Multiplicity of Identities in the New Millennium

Abstract

In our contemporary era of subversion of identities, the issue of millennial identities has assumed unprecedented significance and scope. This research intends to discuss the complexities and nuances of the millennial identities at the dawn of 21st century. One of the basic contentions is to find patterns by explicating Simon de Beauvoir and Judith Butler's perspectives of identities in Toni Morrison's latest novel God Help the Child. At the turn of 20th century, Simon de Beauvior talked about performative nature of gendered identities. She famously said "one is not born, but rather becomes, a woman". Famous American writer Scott Fitzgerald also defined human embodiment as a series of performative gestures. What these writers were defining about nature and mercurial essence of human personality or identity is equally true and valid about the millennial identities or the 21st century gendered, queer and closeted identities. Butler's statement "one does one's body" adds weight to the argument that in the new millennium all identities are up for grab as they have become more fluid, malleable and plastic. There are plenty of examples, like Oprah Winfrey, Rachel Dolezal, Tiger Woods, Obama, Micheal Jackson and the list goes on. All of them embody the spirit of the new millennial in their own unique fashion. However, the main objective is to bring in the politically, socially and sexually persecuted oppressed minorities or the subaltern identities, who do not necessarily occupy positions of acclaim and prestige and are struggling to create some space for themselves without giving in to existing societal norms and scripts. For example, in Pakistani context, the new millennial women are those who appropriate aspects of identities which are non-conventional and perhaps multi or transcultural. Their act of passing as the new millennials resides in their ability to demolish gendered prejudice and stereotypes by establishing avenues of cross-racial understanding. This research x on the new millennial identities aims to demonstrate this by way of comparative study with Toni Morrison‘s latest novel God Help the Child. It is important because Morrison's take on the new millennial in the God Help the Child talks about these kinds of subversive identities to highlight how the queerness of identities and malleability of the black body, in fact, all the bodies in God Help the Child has contemporary relevance to our society.