One-Way Journey or Returning Home in the Novel the Path of the Eels by Luan Starova

Abstract

Globalization is a historical and dialectical process encompassing various cultural elements and dimensions applicable globally, yet inherently characteristic of specific regions and cultures. The Balkans is one of the regions worldwide where multiple cultures have developed mutual interactions, evolving and coexisting. In the past, the Balkans were under the rule and influence of many empires and, as such, witnessed countless bloody battles. Despite this not-so-glorious past, marked by turbulent periods, the Balkans have managed to build cohesion and unite the states and communities that inhabit the region. This research analyzes the concept of a one-way journey and migratory landmarks. Throughout human history, the Earth has been the only homeland that remains unchanged and does not undergo transformation. The paper interprets the novel The Path of the Eels by the Albanian writer Luan Starova through Stuart Hall’s theory: Migration is a one-way journey. There is no "nest" to return to. It is a literary exploration of identity. Through The Path of the Eels, the study examines themes of exposure and boundaries—standing at the threshold and hearing the sounds from the other side of the border. It explores how collective identity is realized and represented from a perspective rooted in the past rather than the present. The issue of crossing the threshold, stepping beyond the border, and moving toward what is, conditionally speaking, the "ordered" world—the world of norms and civilization—is also discussed.