QUEST FOR IDENTITY& VISION IN THE NOVELS OF V. S. NAIPAUL

Abstract

Many individuals migrated during the post-colonial period, often to other states or even nations without taking any of their possessions with them. Their history and traditions are lost, and they are reduced to being only a name. They go to a new area and, to assimilate, abandon many of their long-held practices in favour of those of the dominant culture. Adjusting to a new environment causes an identity crisis in a person, which may have serious consequences for their mental health if left untreated.
When a person is going through an identity crisis, they may become intensely emotional and curious about their origin narrative and original land. Countries nowadays are more open and tolerant of persons of varied backgrounds. The struggle to discover and accept one's true self, however, is an internal one, fought by the person against any accumulated mental distress. The emotions experienced by the protagonists in this article are similar to those experienced by the protagonists in the writings of V. S. Naipaul.