Postcolonial Gothic Psyche and the Haunted Mind: Transgenerational Hauntings in Nadeem Aslam’s Works

Abstract

Psychology and Postcolonial gothic writing often collide. One obvious preoccupation both share is their responsiveness to the inner workings of the human mind; another is that both play out implications of the repressed emotions and childhood experiences by capturing the psychic secrets and psychological dysfunctions. These psychoanalytical dissonances are the defining traits of Postcolonial gothic. Using qualitative research methodology, this article unfolds the psychoanalytical layers of Aslam‟s (2004) narratives. The introductory part of this article unfolds the psychoanalytical layers of what Aslam‟s (2004) writings conceal: the repressed childhood fears, deep seated traumas, and behavioral imbalances resulting from claustrophobic atmosphere of the fictional world. The theoretical grid for the article is Abraham and Torok‟s (1970) psychological theories of transgenerational haunting and the effect of the uncanny produced through such psychological derangement. The article examines how Aslam‟s (2004) fiction conjures up the terrifying psyches and explores the characters‟ defensive positions and strategies against the onslaught of hostile foreign forces. The article further interlinks gothic terror with immigrants‟ psyches and fears to highlight the ensuing sense of displacement characters feel in the light of the theory of transgenerational haunting. The study is unique in that Aslam‟s work has not been previously analyzed through the critical lens of transgenerational haunting and postcolonial Gothic psyche, and so far it has remained an under researched area.