Postcolonial Identity and cultural hybridity in Salman Rushdie later works : A Literary Exploration

Abstract

This study explores the representation of postcolonial identity and cultural hybridity in Salman Rushdie’s later works, focusing on novels published from 1995 to 2015. The research problem investigates how Rushdie’s narrative techniques and thematic concerns reflect and critique the complexities of identity in a postcolonial context. Utilizing a combination of literary analysis, close reading, and theoretical frameworks from postcolonial theory and cultural studies, the study examines five key novels: The Moor's Last Sigh, The Ground Beneath Her Feet, Shalimar the Clown, The Enchantress of Florence, and Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights. The analysis reveals that Rushdie’s later works intricately depict fragmented and multifaceted identities shaped by historical and global forces, employing cultural hybridity to address themes of displacement and cultural fusion. The findings indicate that Rushdie’s narrative style evolves to reflect contemporary issues of globalization and cultural synthesis. The study concludes that Rushdie’s exploration of postcolonial identity and hybridity offers profound insights into the dynamic interplay between tradition and modernity.