25th Annual Student Research Conference
Conflicting Identities in Burnt Shadows
Tara Donelson
Dr. Hena Ahmad, Faculty Mentor
In Burnt Shadows, Kamila Shamsie examines the conflict between differing concepts of identity. In the novel, Hiroko Tinaka attempts to influence her own identity by moving from place to place, but she cannot remove the lingering memory of violence, reinforced by scar of the cranes burned into her back. In this paper, I will examine the blurred distinctions between the lasting psychological effects of violence on identity and cultural and geographic identity. I will use a psychoanalytical approach to more thoroughly explore how identity is molded by past experiences and can transform when we encounter a sudden life-changing event.
Keywords: identity, intercultural, violence, psychoanalysis
Topic(s):English
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 212-4
Location: VH 1408
Time: 10:15