Abstract
This paper explores the literary representations of out migration by Zimbabweans in the last decade in selected short stories in Writing Still (2008), Harare North (2009) and Hunting in Foreign Lands and Other Stories (2010). The four parts that make up this paper are; Desire for Flight and Escape: Lucifer’s Example, Identity Issues in ‘Everything is Nice Zimbulele’ and ‘Snowflakes in Winter’, Existential Possibilities Represented by Departure in Harare North and The Diasporic Idea of ‘hunting’ in Hunting in Foreign Lands and Other Stories (2010). The first part demonstrates that Lucifer’s desire to escape the confining elements of Manyene village in Waiting for the Rain should be a useful departure in the discussion of transnational movement undertaken by many Zimbabweans in the last decade. The two stories selected from Writing Still are discussed in the second part of the paper. In these stories, it is highlighted that Zimbabwean immigrants in the Diaspora grapple with identity issues. Some illegal immigrants work towards becoming part of their host nations through illegal means. On the other hand, some insist on respecting those values that make them a people, such as family ties. The third part of the paper mainly focuses on how Harare North represents Zimbabwean individual immigrants who are not necessarily enjoying the perceived ‘greenness’ of the United Kingdom. The fourth part of the paper focuses on the ambivalent notions of the Diaspora from stories selected from Hunting in Foreign Lands and Other Stories. The concluding part of the paper highlights some of the questions that need to be asked in relation to the position of Zimbabweans in the Diaspora.
