THE FAMILIAL GRIP: ALTHUSSERIAN IDEOLOGY AND THE BATTLE FOR IDENTITY IN WAJAHAT ALI’S THE DOMESTIC CRUSADERS

Abstract

This article explores the role of family as an Ideological State Apparatus (ISA) in shaping the ideological subjectivity of the Pakistani Muslim diaspora in Wajahat Ali’s The Domestic Crusaders. Employing Louis Althusser’s theory of Ideology and Interpellation, this study examines how the family unit functions as a primary agent of ideological conditioning, enforcing cultural traditions while also negotiating the pressures of assimilation in a post-9/11 Western context. The research contends that the family’s role as an ISA creates internal conflicts between generations, leading to identity crises and ideological precarity. By analyzing key moments in the play, this article reveals how familial interpellation operates within the broader ideological struggles of diaspora communities, ultimately shaping or resisting subject formation.