Presentation Schedule
Deconstruction of the “Terminal Creed”: Recognition and Urban Space in Tommy Orange’s Novel “There There” (92377)
Session Chair: Chin-Ying Chang
This presentation will be live-streamed via Zoom (Online Access)
Monday, 14 July 2025 10:40
Session: Session 2
Room: Live-Stream Room 5
Presentation Type:Live-Stream Presentation
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The phrase “terminal creed” is attributed to Gerald Vizenor, an Anishinaabe novelist and critic. It tends to define Native Americans’ identity and position in a fixed and static position, an obsolete class without growth and change. “Terminal creed” traps humans in the external limited perspectives. This paper explores Orange’s treatment of human society's non-linear and dynamic adaptation against platonic essentialism by depicting the interaction between the character's internal conflicts and their external surroundings. This study contends that the novel There There (2018) by Tommy Orange uses the concept of “terminal creed” and the perspective of urban space to question the oversimplified portrayal of Native Americans and the invisibility on the part of Euro-Americans. Orange's representation of the current Indigenous/Native American experience emphasises the individuals' need for recognition and belonging, highlighting the tenacity and complexity inherent in their lives. By deconstructing/criticising/opposing the “terminal creed”, Orange proposes the ‘transmotionic’ urban existence for Indigenous characters.
Authors:
Mahin Mondal, Aliah University, India
About the Presenter(s)
Mahin Mondal, a full-time PhD Research Scholar (JRF) at Aliah University, Kolkata, has completed his graduation from Kalyani University and M.A. from Aliah University.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Monday Schedule
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