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VOL. 1, ISSUE 1 (2025)
Beyond the partitioned self: Diasporic longing and the fluidity of home in Geetanjali Shree's Tomb of Sand
Authors
Ravinder Kumar
Abstract
This paper examines the profound themes of
diasporic longing and cultural fragmentation in Geetanjali Shree’s
International Booker Prize-winning novel, Tomb of Sand (Ret
Samadhi). Utilizing a qualitative, textual analysis framework informed by
postcolonial and feminist theory, the study investigates how the novel subverts
traditional narratives of home, exile, and belonging. The analysis focuses on
the protagonist, Ma, whose journey from the confines of her North Indian home
to the porous borders of Pakistan becomes a metaphor for the fragmented South
Asian psyche post-Partition. The findings reveal that Shree moves beyond a
binary of home and exile, instead proposing a fluid, permeable concept of
identity where borders are psychologically and emotionally transgressed. The
paper concludes that Tomb of Sand offers a radical reimagining
of diaspora, suggesting that healing and wholeness are found not in rootedness
to a single nation, but in the acceptance of fragmentation, mobility, and the
continuous, border-crossing search for self.
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Pages:9-12
How to cite this article:
Ravinder Kumar "Beyond the partitioned self: Diasporic longing and the fluidity of home in Geetanjali Shree's <i>Tomb of Sand</i>". World Journal of English, Vol 1, Issue 1, 2025, Pages 9-12
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