Exploring Identity Crisis in Fatima Bhutto’s The Runaways: A Psychosocial Perspective

Author(s): Ghulam Haider Shaikh and Shafqat Hussain

Abstract:

This study explores identity crisis in Fatima Bhutto’s The Runaways from psychosocial perspective. It is a contemporary novel of Pakistani English fiction which embodies the core issues of radicalism, terrorism, religious segregation, existential, identity and social crisis. Hence, the researcher explores identity crisis and its factors represented in the novel from psychosocial perspective. The researcher has followed Textual Analysis Method of research. The primary data are textual, gathered from the novel, and supported with secondary data from books and articles. The researcher has used Erikson’s concept of identity from his theory psychosocial developments as a theoretical framework to analyze the novel. It highlights the causes and factors of Identity crisis in a social system. The analysis of the data concludes that Fatima Bhutto has sketched the real portrait of the contemporary world, especially with reference to Pakistan and England. The characters here suffer from identity crisis while encountering poverty, social frustration and even emptiness in luxurious life. People’s suffering from poverty, family issues, sense of emptiness, and social stratification in their world are major factors which lead the individuals to a confused identity and thus they become the victims of identity crisis.

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Pages: 12-17     |    2 View     |    0 Download