Generational perspectives in Ledia Xhoga’s Misinterpretation

Abstract

Through analysis of selected excerpts from Ledia Xhoga’s 2025 novel Misinterpretation, this article uses the experiences and observations of the novel’s nameless narrator, a thirtysomething community interpreter of Albanian origin now living in New York, to determine how generational perspectives are depicted in the work. The article summarises some definitions and overviews relating to the notion of generations and the often-indeterminate nature of the concept, before linking these to the broader Albanian sociocultural context in which the narrative largely oc-curs. Through textual analysis, the article then continues by presenting the narra-tor’s relationships with three key characters in the novel: her mother, her cousin, and her husband. In the first case, the narrator’s complex relationship with her only surviving parent is symbolised by their opposing worldviews and degrees of receptiveness towards new and different experiences. In the second case, a reveal-ing conversation with a third party serves to contrast the narrator’s socioeconomic and personal outlook with that of her more practically-oriented cousin, who is a recent arrival in the United States via the green card lottery. The final case study demonstrates some of the pervasive challenges between the narrator and her wealthy American husband, showing how the application of a generational per-spective can also accentuate latent intercultural and economic differences.