Identity Crisis in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Arranged Marriage: A Diasporic Perspective
Dr. J. Paul Jayakar
Abstract
Diasporic literature refers to works produced by authors who belong to a diaspora, a community of people who have been displaced from their ancestral or original homeland and now reside in different parts of the world. Diasporic literature can encompass many themes, including identity, belonging, cultural heritage, displacement, immigration, assimilation, and the tensions between different cultural, social, and political contexts. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, an inspiring Indo-American writer, is wholly focused on women’s quests for and problems with self-identity. She is wellaware of being an expat, and as a result, many of her works deal with the themes of homelessness and isolation that are so relevant to the Indian diaspora.The concept of ‘identity crisis’ is a prevalent theme in many of the stories in Divakaruni’s Arranged Marriage. It refers to the internal struggle individuals face when their sense of self, shaped by their cultural background and upbringing, clashes with the expectations and demands of their new environment. In the context of the stories, the identity crisis often arises from the tension between traditional values and the desire for personal autonomy and fulfilment.
Keywords
cultural clashes, identity crisis, assimilation, expatriate experience, immigration narrative, diaspora