Hybridity and Alienation in The Satanic Verses and East, West: Navigating Identity in a Globalized Postcolonial World

Abstract

This article examines Salman Rushdie’s exploration of hybridity and alienation in his works The Satanic Verses and East, West, focusing on the psychological, emotional, and cultural fragmentation experienced by characters caught between conflicting identities. Drawing on Homi K. Bhabha’s concepts of hybridity, mimicry, and the “third space,” the article explores how Rushdie portrays the complexities of cultural negotiation in a globalized, postcolonial world. The physical transformations of characters like Saladin Chamcha and GibreelFarishta in The Satanic Verses serve as vivid metaphors for the internal conflicts and alienation resulting from the collision of multiple cultural forces. Meanwhile, East, West presents hybridity more subtly, exploring the emotional and psychological toll of navigating between Eastern and Western values through short stories like “The Prophet’s Hair” and “The Courter.” In both works, Rushdie underscores the continuous, painful process of identity formation, where individuals are never fully at home in either their native or adopted cultures. The article argues that Rushdie’s works reflect broader postcolonial experiences, offering a critical examination of the complexities of cultural hybridity, the ongoing negotiation of self, and the profound alienation that defines the immigrant experience in an increasingly interconnected world.