Reclaiming Identity, Asserting Self: A Critical Exploration of Identity Crisis and Self-Assertion in Paulette Jiles’ News of the World

C. B. Suvetha
II M. A. English,
Department of English, S. T. Hindu College, Nagercoil – 629 002.
(Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli-627 012)

Abstract
News of the World (2016) is a fictional historical novel written by American writer Paulette Jiles. This novel spins around the experiences of two protagonists, namely Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd, a 71- year-old veteran, and Johanna Leonberger, a 10-year-old girl. Captain Kidd is assigned to return a girl named Johanna Leonberger to her relatives in San Antonio, who has been captured by the Kiowa tribe at a very young age. On their way, both face lots of difficulties, which create a bond between them and help them overcome their dual identities. This paper analyses the complexities of identity crisis and self- assertion in the novel News of the World, which is set against the backdrop of Post-Civil War Texas. This study explores how the protagonist overcomes the imposed and occurs self-claimed identity. This paper highlights Jiles’ novel as it involves meaningful insights into identity, culture, history, and belonging. It highlights identity crisis and self-assertion in the contemporary world.

Keywords: Identity crisis, Self-assertion, Post-Civil War Texas.