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@article{191466,
        author = {Sheena C.P},
        title = {Cultural expressions of identity, survival, and hope in Andrea Busfield’s Born Under a Million shadows},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {8},
        pages = {6905-6909},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=191466},
        abstract = {Andrea Busfield’s Born Under a Million Shadows presents a sensitive and humanistic portrayal of post-Taliban Afghanistan by foregrounding cultural expressions of identity, survival, and hope within a society recovering from prolonged conflict. Set in Kabul, the novel moves beyond dominant war-centered narratives to depict Afghanistan as a culturally rich space shaped by memory, resilience, and everyday social practices. Through the perspective of Fawad, an Afghan boy negotiating loss, friendship, and belonging, identity is presented as a dynamic process shaped by tradition, displacement, and intercultural encounters. Cultural practices such as storytelling, hospitality, respect for elders, and communal solidarity emerge as vital mechanisms of survival, enabling individuals to preserve dignity and continuity amid political instability and trauma. By foregrounding indigenous voices and lived experiences, the novel challenges reductive Western representations of Afghanistan and restores agency to Afghan characters often marginalized in global narratives. Survival is portrayed not merely as physical endurance but as cultural preservation rooted in shared values and collective memory. Hope operates as a subtle yet persistent theme, embedded in personal relationships, education, and acts of compassion that suggest the possibility of renewal. Rather than offering simplistic resolutions, Busfield presents hope as an ethical response to suffering. This study argues that the novel reclaims Afghan identity through narrative empathy, affirming cultural resilience and the enduring power of hope in post-conflict societies.},
        keywords = {Resilience, Encounters, Displacement, Belonging, Mechanisms, Endurance.},
        month = {January},
        }