LINGUISTIC HYBRIDITY AND MULTIMODAL STORYTELLING: A POSTCOLONIAL READING OF PALPASA CAFÉ

Abstract Narayan Wagle’s Palpasa Café is a compelling narrative that blends fiction and journalism to depict the personal and political realities of Nepal’s Maoist insurgency. The novel’s use of linguistic hybridity and multimodal storytelling challenges conventional literary structures, reflecting the complexity of postcolonial identity in Nepal. This study examines how Wagle weaves together Nepali, English, and dialectal variations, alongside visual and narrative fragmentation, to construct a layered and dynamic storytelling experience. Using Homi Bhabha’s concept of hybridity, which explores how postcolonial societies negotiate identity through cultural and linguistic mixing, this research analyzes the novel’s shifts between languages, intertextual references, and artistic symbolism. A qualitative textual analysis approach is applied, focusing on how these hybrid elements function as both aesthetic choices and political statements. The findings suggest that Wagle’s linguistic fluidity serves as more than just stylistic experimentation—it becomes a form of resistance against fixed national and cultural identities. By switching between languages, the protagonist, Drishya, embodies the struggle of navigating a world where global influences collide with local realities. The novel’s multimodal elements, such as the recurring motif of painting, further reinforce its fragmented, memory-driven narrative, illustrating the disjointed nature of war and trauma. Ultimately, Palpasa Café redefines the boundaries of contemporary South Asian literature, showing how linguistic and narrative hybridity can reshape historical memory and challenge dominant discourses. Wagle’s approach not only captures the complexities of a post-war Nepal but also raises broader questions about storytelling in a rapidly globalizing world. This study contributes to discussions on postcolonial literature, multilingualism, and the evolving role of narrative form in representing historical trauma. Key word: Linguistic hybridity, multimodal storytelling, postcolonial literature, Homi Bhabha, Palpasa Café, Nepal, War narratives.