Critical Analysis of Identity Crisis in Hanif Kurieshi's Novel “The Buddha of Suburbia”

Abstract

This paper critically analyzes the dilemma of identity crisis and its impact on immigrants concerning the Hanif Kurieggidentity crisis into its texts because of the rule of colonial power and its impacts on the colonized. Under the impact of this colonial power, the crisis of identity has been originated in western countries on social, economic, political, religious, and cultural grounds. Postcolonial theoretical ideas i.e, hybridity, mimicry, assimilation, and ambivalence by Homi K. Bhabha are applied into the text of this research paper to examine the dilemma of identity crisis more clearly. Karim Amir, the protagonist of the novel faces an identity crisis in tormenting and perturbing the social order of England. Such a tormenting and disturbing condition of England is a threat both to Karim and immigrants. The quest for an identity for Karim Amir is very complicated and alarming which sets a dilemma for the whole world to look at this global issue seriously. The Whites think about immigrants as they are the lower creature of God due to differences in skin color, religion, ethnicity, and culture. On the contrary, the immigrant trying to imitate the cultural values, language, habits, and manners of the white men to assimilate with them but in consequence, this mimicry never fetched the desired effects and simply, the outcome is ambivalent for them. Although they always try to assimilate with the British culture, yet they feel hesitant either to adopt Western culture or the culture of their homeland. The Buddha of Suburbia (1989) depicts the darker side of suburban life as well as the congested life of London city with references to other characters too.