Diaspora and Cultural Hybridity: A Postcolonial Reading of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Lowland (2013)

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Lecturer of English Literature Faculty of Arts, Damietta University

Abstract

Within the theoretical framework of postcolonialism, this paper highlights the historical crisis that gives birth to new Indian identities in a process of cultural clash, acculturation, conflict resolution and Indian American hybridization. The main argument is that Indian diaspora exists in America and that cultural hybridity constitutes the pivotal theme in Lahiri's  recent novel, The Lowland. The paper seeks an answer to the question: For how long will it take Indian generations to overcome the cultural clash and diaspora in the host culture and to adapt to the New Land Lahiri, as a second generation immigrant of Bengali origin, has some diasporic experiences to share with the world. She presents an objective picture of typical Bengali characters to emphasize some points. It takes so long a time for first generation immigrants to shed their differences and assimilate with the members of the host society. Only through friendship, love, and newly-found hybrid identity can generations assimilate and acculturate with the host culture. Second generation shows an extreme assimilation with the host society. Yet, there is a conflict between first generation and second generation concerning their ways of life. It is through the grandchildren or third generation of immigrant parents that reconciliation is achieved.
 

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