CULTURAL HYBRIDITY AND THE POLITICS OF IDENTITY IN PAKISTANI LITERATURE: A CRITICAL POSTCOLONIAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study undertakes a critical examination of the complex and multifaceted concept of cultural hybridity, ambivalence, and subalternity in Pakistani literature, with a specific focus on its postcolonial implications. Through a qualitative thematic analysis of selected literary works by Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, and Nadeem Aslam, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of cultural hybridity in Pakistani literature and its significance in the postcolonial context. Grounded in postcolonial theory, drawing on the works of scholars such as Homi Bhabha, Edward Said, and Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, this study explores the ways in which Pakistani writers negotiate cultural hybridity, ambivalence, and subalternity in their works, challenging and subverting colonial and postcolonial power structures. The study examines the implications of cultural hybridity for Pakistani identity, culture, and society, shedding light on the complex and multifaceted nature of Pakistani identity, culture, and society. The study's findings have implications for future research on Pakistani literature and culture, and provide insights into the ways in which cultural hybridity is negotiated in the Pakistani diaspora. Ultimately, this research aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted nature of cultural identity in the context of globalization and the ongoing legacies of colonialism and imperialism.

Keywords: Cultural Hybridity, Ambivalence, Subalternity, Pakistani Literature, Postcolonial Perspective, Identity, Culture, Society, Diaspora, Globalization.