Mapping the Psychological Landscape of the Two Generations of Indian Diaspora in US through the Works of Jhumpa Lahiri

Abstract

Every diasporic study or displacement theory inadvertently leads through an analysis and understanding of its governing forces viz socio-economic factors, culture, milieu etc. so as to arrive at any recognizable pattern of the given diasporic consciousness.

The first generation Indian diasporic sensibilities, governed majorly by the strong undercurrents of culture and traditions, stick to the natal bonds and cultural identity in foreign lands. These culture-preservation efforts are tested and challenged on several fronts externally. Ironically, the biggest threat is posed by internal agents, the second generation, who being culturally hybridized, find themselves torn between two sensibilities. Intrinsically attached to the American mainstream, they take only peripheral interest in reinforcing the ties with their roots.

The novels of the internationally acclaimed writer of the Indian origin, Jhumpa Lahiri, traverse through the psychological landscape of the first and second generation Indian immigrants in USA mapping significantly the boundaries and distances between the both. This study makes an attempt to look through Lahiri’s works at the paradigm shift between the two generations, the first generation with its ‘living within the walls’ approach and second generation with its unfixed values. The paper also analyzes the set of ‘C’s- conflicts, clashes, complexities and compromises, with a view to present the dialectics or the process of thesis, antithesis and synthesis involved in the Indian diasporic reality.

Key Words- Acculturation, Deculturation, Hyphenated Identity, Hybridization, Paradox of Otherness, Breaking the Stereotypes