DISCONTINUOUS JOURNEYS: READING ANITA RAO BADAMI’S CAN YOU HEAR THE NIGHTBIRD CALL? AS A SOUTH ASIAN CANADIAN DIASPORIC TEXT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v4.i2.2023.4183Keywords:
Violence, Dislocation, Partition, DiasporaAbstract [English]
The paper explores the South Asian Canadian diaspora through Anita Rao Badami's novel Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? It discusses the significant presence of the South Asian Canadian diaspora in Canada since the 1970s, highlighting their contributions to the economy, politics, and culture while maintaining their cultural heritage. It notes the challenges and successes faced by this community, particularly in terms of immigration, inclusion, and identity while dealing with the diasporic sensibilities and experiences of families from Punjab and South India, weaving significant historical events like:
• The Partition of India
• The Komagata Maru incident
• Indira Gandhi's assassination
• The 1984 anti-Sikh riots
Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? is a complex narrative addressing historical trauma and memory, using the symbol of the nightbird's call to represent freedom, hope, and cultural heritage. The novel's characters, such as Sharanjit Kaur (Bibi-ji) and Leela Bhat, embody the struggles of displacement, identity, and cultural assimilation. The paper highlights how these characters navigate their hybrid identities and the impact of political events on their lives. It discusses broader themes of existential rootlessness, alienation, and the quest for identity common in diasporic literature. In conclusion, the paper asserts that Badami's novel captures the fractured identities and discontinuous journeys of its diasporic characters, effectively intertwining personal narratives with significant political upheavals.
References
Badami, Anita Rao. Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? Vintage Canada, 2007.
Badami, Anita. “Interview with Author Anita Rao Badami” By: Kat Tancock. https://www.canadianliving.com/life-and-relationships/community-and-current-events/article/interview-with-author-anita-rau-badami Sep 30, 2006
Bhatt, Dhwani. “Memory and Identity in Diaspora Novel: A Critical Study of Can You Hear the Nightbird call? By Anita Rao Badami.” Towards Excellence. Vol.8, no.2. July 2016. pp.7-13.
Bhattacharya, Indra. Globalisation, Multiple Histories and Contested Identities: Assessing Shauna Singh Baldwin, Rohinton Mistry and Anita Rao Badami’s Fiction. A Thesis submitted to Visva – Bharti, Shantiniketan, 2018.
Cool, Kevin. “, The Lure of the West” Stanford Magazine. https://stanfordmag.org/contents/the-lure-of-the-west
Kaur, Tejinder. “Partition in Retrospect and Prospect: Diaspora’s Response.” Perspectives on the Partition Fiction of the Indian Sub-Continent. Ed. Tejinder Kaur, N.K Neb, Kulbhushan Kushal. Nirman Publications, 2007.
Prafula L, Ezhil. “The Trauma of Dislocation and Relocation Cross Cultural Conflicts and Culmination in the Selected Fictional Narratives of Anita Rao Badami and Shauna Singh Baldwin”. A thesis submitted to Manonmaniam Sundranar University, 2020.
Randall, Jennifer, “Jostling with Borders: Anita Rao Badami’s Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? http://doi/ 10.4000/ces,5182
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