From Postcolonialism to Post-9/11: Examining the Socio-psychological Corollaries on Youth in The Domestic Crusaders by Wajahat Ali

Abstract

This paper considers the pivotal nexus of postcolonialism with post 9/11, and the latter's impact on the young characters in Wajahat Ali’s The Domestic Crusaders. This article asserts that new realities ushered by the post 9/11, the war on terror, and the neo-imperialistic policies of the US mark the beginning of a new era that can be equated to the postcolonial era, stemming from the events which emerged after the fall of the Twin Towers. Socio-psychological difficulties are experienced by the young Muslim expatriates in the US since they faced identity crises, otherness and resistance. US policy towards the Muslims focused on religion and ethnicity, together with the post-911 resurgent nationalism in the sense of identity crises in the American context, replicates the binary conflicts that existed in the colonial world; Self/Other, West/East, Master/Slave, and White/Brown. A qualitative method of data collection has been used in this research. For the conceptual framework, the research examines the social and psychological dimensions of postcolonial literary theory in light of the concepts of Homi. K. Bhabha, and other eminent theorists. In the field of social psychology, the study utilizes Erik Erikson's concepts outlined in the book Identity: Youth and Crisis and the parameters developed by Robert T. Carter concerning PTSIM: a hypothetical psychological theory. This paper’s specific focus on the representation of the socio-psychological impact of post-9/11 on young characters and their consequent reactions adds more to the dynamics of contemporary literature.