Fractured Identities: A Lacanian Analysis of Immigrant Experiences in Shaila Abdullah's Saffron Dreams

Abstract

  This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the portrayal of the immigrant experience in Shaila Abdullah's Saffron Dreams, specifically emphasizing Lacanian psychoanalytic theory. The primary objective is to examine how Lacanian concepts, including the Imaginary Order, Symbolic Order, Real Order, and the object of desire, shed light on the psychological and existential difficulties faced by Arissa, an immigrant lady from Karachi, Pakistan, who moves to New York. The importance of this research is in its capacity to enhance comprehension of the immigrant experience, specifically via the perspective of psychoanalysis, by emphasizing the convergence of individual trauma and social demands within a post-9/11 framework. The true nature of reality becomes evident via the terrible events of 9/11, intensifying her feelings of displacement and social marginalization. The individual's relentless search for the desired thing, symbolizing the want for stability, acceptance, and a consistent sense of self, is consistently unattainable owing to widespread bias, racism, and religious bigotry. This perspective emphasizes enduring patterns of dislocation, nostalgia, and the endeavour to integrate, intensified by external influences of marginalization and violence. Abdullah's Saffron Dreams examines the immigrant psyche using the Lacanian framework. It delves into the persistent resilience and intricate identity conflicts of immigrant women in a socio-cultural context that is frequently unwelcoming. This research highlights the psychological fragmentation and identity crises experienced by immigrants, contributing to the discussion on the connection between psychoanalysis and post-9/11 immigrant narratives. It provides significant insights into immigrants' complex challenges in establishing their identity and sense of belonging.