NARRATIVE LINEAGE AND THE FRAGMENTED SELF IN MICHAEL ONDAATJE’S RUNNING IN THE FAMILY

Abstract

              Michael Ondaatje’s Running in the Family is an analysis of how story, myth, and memory shape individual and family identities. In fact, it offers a nuanced understanding of how cultural identities are mediated in a globalised setting and how self-discovery is pursued. Identity fragmentation is a significant problem in the drastically changing lifestyle of today. This paper examines how Ondaatje uses a creative but very emotional narrative framework to restore a broken identity by reinterpreting family history. The current understanding is limited so it investigates the reliability of memory and the uncertainty of origin using postmodern strategies including fragmentation, hybridity, nonlinear chronology and intertextuality. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate how Ondaatje's story lineage goes beyond traditional family history. It also actively reshapes identity, transforming rupture into a dynamic, imaginative space for self-creation. Therefore, it tries to shed light on self-fragmentation and clarifies the idea of narrative identity. Keywords: fragmentation, identity, lineage, self