Ambivalent Identity in Hanif Kureishi’s The Buddha of Suburbia: Exploring the Protagonist’s Struggle for Self-Identification

Abstract

The ambivalent identity of the protagonist, Karim Amir, in The Buddha of Suburbia is the subject of the present study. The protagonist’s identity takes on new dimensions as he is reminded about his roots. He has half-Indian roots, and, like others with mixed Indian lineage, he finds it hard to convince people to view him like the natives in England. In England, the non-whites were considered inferior. These ideas made way for the formulation of ambivalence in Karim Amir’s nature, which is a third space according to Homi K. Bhabha’s theory and is a space of interference between two cultures. Karim feels that he is torn between two selves. He cannot easily identify with either one. He is raised to be an Englishman, which is why he can relate to English people and culture. Because of this background, he does not have an insider’s view of Indian culture since he’s never even been there. Using qualitative textual analysis and Bhabha’s notion of cultural hybridity, the article explores this issue. The theoretical background focuses on the ambivalent status of the protagonist whose identity is fluid which leads to his identity crisis. He grapples with this inherent tension to the normative ideals of supremacy, differences, of his existence and experience, resulting in the perpetual facing of self and the identity. Finally, Karim’s hybridity of Indian and British roots is a sign of multi-cultural existence.