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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 2

Publication Date: February 25, 2024

DOI:10.14738/assrj.112.16348.

Dangwal, K. (2024). Diasporic Consciousness: A Study of Identity Crisis in Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Unaccustomed Earth”. Advances in Social

Sciences Research Journal, 11(2). 201-209.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

Diasporic Consciousness: A Study of Identity Crisis in Jhumpa

Lahiri’s “Unaccustomed Earth”

Kamlesh Dangwal

King Khalid University

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the creative work of renowned diasporic Indian writer Jhumpa

Lahari in her collection of eight short stories entitled "Unaccustomed Earth" where,

she has explored the tug of war between the traditional-cultural values sustained

by the immigrant parents but were curtailed by their precocious young American

teenagers. The oscillation of permanent settlement in the new land and an

overwhelming nostalgia for the homeland is a persistent theme of diasporic writers.

In the introductory part of the research paper diaspora is defined and elucidated.

The dispersion of Indian people across the globe and their vivid experiences and

suffrages is discussed in the second part of the paper. The central themes of the

diasporic writer and Indian diasporic writers and their closeness and corelation to

celebrated diasporic writer Jhumpa Lahiri is discussed in the subsequent

paragraphs. Diasporic terms like assimilation, adaptation, hybridity, host culture,

ethnic and culture conflicts have been discussed in the light of the ‘Unaccustomed

Earth’ by Lahiri. Irresistible past of the immigrants for their land of origin is a

perennial source of study among diasporic writers. This paper explores the tug of

war between the first-generation migrants who have the sense of rootlessness,

alienation, and nostalgic homesickness on one hand and the hybrid and

multicultural third generation and its synthesis of the past and the modern leading

to socio-cultural, linguistic, and psychological transfusion widening new

dimensions for the next generation in Lahiri’s stories.

Keywords: alienation, hybridity, diaspora, cultural conflict, identity crises and

adaptation.

INTRODUCTION

Etymologically the term "Diaspora" means dispersion or a dispersed community. It is a kind of

physical dislocation, along with cultural, traditional, social, and value-based migration to alien

lands. The Greek word ‘diaspora’ means “to scatter about.” Migration is an indispensable

element throughout the history of human evolution. Humans leave their homeland due to

economic crisis, ethnic persecutions, social and political instability, and sometimes for

adventure too and the pursuit is the quest of high economic stability, religious security, high

living standard and political and social freedom and different avenues of adventure and

explorations. As Dubey states ‘they leave their homes to avoid starvation or simply to improve

their economic status.’ (Dubey;2003-p156). Rapid cultural transition shapes the future of the

expatriates in an alien land. Jhumpa Lahiri in ‘Unaccustomed Earth’ tells how characters

trapped in the intricacies of familial rootlessness and resentment on one side and restlessness

and adaptation and assimilation of new culture of an alien land on the other. In an alien land,

people find economic stability, quality life, and religious and social freedom which they scared

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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 2, February-2024

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

to lose... for many whose children have grown up in the western environment and cannot adjust

to an ‘alien’ way of life in their own home country, there is no question coming back, leaving the

children behind. (Dubey; 2003 p-165). Lahiri’s stories highlight the emotional conflicts of its

characters due to migration. The sense of being between two poles makes migrants lives

apprehensive. People of Indian origin have migrated across the globe. Countries like Fiji,

Malaysia, Sri Lanka, UK, Canada, USA, Mauritius, South Africa, Bali Islands, Guyana, Kenya, and

Uganda have been populated by Indian migrants as of today’s report. However, after the repeal

of Immigration and Nationality act 1965 large scale migration is noticed in the United States

highly educated and skilled class of Indian scientist, IT professional, engineers, accountants,

doctors, professors, and business industry professional ranks them as an elite class in the

United States today.

Statement of the Problem/Research Questions

What is diaspora? Why do immigrants feel isolation and develop sense of unbelonging to a host

culture in an alien land? Why do immigrants suffer identity crisis and ethnic rootlessness in a

foreign land? How does cultural hegemony dominate or effect each other in the process of

simultaneous co-existence? What are the challenges to ethnicity of the immigrants? What is the

present status of Indian diasporic writers? What is the new outlook of the post-colonial writers

to patch the cultural gaps and hybridity are some of the questions taken into preview in this

study.

Research Objectives

The specific objective of this research paper is to clarify the concepts of hybridity and cultural

hegemony of the immigrants. It develops an understanding of the Post Colonial pronouncement

of hybridity, assimilation, and adaptation with an amber of nostalgia, anguish and non- belonginess in the works of Jhumpa Lahiri. The research paper elucidates how do the modern

writings and post-colonial theories contribute in the understanding of diaspora and terms

connected with it.

Limitations of the Study

Jhumpa Lahiri’s literary corpus is enormous. She has written exhaustively under various

themes hence, to encompass her all-literary work is next to impossible. The procurement of

documented interviews and statements on diasporic consciousness at different literary

summits and concerts is not available hence it is very difficult to cover. Therefore, in this study,

a philosophical, metaphorical, emotional connexion is limited to ‘Unaccustomed Earth.’ In

addition, Lahiri’s assertive personal memoirs and interviews bites available pertaining to the

concept of diaspora and its challenges are only taken into consideration for this study.

METHODOLOGY

The methodology is based on qualitative descriptive analysis. A comprehensive study of Lahiri’s

‘Unaccustomed Earth’ novels, notes and assertions at literary concerts and summits and a

comparative look into Diasporic Indian consciousness of the author in relation with other

diasporic writers is taken into the study. However, the study of critical notes, articles on

diasporic theme, Wikipedia, and internet sources for research reviews act as its secondary

sources.