Tradition and Displacement in the Novels of Bapsi Sidhwa and Rohinton Mistry

Abstract

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between tradition and displacement in the novels of Bapsi Sidhwa and Rohinton Mistry, two leading voices in South Asian diasporic literature. Grounded in postcolonial and diaspora studies, the research analyzes six major texts—Sidhwa’s The Pakistani Bride, The Crow Eaters, An Ice-Candy-Man, and An American Brat, alongside Mistry’s Such a Long Journey, A Fine Balance, Family Matters, and Tales from Firozsha Baag. Through close readings, it explores how inherited customs (religious, familial, and social) function as both stabilizing forces and sites of constraint when confronted with migration, communal violence, and socio-political upheaval. The study reveals that Sidhwa’s narratives often deploy satire and child perspectives to critique patriarchy and Partition, while Mistry’s realist approach foregrounds political corruption, caste inequality, and ethical resilience. Comparative analysis demonstrates that displacement whether forced, voluntary, or economic simultaneously challenges traditional frameworks and generates new forms of cultural hybridity and community.