Negotiating Fractured Identity in Hamid’s The Last White Man: A Postcolonial Critique

Abstract

Identity is the most significant concept in postcolonial theory due to colonization and globalization. The purpose of this research paper is to examine the theme of fractured identity and its consequences in Hamid’s novel The Last White Man through the postcolonialism perspective. The plot of the novel is based on the theme of race and identity in a society that is undergoing a transformation. Thus, the story of the protagonist and the society’s reaction to his change in skin color in this work of fiction reveal the issues of identity development in the context of power relations in the increasingly interconnected world. Conclusion of this research paper demonstrates that the novel is, indeed, a postcolonial text that deals with the issues of race, identity, otherness and resistance and challenges the dominant racial and cultural hierarchies. The Last White Man is a profound meditation on the postcolonial subject and an appeal for a new understanding of identity and society in the light of the classless socialist society.