Het nest van de spotvogel. ‘Heimat’ in Spotvogel van Hafid Bouazza

Abstract

This article offers a discussion of the concept of Heimat applied to the novel Spotvogel 2009 [Mockingbird] written by the Dutch author Hafid Bouazza. It begins with an account of the German idea of Heimat, which illustrates a large spectre of meanings. It can be associated to homeland, fatherland, to a feeling of home, safety and love; it can mean something hidden and terrifying, as well as a fantasy land, a literary Arcadia. The article also offers a historic presentation of the term. The paper then analyses the different meanings of Heimat and shows how Bouazza deconstructs each one of them, while arguing for a different, less rigid interpretation of Heimat. Bouazza presents in Spotvogel a game with his readers, manipulating their conventions and expectations to show the opposite of what is expected, namely the manual to his literary kingdom.