Online ISSN: 2515-8260

A Critical Peep into Identity Crisis in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland

Main Article Content

Dr. Prem Bahadur Khadka

Abstract

In the discourses of literary analysis the theme of identity is a prominent one. As it is the phenomenon through which a human being gets access into the physical world of existence. But sometimes he/she may suffer from uncertainties and confusions into which his/her identity becomes insecure and suffers from subsequent identity crisis. The Lowland by diaspora writer Jhumpa Lahiri is such kind of novel. It was published in 2013. The plot is centered around two significant events i.e. Marxism and nostalgic sentiment of the characters. The recollections of the characters lead the readers to feel about native land. In this novel The Lowland Jhumpa Lahiri has centered her perspectives on the political aspects of postcolonial India. The novel examines lives and conflicts across India and America spanning over fifty years, leading the narrative technique of shifting between two geographical locations and the past and present. Jhumpa Lahiri’s works are a spontaneous outlet of her personal life. She was born in India; her parents were Bengali descendants, brought up on the eastern coast. This critical paper attempts to give a thorough analysis of Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland. The issue of identity is conspicuous in the novel and various characters could be analyzed with respect to this. Among many characters one such major character is Gauri, an Indian woman. She became widow and married the brother of her ex-husband. When after marriage of Gauri the couple moved to USA, she started finding her unprecedented multiple (possibly present and the future) identities. Hence, the critical paper endeavors in discussing Gauri’s changes of identity and subsequent crisis throughout the narrative. The discussional article is grounded on theory of identity and its pertinent ideas. It uncovers how migration became a remarkable experience and influenced identity of Gauri.

Article Details