Cultural Identity in the Global-Age: A Study of the South Asian Diasporic Narratives By Shamaila Haleem NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES ISLAMABAD DECEMBER 2018 Cultural Identity in the Global-Age: A Study of the South Asian Diasporic Narratives By Shamaila Haleem MPhil, National University of Modern Languages, H-9, Islamabad 2011 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In English To FACULTY OF LANGUAGES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES, ISLAMABAD Shamaila Haleem Shamaila Haleem, 2018 ii NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES FACULTY OF LANGUAGES THESIS/DISSERTATION AND DEFENCE APPROVAL FORM The undersigned certify that they have read the following thesis, examined the defence, are satisfied with the overall exam performance, and recommend the thesis to the Faculty of Languages for acceptance: Thesis Title: Cultural Identity in the Global-Age: A Study of the South Asian Diasporic Narratives Submitted By: Shamaila Haleem Registration #: 381-PhD/Lit/Jan 11-02 Doctor of Philosophy Degree Name in Full English Name of Discipline Dr. Ali Ahmad Kharal ______________________________ Name of Research Supervisor Signature of Research Supervisor Dr. Muhammad Safeer Awan ______________________________ Name of Dean (FOL) Signature of Dean (FOL) Maj. Gen. Zia Uddin Najam, HI (M), (Retd) Name of Rector Signature of Rector _____________________________ _______________________ Date iii CANDIDATE DECLARATION FORM I Shamaila Haleem Daughter of S. Muhammad Haleem Registration # 381-PhD/Lit/Jan 11-02 Discipline English Literature Candidate of PhD English Literature at the National University of Modern Languages do hereby declare that the thesis, Cultural Identity in the Global-Age: A Study of the South Asian Diasporic Narratives submitted by me in partial fulfillment of PhD degree, is my original work, and has not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it shall not, in future, be submitted by me for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or institution. I also understand that if evidence of plagiarism is found in my thesis/dissertation at any stage, even after the award of a degree, the work may be cancelled and the degree revoked. ______________________________ Signature of Candidate Date Shamaila Haleem Name of Candidate iv ABSTRACT Thesis title: Cultural Identity in the Global-Age: A Study of the South Asian Diasporic Narratives This qualitative study is aimed at tracing cultural identity of the South Asian diaspora communities from the perspectives of the postcolonial cultural theory and globalisation using textual analysis as a research method. Texts of three novels by the South Asian diaspora writers; Brick Lane by Monica Ali, Home Boy by H.M. Naqvi and The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri are analysed in the light of postcolonial cultural theories presented by Homi K. Bhabha, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Stuart Hall. Globalisation theories by Aijaz Ahmed, John Tomlinson and William I. Robinson are also considered here. Ali’s novel delineates the experiences of the Bangladeshi community in London while Naqvi has portrayed the life of Pakistani immigrants in America. Lahiri, on the other hand, has presented the immigrant life experiences of the Indians in the US. The characters of these novels exhibit different cultural identity issues in their respective phases of life in the immigrant land and use various strategies to resolve these issues. Bhabha’s ideas of mimicry, hybridity, the Third Space, cultural creativity and cultural productivity; Spivak’s concepts of moving culture and culture alive; and Hall’s view of transformative cultural identity are reflected in the lives of these characters. Global world event of 9/11, American pop culture, cultural imperialism, hybrid identity and racial discrimination are at the core of these novels. Immigrants from the postcolonial South Asian societies of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India as narrated in these novels face many problems in their life at the metropolitan centres of the world: the UK and the US. Nostalgia, alienation, cultural imperialism, cultural diversity, racial discrimination, war on terror, Islam-o-phobia, distorted self-image, rootlessness, loneliness, displacement, and foreignness are the problems faced by the characters of these novels. Immigrants in these novels make use of various strategies to form their cultural identity including assimilation, absorption, adaptation, acculturation, hybridity, rejection, resistance, and going back to roots. The South Asian literary works are also contributing to the formation of the South Asian cultural identity through raising voice, personal experiences, and addressing the centre through the centre. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page THESIS/DISSERTATION AND DEFENCE APPROVAL FORM ii CANDIDATE DECLARATION FORM iii ABSTRACT iv TABLE OF CONTENTS v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii DEDICATION x I INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Cultural Identity 1 1.2 Postcolonial Cultural Theorists 4 1.3 Theoretical Framework 7 1.4 Theoretical Principles Derived from Theories 8 1.5 Background of the Study 9 1.6 Statement of the Problem 12 1.7 Research Objectives 12 1.8 Research Questions 13 1.9 Delimitation of the Study 13 1.10 Significance of the Study 13 1.11 Research Procedures 14 1.12 Literary Texts Selected 14 1.13 Rationale for the Selected Texts 16 1.14 Research Overview 16 II LITERATURE REVIEW 19 2.1 Cultural Identity 19 2.2 Components of Cultural Identity 20 2.3 Postcolonial Cultural Theorists 22 2.3.1 Homi K. Bhabha 22 2.3.2 Stuart Hall 30 2.3.3 Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak 34 2.4 Globalisation and Culture 37 2.4.1 Globalisation 38 2.4.2 Globalisation and Cultural Identity 49 2.4.3 Globalisation and Cultural Imperialism 58 2.4.4 Globalisation and Postcolonialism 59 2.5 Diaspora and Culture 60 2.5.1 Diaspora 61 2.5.2 E-Diaspora 63 2.5.3 Diaspora and Transnationalism 63 2.5.4 Diaspora and Globalisation 65 2.5.5 Diaspora and Cultural Identity 66 2.5.6 South Asian Diasporas 69 vi 2.6 Cultural Identity in South Asian Diaspora Literature 73 2.7 Research Gaps 81 III RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND METHOD 83 3.1 Qualitative Research 83 3.2 Theoretical Framework: Postcolonialism and Cultural Theory 84 3.3 Research Method 88 3.3.1 Textual Analysis 88 3.4 Rationale of Using Textual Analysis as a Research Method 90 3.5 Relationship of Methodology and Method with Research 91 3.6 Research Process 92 IV TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF BRICK LANE 94 4.1 Introduction 94 4.2 Immigrant World in London: Brick Lane 98 4.2.1 Second Generation and Young Bengali Immigrants 100 4.3 Global World Events 102 4.4 Cultural Difference and the Problems of Bangladeshi Immigrants 112 4.5 Cultural Identity Markers 120 4.6 Finding Cultural Identity 126 4.7 Cultural Transformation 137 4.8 Conclusion 141 V TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF HOME BOY 145 5.1 Introduction 145 5.2 American Pop Culture and the Global World 150 5.3 9/11 and the Global World Changes 155 5.3.1 War on Terror and Islam-o-Phobia 156 5.3.2 Muslim Identity as the Other 162 5.3.3 Cultural Imperialism and Americanisation 165 5.3.4 Racial Discrimination 166 5.3.5 Alienation and Rejection 167 5.3.6 Distorted Self-Image and Blurred Identity 170 5.4 Nostalgia of Homeland 172 5.5 Representing Muslim Identity 173 5.6 Mimicry in the Immigrant World 174 5.7 A Hybrid Self 178 5.8 Going Back to Roots 180 5.9 Conclusion 184 vii VI TEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF THE NAMESAKE 188 6.1 Introduction 188 6.2 Globalisation and Indian Diaspora 191 6.3 Cultural Identity Dilemma of the Indian Immigrants in the 197 Global-Age 6.3.1 Loneliness 198 6.3.2 Foreignness 199 6.3.3 Estrangement 201 6.3.4 Memories of Home 203 6.3.5 Rootlessness 206 6.3.6 Displacement 208 6.4 Assimilated Immigrant Identity 212 6.5 Adjustment in the Foreign Land 213 6.6 Tracing Roots 216 6.7 A Hybrid Culture 219 6.8 Cultural Transformation and Cultural Production 228 6.9 Conclusion 231 VII FINDINGS, CONCLUSION, AND SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER 235 STUDY 7.1 Research Findings 235 7.2 Conclusion 243 7.3 Suggestions for Further Study 246 WORKS CITED 248 viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS All greatness belongs to ALLAH Who led me to this stage and whose kindness and help made my study possible. I am profoundly grateful to ALLAH. He has guided me throughout this journey of knowledge and research. He bestowed upon me vision, insight, understanding, wisdom and intellect to carry out my work. He blessed me with a very loving, caring, helpful, kind and supportive family to facilitate me. After thanking ALLAH, I owe the greatest debt to my family who made me realise my dream of getting knowledge. To write this acknowledgement is shredding my heart and soul to pieces as I lost my beloved father during the course of this study. He passed soon after the completion of my first semester. It was he who promised me to let me do my PhD and it was he who deposited my admission fee and was there to help me till the last moments of his life. He always accompanied me to the university and libraries and waited outside for hours until my class or library research was over. Not only this he also kept waking up with me throughout nights when I studied and he always made tea for me. I am thankful to the highest degree to my mother who supported me the whole time and performed the role of my father too after his leaving this world. She also suffered much the loss of the head of our family but salute to her courage that she persistently motivated me to complete my work.