Natural Areas and Places in Kahf’s The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf Reflecting on the Status of Arabs in the US

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to examine the human connection with nature, place, and the physical environment in Mohja Kahf’s The Girl in the Tangerine Scarf (2006) in order to demonstrate the ways the Arab American author employs these themes to reflect the diasporic experience of her protagonist, providing (in)direct commentary on the wavering location of Arab Americans in repellent contexts, on the one hand, and offering readers a possible solution, on the other. This paper, then, explores the portrayal of nature, place, and environment in Kahf’s novel as an active agent that accompanies the protagonist throughout the events of the plot to finally highlight the way she finds to reconcile with the world, blend differences, and find inner balance.