Shiksha Samvad

DOI:- https://doi.org/10.64880/shikshasamvad.v3i3.39

Author : Dr. Alka Singh 

Abstract

This paper tries to address the problems associated with identity crisis and cultural hybridity in the selected works of Jhumpa Lahiri, Bharati Mukherjee and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, three eminent Indian diasporic writers whose fiction is an exploration of the intricacies of migration, displacement and cultural negotiation. Informed by postcolonial theories of Homi K. Bhabha and Stuart Hall, and diaspora studies, the study examines how their protagonists deal with the conflicts between embedded cultural traditions and the demands of life in multicultural communities. The paper explores the evolving ideas about the idea of self, belonging and hybrid identity as seen in The Namesake, Jasmine and The Mistress of Spices. Lahiri explores the emotional struggles of second generation immigrants, Mukherjee focuses on change and becoming a new person, and Divakaruni focuses on memory, gender, and the continuity of culture. The paper’s argument is that identity in diasporic literature is not fixed but fluid, that is, created by a continuous negotiation between homeland and hostland. The authors’ distinct narrative approach is compared to demonstrate how cultural hybridity is a site of insurgency and empowerment and how it has played a significant role in the continuing discourses in Indian English literature, postcolonial and diaspora studies.

Keywords: Identity Crisis, cultural Hybridity, Diaspora, Indian English Literature, Post colonialism, Migration, selfhood.

Cite this Article: 

Singh^, Dr. Alka, “Identity Crisis and Cultural Hybridity in the Works of Jhumpa Lahiri, Bharati Mukherjee, and Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: A Comparative Study” Shiksha Samvad International Open Access Peer-Reviewed & Refereed Journal of Multidisciplinary Research, ISSN: 2584-0983 (Online), Volume 03, Issue 03, Pp.353-362, March-2026. Journal URL: https://shikshasamvad.com/