Subversion of Conventional Narratives in South Asian English Fiction: A Postmodern Analysis of Language Games and Metanarratives

Abstract

This study investigates that South Asian English fiction subverts conventional narratives through the use of Jean-François Lyotard’s concept of language games. The study examines the constantly changing and context-dependent storytelling techniques employed in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, Michael Ondaatje's The English Patient, Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies and Kamila Shamsie's Burnt Shadows. These techniques challenge established cultural, social, or moral norms. These novels utilize language techniques such as code-switching, ironic symbolism, and idiomatic phrases to highlight the ethnic backgrounds and complex identities of the protagonists. Authors demonstrate the evolution of meanings across time, as well as the varying ways justice is given to various individuals at different periods. They also emphasize the perpetual openness of truth, in accordance with Lyotard’s belief that knowledge is generated through conflicting narratives about reality. The findings clearly demonstrate that individual experiences and the socio-political environment continually influence and reshape our concept of morality.