Diasporic Experience and Nostalgia in Contemporary Fiction: An Analysis of Uzma Aslam Khan's Trespassing (2003)

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ID: 312033
2026
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Abstract
This paper examines the novel Trespassing (2003) by Uzma Aslam Khan, which demonstrates diasporic experience and nostalgia. It examines the themes of cross-country migration, homesickness, and the cultural memory of South Asians in modern times. This study examines Khan’s narration belonging to a group and being out of place among Pakistani-Americans who migrated to America, drawing on the text and concepts from postcolonial and diaspora studies. The paper employs Stuart Hall's concept of cultural identity to examine the past and the present, the home and the host country, communicate and influence the emotions of those residing in a foreign land. This study provides examples of key scenes, character development and growth, and the narration style to demonstrate the mental and cultural components of nostalgia in migration stories, using qualitative content analysis and close reading. The findings indicate that the novel of Khan does not reduce leaflessness to a desire to have a perfect life in the past. It is a complex emotion that can both assist and restrict how individuals develop their identity when displaced. The researcher identifies three primary forms of nostalgia throughout the book: (1) place and landscape nostalgia, (2) family and community nostalgia, and (3) cultural practices and traditions. The research contributes to the literature on South Asian diaspora narratives by demonstrating how contemporary fiction employs nostalgia as a narrative device and by examining the role of memory, belonging, and mixed culture in operation. The study concludes that Trespassing offers an in-depth examination of life in the diaspora. It cannot be classified in dichotomous narratives of complete acculturation or cultural rigidity. Rather, it demonstrates the identity as fluid, controversial, and constantly negotiated in both time and space.
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Authors Abeer Najm
Journal Social Sciences & Humanity Research Review
Year 2026
DOI
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URL
https://sshrr.online/index.php/4/article/view/498
Keywords Keywords not found

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