Deterioration of Nationalism under Globalization in Ayad Akhtar’s American Dervish

Abstract

This paper endeavors to analyze how Nationalism is dismantling in the hands of western society under the so-called concept of globalization. People of third-world countries especially Pakistan have engaged themselves in various social concerns and prefer moving somewhere else for a better quality of life. Political as well as socio-economic instability has compelled the people to move into different domains of life, distanced from their birthplaces and relationships to settle and work in foreign countries. Moreover, in the people of Pakistan, cultures are so deeply woven that it becomes difficult for anyone to absorb the foreign culture. Consciousness is raised when people face cultural differences and feel marginalized. Under the theoretical framework of Nationalism, the concepts of Anthony D. Smith, Habswom, and Anderson have been taken to analyze the selected text American Dervish. This research is an attempt to reveal, how Pakistani immigrants struggle to get back their traditions and beliefs inherited from their ancestors in a new world of broader possibilities that is enticing and threatening. This study concludes that globalization is ripping national identities to pieces.