CLIMATE CHANGE, MIGRATION, AND BORDERS: A POSTCOLONIAL PERSPECTIVE ON LANCHESTER’S THE WALL

Abstract

The issue of climate change is a universal issue threatening the nations extensively. Nevertheless, postcolonial polities appear to have been affected more severely by this issue, particularly when other grave issues such as poverty, poor infrastructure and economic disparity, coincide with this phenomenon, creating a forceful impact on migration across the borders, particularly north-wards. This study investigates The Wall (2019) by John Lanchester through the framework of postcolonial critique, particularly focusing on Edward Said’s concept of orientalism to examine the entwined issues of climate change, migration and border security. The research hypothesizes that the cli-fi, The Wall, is a dystopian prophesy, preempting that  potential threats of climate change might lead to mass displacement and intensified border control. The narrative analysis of the novel offers an understanding to the portrayal of Northern/Western societies’ response to the influx of climate migrants, assessing critically whether the narrative inadvertently underlines orientalist tropes while depicting the displaced. Eventually, the study purposes to comprehend The Wall for potentially reflecting and critiquing the intertwined concepts of imminent climate crisis, mounting migrations to the North/West and the hardening of border security and control, in postcolonial context.