NARRATIVE VOICE: CONSTRUCTING LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL IDENTITY IN POSTCOLONIAL NARRATIVES

Abstract

This article examines the role of narrative voice in the construction of language and cultural identity within postcolonial narratives. Drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of Frantz Fanon, Edward Said and Bill Ashcroft, the study explores how postcolonial writers employ narrative strategies to articulate displacement, hybridity, fragmented identity, and cultural resistance. Particular attention is given to the relationship between narration, linguistic hybridity, memory, and historical trauma. Through the analysis of works by Mohsin Hamid, Kamila Shamsie, Bapsi Sidhwa, Sorayya Khan, and Bina Shah, the article demonstrates that narrative voice functions not only as a literary technique but also as a cultural and linguistic space where identity, belonging, and resistance are negotiated. The study further argues that contemporary postcolonial dystopian fiction expands these discussions through the representation of gender identity, surveillance, and ideological control. Ultimately, the article emphasizes that postcolonial narrative voice reconstructs marginalized cultural experiences while simultaneously challenging the ideological legacy of colonial discourse.