Neoliberal Subjectivity and the Crisis of Identity in Devika Rege’s Quarterlife

Sreenivasa N.T

Neoliberal Subjectivity and the Crisis of Identity in Devika Rege’s Quarterlife

Author(s)	Dr. Sreenivasa N.T
Country	India
Abstract	Abstract Neoliberalism has brought many changes to people's lives by influencing education, employment, social status, and personal goals. These changes have also affected the way individuals understand themselves and their place in society. Devika Rege's Quarterlife presents the lives of young people who struggle to balance their personal dreams with the realities of caste, class, religion, and modern society. This paper aims to study how the novel portrays the formation of identity in a rapidly changing world shaped by globalization and neoliberal values. The study uses the ideas of Wendy Brown, Michel Foucault, Stuart Hall, David Harvey, and Pierre Bourdieu to examine how the characters experience identity, power, freedom, and social inequality. It also explores how the desire for success, economic progress, and social acceptance creates confusion, conflict, and a sense of uncertainty among the characters. The paper argues that Quarterlife shows identity as something that is constantly changing according to social, cultural, and economic conditions. By analysing the novel through a qualitative approach, this study highlights how Devika Rege presents the challenges faced by contemporary Indian youth in finding their identity in a globalized society. The paper concludes that Quarterlife offers a thoughtful critique of neoliberal society and its impact on individual identity and human relationships.
Keywords	Neoliberalism, Subjectivity, Globalization, Contemporary Indian English Fiction, Social Change, Caste, Class, Youth, Devika Rege, Quarterlife
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-14

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Neoliberal Subjectivity and the Crisis of Identity in Devika Rege’s Quarterlife

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