice in his homeland. She is unfairly expelled from school, under the influence of Larbi Amrani, Noura's father who has a significant impact on the Ministry of Education. Due to social invisibility, she is forced to immigrate and seek a better life in Spain. Economic precarity creates social invisibility where Aziz feels inadequate in Morocco and emigrates to Spain. Aziz's decision responds to the desire to improve his financial situation and that of his family to bridge the social gap caused by invisibility. However, social darkness descends on these characters even in their “land of hope”: Spain (Lalami 2005 p. 68). In conclusion, the book attempts to discourage emigration. In the comparison between the two main characters, it becomes clear that migration is not a solution to economic precarity as perceived by many people. Emigration is no guarantee of a better life. Although few immigrants succeed and realize their dreams in their new nationality, some emigrants also fail and live terrible lives far from their homeland. Emigration is also not a solution to social invisibility. On the contrary, migrants are more likely to face social invisibility in their country of immigration. Migration leads to social discrimination and isolation. In the east as in the west, home is the best place to live. Emigrants expose their lives to vulnerable circumstances. Some even end up losing their lives trying to emigrate illegally. Those who manage to emigrate may end up falling victim to social vices such as prostitution and terrorism due to lack of employment in newly settled places. You don't need to go abroad to succeed in life. The fate of a person's future is predetermined by his vision and dedication in his activities..