Geographic Dislocation and Adolescent Psyche in Nidhi Chanani's Pashmina

This paper explores the intricate relationship between geographical dislocation and adolescent psyche, as depicted in Nidhi Chanani’s graphic novel, Pashmina. This study focuses on the protagonist Priyanka, an Indian American teenager, who is struggling with her cultural identity and sense of belonging. By undertaking multidisciplinary approaches this research explores how displacement and the search for belonging shaped the adolescent experience. Through a close reading of the novel via analysing the visual and textual elements, this paper aims to highlight how elements of magical realism in the story serve as a metaphor for Priyanka’s internal world and her quest for connection with her past, while adumbrating the fact of how the dislocation impacts perception, mental health and identity formation. Thereby, the findings of this work aim to contribute to the broader discourse on migration literature and adolescence psychology by offering insights on how geographical dislocation impacts the mental health and identity of young individuals in multicultural settings.