Exploring the Individual in Exile: A Study on Individualism in Oliver Bowden’s Assassins Creed.
Quah Jit Ming, Ashkan Shobeiri, PhD

Abstract
This paper explores the individualism portrayed by the lead character, Altair Ibn La’ahad, in Oliver Bowden’s novel Assassin’s Creed: The Secret Crusade. The discussion revolves around the protagonist’s quest for selfdiscovery, which leads to his transformation through a series of incidents. In this exploration of individualism, much has been taken from the definition of Ralph Waldo Emerson, a towering American transcendentalist, whose terms such as “self-reliance” and “non-conformity” carry universal and timeless messages. Examining how individualism is integrated into a fictionalized society in Bowden’s novel, the study first looks at the story’s protagonist as the archetype of individualism and identifies the individual qualities established as a product of the chaotic environment. Additionally, this study attempts to show how the theme of exile is used to further character development and how it encourages Altair to rely on his individual intuition, even when he is required to function within a society.

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