Hybrid Identity in Pak-Bangladeshi Anglophone Literature: A Comparative Study of Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows and Monica Ali’s Brick Lane

Abstract

Identity crisis/hybrid identity is a dominant theme of literature in the rapidly growing globalized society. It has become a highly debatable issue. In the postcolonial world, cultural hybridity is an ever-present phenomenon, characterized by the constant blending of cultures Therefore, this research paper, through comparative mode, intends to examine the theme of hybrid identity in the Pak-Bangladeshi context, in Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows and Ali’s Brick Lane, applying Bhabha’s theory of ‘Cultural Hybridity’. Bhabha is a postcolonial theorist, having authored a lot on the issues and problems confronted by the postcolonial population. This research paper explores how the characters in both the selected novels navigate their identities, encompassing cultural, linguistic, religious, and gender dimensions, within the framework of their Pak-Bangladeshi heritage. It highlights the narrative strategies employed by the authors to depict the challenges and complexities faced by individuals living in multicultural societies. This research paper concludes that both the selected texts, Burnt Shadows and Brick Lane represent the effects of cultural hybridity in Pak-Bangladeshi context. Moreover, it deepens our comprehension of the intricacies and dynamics of hybrid identities in postcolonial contexts.