The other in Leyla, by Feridun Zaimoglu

Abstract

Feridun Zaimoglu is one of the most important writers in German language to introduce the history and the experiences of immigrants and their forefathers in their literary texts. The novel Leyla, published in 2006, is a paradigmatic example, since its fictional universe presents a temporal configuration that precedes the arrival of the Turkish immigrant in Germany. This article aims to discuss the novel in two aspects: the genesis of a voice in spaces with power imbalance and, on the other side, the genesis of an image of the other in the characters’ personal universe.