Narrativization of Cultural Trauma in Alexander Khan's Orphan of Islam

Abstract

An autobiographical text Orphan of Islam written by Alexander Khan depicts cultural trauma and its negative effects upon the major character of the novel Mohammed Abdul Khan. The novel Orphan of Islam clearly presents the cultural shock in Khan's childhood that affects his psyche throughout his life. In the novel a boy suffers on the hands of his own relatives. At the little age his identity is in crisis and he gets culturally shocked, he is taken from one religion to another time and again. He learns no culture or language properly. Alexander Khan narrativizes trauma and attempts to share effects of cultural trauma with readers through which he tries to keep critical distance with trauma or tries to be in 'working through' approach of trauma . Khan displays the critical and suffocated situation of a boy and his troubles he got during his childhood and up early teenage. He also depicts the boy's attempts to reduce the burden of trauma. In the novel a boy suffers culturally in two different cultures like cultures of Pakistan and that of England. Shift from one culture to another culture gives birth of hallucinations, chronic stress, pang and difficulties and in the beginning phase he 'acts out 'trauma. His mind is haunted by the psychological pain which is caused by cultural clash.