‘VIRUS OF DEPARTURE’: MIGRATION AND (DIS) ILLUSION(MENT) IN TAHAR BEN JELLOUN’S LEAVING TANGIER

Abstract

The dispersion of people from countries in Africa to the West is usually triggered by sociopoliticaland economic dislocations and the quest for a better life elsewhere. The paper looksat how Tahar Ben Jelloun’s novel, Leaving Tangier captures migration, illusion (an idea orassumption that may not be true in reality) and disillusionment. The concern of this paper is toexamine how migration can shatter illusions and change the perception of individuals in aforeign country. This paper draws from Paul Gilroy’s postcolonial concepts to explore thesocial realities of African immigrants in post-imperial Spain. The paper concludes thatmigration to Western countries is not really a solution to the condition of poverty in Africa andalso, African political leaders must provide the enabling environment that will curboutmigration from the continent.