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VOL. 12, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Negotiating healing and identity: Postcolonial study of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s Afterlives
Authors
Abhipsa Behera, Dr. Madhumita Das
Abstract
The paper examines how the novel negotiates healing and identity
in the aftermath of colonial trauma, focusing on the interplay between memory,
resilience and cultural reconstruction. Drawing on postcolonial theory of Homi
Bhaba, trauma and memory studies of J. Assmann and identity theory of Stuart
Hall, the research explores the characters in the Gurnah’s, Afterlives
embody hybrid identities negotiated in the liminal ‘third space’ between
colonial disruption and indigenous survival. The analysis highlights how
storytelling and narrative strategies function as acts of healing, reclaiming
silenced histories and enabling intergenerational reconciliation. The paper at
the same time argues that identity is not fixed but continually reconstructed
through memory, trauma and cultural negotiation. By situating Afterlives,
within the broader discourse of postcolonial trauma and identity, the paper
argues that Gurnah transforms colonial wounds into a narrative of resilience,
offering a vision of healing that is both personal and collective.
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Pages:28-30
How to cite this article:
Abhipsa Behera, Dr. Madhumita Das "Negotiating healing and identity: Postcolonial study of Abdulrazak Gurnah’s <i>Afterlives</i>". International Journal of English Research, Vol 12, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 28-30
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