The Hidden Spaces in Monica Ali’s In the Kitchen

Abstract

By examining various hidden spaces represented in Monica Ali’s In the Kitchen, this thesis explores the exploitation of migrant workers in contemporary Britain and in an era of globalization. In addition to bringing to light migrant workers’ precarious lives in the hidden spaces of Britain, this thesis also attempts to offer an alternative perspective from which to rethink the meaning of hidden spaces in a more positive way. More specifically, I look into how migrant workers in Ali’s novel appropriate the hidden space and recreate it with vitality and how their identities, as well as the white chef’s, are transformed in the process. Introductory Chapter briefly reviews current theories of space and gives a definition of what I call the “overt space” as opposed to the hidden space in Ali’s novel. Chapter One examines various hidden spaces in the novel, including the basement, the kitchen, and the guest room in the Imperial Hotel located in central London. I point out that migrant workers are exploited not only inside the hotel but outside of it, as seen in the white chef’s flat and the onion farm in Norfolk. Chapter Two carries out a more positive reading of the migrant workers’ lives by portraying their alternative roles and their responses to exploitation in the hidden spaces. Chapter Three shifts the focus of attention to Gabriel, the white chef in the hotel, to explore the interaction and the relationship between the migrant workers and the host society. I analyze how Gabriel experiences an identity transformation through his interaction with migrant workers in the hidden spaces. Taking Gabriel as an example, I argue that the social network and power relations manifested in the novel’s hidden spaces have impacted not only the migrant workers but the white British society. Finally, I conclude the thesis by stating the contribution that my exploration of the novel’s hidden spaces at various levels has made to our understanding of the migration society in contemporary Britain and to current theories of space.

Date of Award	2014
Original language	English
Supervisor	Pei-Chen Liao (Supervisor)