Chronic Inter-play of Identity and Choice: A Zero-sum Competition in Shamsie's Home Fire

Abstract

The issues of globalization and economic and social dependency have penetrated into modern postcolonial literature, especially in the literature of expatriate Pakistani writers. Home Fire explicitly covers the issue of zero-sum competition between the immigrants and the locals. The attitude of the Americans and the Britishersin the perspective of post 9\11 era highlighted this issue. The Zero-sum competition is situational and chronic. The major factor that constitutes this competition is the national identity. There are certain discursive events in the novel that propagate the fallacy of zero-sum competition. Zero-sum situations force Is ma to adopt the Other attitude towards her brother Pervaiz and sister Aneeka because of the (BIOPTIONAL CHOICE) two options of choice and future. Eamon gains choice and, after that, realizes and refuses the future. This study shows the zero-sum events as highlighted in the work Home Fire and analyzes the situational and chronic interplay of national identity, choice, and sense of future.