CULTURAL CROSSROADS: IDENTITY, BELONGING, AND DISPLACEMENT IN ALI’S IN THE KITCHEN AND HAMID’S THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST

Abstract

Abstract: The process of identity formation is inherently dynamic, shaped by a continuous negotiation between self-perception and external categorisation. Both individuals and groups actively construct, redefine, and sometimes resist their personal and collective identities in response to intersecting cultural, social, political, and psychological forces. Both the authors’ novels  In the Kitchen (2009)   and  The Reluctant Fundamentalist explore the intricacies of personal, cultural, and political identity against the backdrop of migration and globalisation. Ali’s novel focuses on Gabriel Lightfoot, a British chef navigating the multicultural landscape of London, while Hamid’s novel examines the shifting identity of Changez, a Pakistani man, after the events of 9/11. Both works highlight the fluidity of identity, showing how migration, race, and geopolitical events influence one’s self-understanding. This paper explores the social, emotional, and psychological aspects of identity development, highlighting how both the novelists portray the continuous process of self-definition in a world where the distinctions between West and East tradition and modernity tend to become blurred. Through the protagonists’ journeys, these novels provide insight into the challenges of navigating identity in a transnational world, contributing to the broader conversation on identity in contemporary literature.