Author

Description

This article examines the intricate processes of identity formation in Amitav Ghosh’s The Circle of Reason and The Shadow Lines, focusing on the interrelated themes of rationality, rebellion, and journey. Both novels interrogate fixed notions of identity by situating their characters within shifting geographical, cultural, and political landscapes. Through the figure of Alu in The Circle of Reason and the fragmented narrative voices in The Shadow Lines, Ghosh explores how identities are shaped by displacement, memory, and resistance to imposed structures of knowledge and authority. The study foregrounds the tension between Enlightenment rationalism and lived experience, demonstrating how Ghosh critiques rigid frameworks of thought while embracing fluidity and multiplicity.

Keywords

Identity; displacement; rationality; rebellion; journey; postcolonial literature; memory; borders