Analyzing the Postcolonial Trauma and Identity in Mohsin Hamid's The Last White Man

Abstract

The current research aims to explore Mohsin Hamid’s The Last White Man from a postcolonial perspective. The study adopts a theoretical framework introduced by Whitehead (2004) that posits characters in trauma fiction must make choices beyond their control— choices often described as choosing between two evils, such as issues related to racism, identity, diaspora, and power dynamics and cultural hybridity. We delve into the protagonist's psychological trauma and the intricacies and obstacles he faces within a postcolonial setting, unveiling an analysis steeped in postcolonial theory with an objective to illuminate the novel’s depiction of colonialism's lingering shadows across personal and collective lives globally. This study focuses the ways in which the novel reflects on and challenges the legacies of colonialism, while examining the experience of its characters in relation to their races, identities, cultural backgrounds and social positions. This study endeavors to interpret the phenomenon of Post Colonialism as present in The Last White Man and how it creates an undeniable impact on the thoughts and minds of the readers through its characters and events. The current study concludes that the main character faces about his own identity and finding his place in this world, is symbolic of the clash between two worlds postcolonial individuals are thrown into.