Haunted by History: Postcolonial Belonging and the Illusion of Identity in Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows

Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows reveals, in concrete terms, the fallacy of solid-core identity—an identity built upon strictly demarcated foundations such as faith, ethnicity, region, nation, or ancestry. Shamsie examines how characters navigate their sense of self amidst historical events and cultural shifts. By analyzing key passages and drawing upon critical interpretations, this study explores the complexities of identity formation and the quest for belonging in a world marked by war and displacement. Even as globalization spreads across the world, true multiculturalism remains elusive, as it primarily facilitates the globalization of material values while enabling the laissez-faire movement of goods, power networks, and economic interests. This paper examines how the novel, as a work of fiction and artistic expression, brings to life the humanistic perspectives of philosophers and cultural scholars such as Amin Maalouf, Jean-François Bayart, Edward Said, and Charles Taylor. It argues that if humanity can transcend the rigid, exclusionary identities imposed by various movements, nations, and ideological groups—embracing instead a broader sense of belonging to the planet and universal human values—wars and widespread suffering may ultimately be mitigated.