Language, Identity, and Resistance: Code-Switching as a Narrative Strategy in Contemporary South Asian Diasporic Writing

Abstract

This article examines the strategic deployment of code-switching as a narrative technique in contemporary South Asian diasporic fiction, arguing that the interweaving of English with South Asian languages constitutes a form of linguistic resistance that challenges monolingual norms while articulating complex diasporic identities. Drawing on sociolinguistic theory, postcolonial criticism, and diaspora studies, this study analyses selected works by Salman Rushdie, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Monica Ali to investigate how these authors employ code-switching to represent the fractured linguistic landscapes inhabited by diasporic subjects. The research utilizes a qualitative textual analysis methodology, examining primary literary texts alongside theoretical frameworks from sociolinguistics and postcolonial studies. The findings reveal that code-switching in South Asian diasporic fiction operates on multiple levels: it authenticates cultural representation, disrupts the hegemony of Standard English, creates solidarity with bilingual readers, and textually embodies the hybrid identities of diasporic characters. The article argues that code-switching functions not merely as decorative local colour but as a substantive narrative strategy that transforms the English language itself, creating what Salman Rushdie has termed "new Englishes" capable of expressing experiences that monolingual discourse cannot accommodate. This study contributes to ongoing scholarly conversations about world literatures in English and the politics of linguistic choice in postcolonial writing.