Diasporic Allegory in Jhumpa Lahiri's Novel The Namesake

• Author(s): Sangeetha S. ; Dr. G. Aruna ; S. Nithya Devi
• Paper ID: 1704356
• Page: 679-681
• Published Date: 29-04-2023
• Published In: Iconic Research And Engineering Journals
• Publisher: IRE Journals
• e-ISSN: 2456-8880
• Volume/Issue: Volume 6 Issue 10 April-2023

Abstract

This article examines how Jhumpa Lahiri's novel The Namesake (2003) employs allegory as a narrative strategy to explore the experiences of diasporic subjects. Drawing on Paul Ricoeur's theory of metaphor and allegory, the article argues that Lahiri uses allegory to create a complex and dynamic representation of identity, culture, and belonging in the context of migration and globalization. It analyses how the protagonist, Gogol Ganguli, embodies the allegorical meaning of his name, which refers to both the Russian writer Nikolai Gogol and the Bengali word for "jewel". It also discusses how Lahiri's novel engages with the themes of memory, history, and literature as sources of allegorical interpretation and self-understanding for the diasporic characters. The article concludes that Lahiri's novel offers a nuanced and multifaceted view of diaspora as a condition of possibility and challenge for contemporary subjectivity.

Keywords

Diaspora, The Namesake, Cultural Studies.

Citations

IRE Journals:
Sangeetha S. , Dr. G. Aruna , S. Nithya Devi "Diasporic Allegory in Jhumpa Lahiri's Novel The Namesake" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals Volume 6 Issue 10 2023 Page 679-681

IEEE:
Sangeetha S. , Dr. G. Aruna , S. Nithya Devi "Diasporic Allegory in Jhumpa Lahiri's Novel The Namesake" Iconic Research And Engineering Journals, 6(10)