Exploring Diasporalgia; An Akhtarian Study of the Psychological Impacts of Migration in Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows

Abstract

A profound struggle, a search to construct a new identity while handling the aching absence of a homeland, often distinguishes a diasporic journey. Sometimes migrants experience continuous distress from the loss of cultural roots and community support as they are adjusting to new surroundings. Diasporalgia, a self-coined term, helps to explain the psychological pain individuals experience in diaspora due to the trauma of exile, identity displacement, and a constant yearning for their birthplace. By focusing particularly on the psychological concept of diasporalgia and using Akhtar's work on psychological effects of migration as framework, this paper adds to the body of knowledge already in existence and offers a sophisticated awareness of the emotional and psychological dimensions of displacement in Shamsie's Burnt Shadows (2009). The need to appreciate and repair the emotional scars caused by migration is underlined in this paper. It defines the immigrant experience and shows how the difficulty of relocation influences mental health as well as the continual search for a feeling of belonging in new surroundings.