An Analysis Of Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake, An Allegory Of An Exile's Search For True Self

Abstract

Culture is "that complex system which encompasses knowledge, belief, art moral, law, tradition, and any other talents and habits acquired by man as a member of society," as EB. Tylor put it. The Namesake, by Pulitzer Prize winner Jhumpa Lahiri, centers on an immigrant couple and their two American-born children and explores the complexities of their shared heritage. This dissertation attempts a close analysis of the experiences of Ganguli families who, in an effort to pass on their cultural values to their children, often end up creating children who grow up with conflicting ideas of who they are and where they come from. In addition, the study analyzes the characters' internal conflicts and prejudices to provide a nuanced and detailed portrait of the immigrant experience. Immigrants cause a shift in character-level ideas and attitudes in two countries.