Examining Identity Conflict and Longing for the Homeland: A Textual Analysis of Imtiaz Dharker’s Selected Poems from The Terrorist at My Table

Abstract

The research examines identity conflict and longing for the homeland in Imtiaz Dharker’s selected poems from her collection The Terrorist at My Table in the light of Stuart Hall's and Salman Rushdie's perspectives. The poems include “Mine. Yours”, “Almost”, “Who Made Me”, “These are the Times We Live in I”, “These are the Times We Live in III”, “Alif Anar”, “How to Cut a pomegranate”, “The Right Way” and “I Need”. The poems are chosen from the collection based on the conflict of identity, the loss of the land and history, the social and cultural segregation and the longing for the homeland and the past. The research is carried out in the light of Stuart Hall’s essay “Cultural Identity and Diaspora” which presents the definition of cultural identities, the positioning of the diaspora being the other and the crisis of identification. Salman Rushdie’s essay “Imaginary Homeland” is also employed to highlight the displaced peoples' desire for their homeland and the yearning to reconnect with the past. The method employed for the research is qualitative and evaluates the selected poems by using the method of textual analysis. The purpose of the study is to locate the loss of identity faced by the diasporas after being away from their homeland. The objective of the research is to depict how these poems reflect the erasure of their personalities, history, land and language and how the marginalized class has to go through an identification process and face social and cultural discrimination. The study examines their experiences of cultural oppression and the repositioning of their selves in a new place. The studies of the identity crisis in the writings of the post-colonial writers reflect the concern of people for their current state of uncertainty, and the affinity they show for their places. This study reveals the social inequalities and the abuse of human rights at cultural and individual levels faced by the displaced and migrated people.