Identity and Geography : Short Fiction by Writers of Diaspora

A common question an immigrant often encounters is 'where are you from?,‘ not 'who/what are you?‘ thereby emphasizing the geographical place from which he/she hails. This question demands a specific answer which makes one think and rethink the perennial issue of identity leading to a crisis. This paper discusses the close, inevitable association between one‘s identity and his/her land of origin as presented by writers of Diaspora in general and the Trinidad born writer Neil Bissoondath in particular. The paper analyzes Bissoondath‘s short fiction in the perspective of an immigrant‘s need to negotiate his/her identity.