16-02-2013, 02:22 PM
Theme of Location, Dislocation and Relocation in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake and Monica Ali’s The Bricklane
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Introduction:
The present research will conduct the study of the theme of location, dislocation and relocation with the special reference to the novels of Jhumpa Lahiri & Monica Ali. The word ‘Diaspora’ derives from the Greek words ‘dia’ means ‘through’ and ‘sperian’ means ‘to scatter’. The term implies the notion of center, a locus, home from where the dispersion occurs. The word projects a diasporic journey in which immigrant people displaced from their native land and relocates in new land .The process of settling interest with racial relation determined by class; ethnicity, racism, gender & sexuality are the important ingredients that configure the concept of diaspora. It referred to as “movement, migration on scattering of people away from an established or an ancestral homeland”, for the purpose of making money, career and education. In the conventional sense, diaspora signifies a homogeneous entity of geographically displaced people such as indentured labourers or slaves basically under the empire and often referred to exiled or expatriates.
As political term, it is used to signify the dispersion of community with strong connotation of exile and persecution such as Jewish diaspora of pre-christian day. Its cultural use refers to a community of expatriate writers is of fairly recent origin .For the immigrant writer, it is matter of maintaining a delicate balance between culture of origin and culture of adoption.
Post 1970’s diaspora is different from all these issues , pasts the reason of this difference are a willingness to go & stay, the growth of technology & media, the changing patterns of social institution like family , marriage & the priortization of economic categories both international & individually.
In the 90s, the term used in critical writing & social theory was expatriate & the notion of exile associate with it as Edward Said & several other observed. By the late 1990’s, it had yielded to the term ‘diaspora’ one which encompassed the varied histories of the dislocated. These are the shifting parameters as they progress from dislocation from country of origin & an engagement with the act of belonging the host country.
Life and Works of Jhumpa Lahiri and Monica Ali:
Jhumpa Lahiri belongs to the second generation diaspora.she is a well-known novelist & short story writer who was born in England, her works are Interpreter of Maladies (1999), The Namesake (2003), Unaccustomed Earth (2008), she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2000 and O’Henry Award as well as PEN/Hemingway Award for the short story collection Interpreter of Maladies and for the novel The Namesake. She was awarded by Man Booker Prize in 2003.This novel was adopted for film by the same name ,it released in United States, Canada, United Kingdom and in India in march, 2006.
The Namesake is a novel depicting the scenario of Indian family who migrates to the US. The Ganguli family was previously located in Calcutta, then they migrate to America because of Ashok has job there. After his marriage with Ashima Bhaduri, he is dislocated from his motherland and settle in America .There they face the problems like clashes between old and young generation, alienation in foreign country ,cultural clashes, immigrants quest for identity .Jhumpa Lahiri is born in London but her father’s native place is India, so she have experience as foreigner as she tells in the interview ,she also face these all troubles .Ashoke and Ashima old generation &Gogol and his sister Sonia, young generation trapped in clashes between foreign and native cultural context, Gogol hates his own name & blames parents who gave this name to him. But at the end he was aware about his mistakes. At the end there is radical change takes place after his father’s death, he became responsible person and gets aware about his duty towards his family.
Monica Ali is a British, Bangladeshi writer & one of the best young British novelists. She was born in Dhaka (Bangladesh), she left Bangladesh with her parents at the age of three and goes to(Boston) London, her works are The Brick Lane(2003), Alentejo Blue(2006),In the Kitchen(2009).“The brick Lane is her first novel. It was selected for the First Richard and Jurdy Book Club in 2004.
Monica Ali’s novel The Brick Lane records the experience as immigrant of Nazneen, protagonist of novel who is after marriage with Chanu, her husband moves to London. That time she was nineteen and her husband is twenty year old than her. Her native place is Bangladesh. After dislocation she attracts toward abroad culture, gradually she gets change and behaves as abrades culture she becomes aware about his right ,find freedom in London .She wear attire like London’s she makes extra marital affair with young Muslim man Karim. Hasina , her sister wrote letters to her and who fascinates Nazneen towards freedom, impact of Nazneens friend Razia make Nazneen independent .In the London, she accepts London’s cultural, social norm on the contrary Chanu her husband lost his job then became taxi driver his dream to became a wealthy and respectable person get destroyed .Their cultural conflict between Chanu and his daughter’s .He became frustrated, felt alienation in London then longing to go back Bangladesh beside Nazneen decides to live in London with her two daughter.
Review of Relevant Literature
The select novels of Jhumpa Lahiri and Monica Ali are significant in the postmodern literary scenario of the Diasporic literature. Few scholars and critics attempted to explore these novels from various perspectives but these studies are fragmentary one and require a full length exploration. As far as researcher’s Knowledge, no serious research work has been carried out in this direction in any of the Indian universities. Thus, the present study tries to explore the select novels of Jhumpa Lahiri and Monica Ali with Diasporic perspective.
Significance of the study:
Diasporic literature is branch of postmodern or postcolonial literature, the term Diaspora is one of ingredient of globalization. Especially Indian diasporic literature is focused in this research work. The analytical, interpretative, comparative method will; be adopt for the study of these fiction. Such literary interpretation enables readers to understand the proper meaning, intention of these novels. The proposed research work will enhance the knowledge and perception of Diaspora.
The Aim’s and objectives of the present research work:-
I. To study the theme of location, dislocation and relocation in the selected novels The Namesake and The Brick Lane.
II. To make interpretative, analytical, comparative study of the novels.
III. To analyze the critical opinion regarding these novels.
Hypothesis:-
It is hypothesized that the theme of location, dislocation and relocation are the diasporic issues which can be traced in the novel by Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake and Monica Ali’s The Brick Lane.
Scope and Limitations of the study:-
The scope of the present study is limited one. The focus of the study will be on the select novel of Jhumpa Lahiri and Monica Ali. Many twentieth century novelists deal with diasporic theme, they are not in the purview of the study. It is not possible to study each and every fiction of this novelist. Then also it is not possible to analyze the every novelist who deals with these themes. Therefore, the objectives of the study are limited one. It aims at analyzing a single novel of these writers .the focus of the study is investigate the theme of location, dislocation, and relocation in the selected novels.
Rational Behind the selection:
Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake (2003) and Monica Ali’s The Brick Lane (2003) are the master pieces. These novels are significant which explores the diasporic themes like location, dislocation, relocation etc.
Research Methodology:-
The present research proposal work will be adopt interpretative, analytical, evaluative and comparative methodology. The focus of the study will be on the close reading of primary and secondary data. The chapter scheme of the study is clearly defined as follows.