Postcolonial Identity in the Works of Bapsi Sidhwa and Mohsin Hamid

Abstract

This article examines the portrayal of postcolonial identity in the works of Pakistani authors Bapsi Sidhwa and Mohsin Hamid, highlighting their unique yet complementary perspectives on cultural hybridity, displacement, and resistance. Sidhwa’s narratives, such as Ice-Candy-Man and The Crow Eaters, delve into the trauma of Partition and the struggles of marginalized communities, particularly women and minorities, to reclaim agency amid colonial legacies. In contrast, Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Exit West explore globalization and diaspora, focusing on the alienation of Muslim identities in a post-9/11 world. Both authors employ distinct narrative techniques Sidhwa’s historical realism and Hamid’s modernist experimentation to challenge Eurocentric discourses and articulate the fluidity of postcolonial identity. The article situates their works within postcolonial theoretical frameworks, including Bhabha’s hybridity, Spivak’s subaltern resistance, and Said’s Orientalism, demonstrating how literature serves as a site of decolonization and cultural negotiation. By comparing their thematic and stylistic approaches, the study underscores the transformative power of postcolonial literature in redefining identity beyond colonial constraints.

Keywords: Postcolonial Identity, Cultural Hybridity, Displacement, Resistance, Bapsi Sidhwa, Mohsin Hamid, Partition, Globalization, Diaspora, Decolonization