Symbolism and Autobiographical Memory: Navigating the Bengali Identity in Assam

Abstract

This paper examines the intricate relationship between symbolism, autobiographical memory, and cultural identity through the first-person narratives of two individuals: Tuchindrai Jayanta, a painter, and Dr. Timir, an academic, both from Guwahati, Assam. Utilizing theories of linguistic minoritization (Skutnabb-Kangas, 2000), colonizer’s guilt (Nandy, 2000), and transgenerational trauma (Volkan, 2001), the study explores how personal histories, rooted in the complex socio-political landscape of post-partition India, manifest in artistic expression and cultural practices. Jayanta’s art, characterized by symbols such as barbed wires, traditional cooking vessels, and running legs, reflects the experiences of displacement and cultural disavowal faced by the Bengali community in Assam. These symbols act as metaphors for the community’s struggle against abjection (Kristeva, 1982) and their ongoing negotiation of identity in the face of exclusion. Dr. Timir’s use of natural symbols, particularly trees and their roots, serves as a powerful metaphor for cultural identity and ancestral connection, illustrating the concept of third individuation (Akhtar, 1995). The paper also delves into the transgenerational transmission of trauma, highlighting how autobiographical memory shapes cultural practices, such as the conscious preservation of linguistic traditions, to recreate a sense of the lost homeland. This study underscores the significance of both art and everyday practices as mediums for preserving and communicating personal and cultural histories, offering insights into the interplay between memory, identity, and cultural expression as methods for psychoanalytic interpretation of the Bengali linguistic community in Assam.