Author: Anhar Y. H. Ayyash, Venkatesh Puttaiah

Abstract: This study examines representations of geographical exile in Sahar Khalifeh's novel The Inheritance, employing the theory of settler colonialism. The study demonstrates that exile in the novel is not presented as an individual experience or a fleeting historical event, but rather as a continuous structure reproduced generation after generation by the logic of elimination that characterizes the settler project. Through the character of Zayna, the text reveals that the homeland itself has been transformed into a strange and isolated space, no longer an extension of memory and belonging, but rather a place reshaped according to the representations of the settler. The study reveals that settler colonialism is not limited to the colonization of land but expands to encompass language, identity, family relationships, and cultural symbols. These elements become tools of obliteration, producing a sense of internal exile. It also becomes clear that return, which is supposed to be a moment of reclaiming self and homeland, turns into an experience of loss and disappointment, as the Palestinian discovers that the meaning and symbolism of the place has changed. The study reveals that Palestinians remain displaced both within the homeland and in the diaspora, and they confront a homeland devoid of authentic features. The study concludes that The Inheritance offers a profound literary representation of the structural and permanent nature of settler colonialism, demonstrating how exile becomes an ongoing existential condition that transcends space and time.

Keywords: Sahar Khalifeh, The inheritance, exile, settler colonialism, identity, place.

Article Info: Received: 14 Oct 2025; Received in revised form: 11 Nov 2025; Accepted: 16 Nov 2025; Available online: 20 Nov 2025

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.106.20