The Sense Of National Identity In Kadare’s Literary Narrative

As one of the most remarkable and prestigious writers in the contemporaryAlbanian literary field, Ismail Kadare has been highly controversial in the literaryworld. Whether he is the sounding board for Hoxha forces or a toady to west readersor a defender of the Albanian nation? People have different opinions for it. As for me,I believe Kadare is a great writer who has strong national consciousness, and hisnational consciousness is mainly embodied in the sense of ethnic identity.Identity can be constructed. As one of the ideographic discourse practice,literature plays an important role in the construction of identity. Here we try to probesinto how Kadare constructs Albanian identity by his literary narration. When there isan identification crisis, identity could be an issue. So firstly, Kadare raises theAlbanians’ awareness of national identity anxiousness through the rational approachto the disasters like religious conflicts, foreign reigns, western power invasions anddictatorial regimes. Aware of the problem, we should try to solve it. In his works,Kadare enjoys describing the Albanian mythologies and epics, the Albanian customsand ethos to draw an epic Albania and help the Albanians to enhance their nationalpride and confidence. All these are Kadare’s efforts aimed at identity construction onhis road of tracing roots. However, Kadare doesn’t just return to the national traditions.His criticism of Albanian traditions and his thinking of human existence in his novelsgive a clear interpretation for Kadare’s appeal to modernity. Then we gain a deeperunderstanding of which Kadare is never a narrow nationalist, but his nationalconsciousness includes critical spirit and the missions of both the nation and allmankind.