Author(s): Annu and Shashi Goyals

Abstract: Migration encompasses memory, nostalgia, identity, belonging, and trauma. Literature reflects societal transformations resulting from displacement and its consequences, manifested as dilemmas, nostalgia, identity crises, and trauma. A migrant endures loss and alienation while striving to assimilate into a new society, caught between home and afar. They fabricate imaginary homelands to evade the torment of memories linked to their actual homeland since they experience a profound sense of belonging and dislocation that haunts their recollections. An individual or a collective may be compelled to migrate for several reasons, including economic, educational, infrastructural, or other personal factors. In the modern era, migration is inevitable for specific populations. Kananbala, the radical heroine of An Atlas of Impossible Longing (2008) by Anuradha Roy, experienced the anguish of displacement when her husband Amulya relocated from Calcutta to Songarh with their children. This 'Intra-India Migration' involves the relocation of individuals from rural regions to urban centres, influenced by several reasons. Nevertheless, it is predominantly attributable to medical necessities, familial conflicts, educational pursuits, enhanced employment prospects, lifestyle alterations, and similar factors. In the novel, Kananbala embodies all women who endure suffering from coerced displacement. This paper examines the trauma associated with dislocation, particularly concerning individuals impacted by 'Intra-India Migration,' specifically focusing on Anuradha Roy’s An Atlas of Impossible Longing.

DOI: 10.22271/27891607.2025.v5.i1b.259

Pages: 98-100 | Views: 73 | Downloads: 30

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