Exploring the Dynamics of Personal and Historical Realities in Selected South Asian Postmodern Novels

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the different ways that historical narrative changes in the selected postmodern fiction. South Asian English literature has prominently demonstrated its profound concern with history and its significance in the current global context. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of English novels through Pakistani and Indian authors that are commonly categorized as postmodern historiographic literary metafiction. Postmodern fiction writers typically diverge from the conventional portrayal of historical events. Postmodern fiction writers typically diverge from the conventional portrayal of historical events. This study focuses on four novels: Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows, Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies, Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, and Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient. Utilizing textual analysis as a qualitative and descriptive research approach, this study applies Linda Hutcheon's theoretical concept from 1985. These novels employ unique storytelling techniques and multiple perspectives to reinterpret conventional history, challenging the dominance of traditional historical fiction. The study concludes that such novels alter conventional historical narratives by incorporating elements of intertextuality, self-reflexivity, and fragmentation.