AWEJ Special Issue on Literature No.1, 2013 Pp.226-232
A Reading of the Immigrant Psyche of the Protagonist/Writer in “The Tiger`s Daughter”.
Sabitha.S.R.Najeeb
University of Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Abstract
One of the key features of twentieth century is the large-scale migration across the globe. Two world wars, emergence of decolonized countries, and the dominance of information technology have redefined concepts such as identity, belonging and home. These historical and social events have made the immigrant the protagonist of the twentieth century. This study examines how these socio-political experiences are translated into the context of American identity. In order to do so, it must interrogate the critical fields that are most interested in issues of national and cultural identities, migration, and the appropriation of women by both Western and postcolonial projects. Analysis is also undertaken about the manner in which the protagonist of Bharati Mukherjee`s “The Tiger`s Daughter” navigate between the various and often contradictory demands placed on her by her homeland culture and her position as an immigrant in the United States. This novel is a probe on the one hand to the innate complexities and inconsistencies of a conservative traditional background, and on the other hand, a sarcasm on a deformed and prejudiced social set up. Mukherjee enjoys a special place in the category of immigrant writers because she is both an immigrant writer as well as a feminist writer.
Key Words: Alienation, Dilemma, Dislocation, Immigrant Writing, Isolation