American War-Play and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in New World Order: A New Historicist Study of Red Birds

Abstract

The present study analyzes the novel Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif from the perspective of New Historicism to find out the actual socio-political, economic and cultural context of the Middle East and South Asia portrayed in the novel. The study uses Montrose (1986) and Greenblat’s (1982) theoretical tenants to analyze the novel to unveil the real scenario of war game in the third world countries. The study is significant to know the real time context of the Middle East in terms of American war play, hegemonic shift, dialogic tension and post-traumatic stress disorder because of the geo-political and economic significance of the region for America and other regional powers. The study is also significant in unveiling the so called agenda of the US in making the world a better place through a new world order. The findings of the study reveal that the writer has not only unveiled the unavoidable havocs of the American war game in the context of Middle East and South Asia through Red Birds, but he has also projected the duel face of the American military and policy think tankers in maintaining hegemonic control over the people of the Middle East and South Asia. The study further reveals that the American narrative of a better and safer new world order has caused dialogic tension and post-traumatic stress disorder to the indigenous people of the region. To cap it all, the events and happenings unfold social, cultural, economic, mental conditions of the people, disillusionment and fantasy of the American warriors to develop a real-world context of the events, and the impacts of these misadventures in the lives of indigenous people and American soldiers deployed in the Middle East and South Asia.