SOCIAL UPHEAVAL AND INDIVIDUAL IDENTITY IN THE NOVEL ‘BAUMGARTNER’S BOMBAY’ BY ANITA DESAI

Abstract

It has been observed in variousstudies conducted in clinical research that social stability is congruent with reduced mental illness and depressive symptoms (German andLatkin). This phenomenon points towards the question of a person’s mental state when social stability is disturbed. In this article, the researcher proposes that social upheavalleavesindelible psychological scars on an individual which is reflected in their unstable relationships whichovertime shapes their individual identity. To address the connection between social upheaval and individual identity the researcher uses social psychology theories. The researcher suggests that the protagonist of the selected novel, Hugo Baumgartner suffers from an identity crisis due to the volatile social situation he faced growing up.This inability to form a secure identity is reflected in his relationshipswith other human beings.