Cultural Hybridity: Question of Britishness in David Edgars Testing the Echo
Nada Zawi Khalaf
English Literature _ University of Anbar
Majeed Mohammed Midhin
English Literature _ University of Anbar
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25130/jls.4.4.30
Keywords: Cultural hybridity, British theatre, citizenship test, ESOL class, Third space
Abstract
Cultural hybridity is one of the visible phenomena of our era. It captures the spirit of various writers around the world with its celebration of cultural difference and fusion. Many factors accelerated the growth and spread of this phenomenon. Among them is the migrations, the globalization mantra of unfettered economic exchanges and the supposedly inevitable transformation of all cultures. In the first decade of the new millennium, British theatre seems preoccupied with various issues such as war on terror, social fragmentation, cultural segregation and the huge number of immigrants. However, the ever-increasing migration in the United Kingdom made British playwrights think seriously in the is in flux. No doubt, the new comers have their own values, which, on the long term, affects the host ones. Though it is conceivable, the clash between these cultural values can be met in a culturally viable atmosphere. What is the most important thing is that the newcomers tried hard to assimilate in a new hybrid space where all values meet together. The present paper is an attempt to shed light on the acceptance and rejection of these values as described by David Edgar’s Testing The Echo . It is done with due reference to Homi K. Bhabha’s theories of cultural hybridity and third space. This paper poses the following questions: In what ways may cultural hybridity be applied in David Edgarʼs selected plays to highlight non-British characters. Is it possible for the newcomers to integrate into the British society? If they do, what are they going to lose?
