Postcolonial Identity, Trauma, and Cultural Belonging in the namesake and swades

Abstract

Trauma in diaspora is often characterized by emotional fragmentation, generational disconnection, cultural alienation, and the stress of balancing competing cultural expectations rather than being restricted to experiences of physical exile or forced migration. It draws on trauma studies as well as postcolonial theory. Through careful textual analysis and theoretical framing, this research contends that Indian cinema is essential in uncovering the frequently neglected aspects of diasporic trauma. Swades (2004) and The Namesake (2006) collectively depict the emotional, cultural, and psychological challenges that individuals navigating diasporic identities encounter, despite variations in genre, tone, and narrative style. This study uses The Namesake and Swades to investigate diasporic trauma. The Namesake asserts that identity disintegration stemming from cultural hybridization and generational conflict is the focus of the book, whereas Swades provides an alternative narrative mode of reconciliation through homecoming and reintegration. Their perspectives on trauma,
postcolonial identity, and belonging are, however, complementary.