Plurality Redefined: The Emergence of The New Woman in Mukherjee, Divakaruni and Lahiri By Musarrat Shameem A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of English Dhaka University 2018 DECLARATION This dissertation − submitted to the Department of English, Dhaka University, Dhaka – is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. I hereby declare that this dissertation is my own work except where otherwise stated. It has not been submitted previously anywhere for any award. Signature: (Musarrat Shameem) Date: CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL In my capacity as supervisor of the candidate’s dissertation, I certify this dissertation is the student’s own work and to the best of my knowledge all sources of information used have been acknowledged. This thesis has been submitted with my approval. Supervisor: Professor Fakrul Alam Signature:……………………………………. Date:…………………………………………. Abstract Supervisor: Professor Fakrul Alam Title: Plurality Redefined: The Emergence of The New Woman in Mukherjee, Divakaruni and Lahiri By: Musarrat Shameem Diasporic studies is not only limited to the physical movements of a group of people from one place to another; rather, they are more effectively viewed as the analysis of the relation among individuals and communities within a specific spatial-geographical formation. A feminist approach to diasporic studies attempts to configure issues of gender, race, class, and nation, among other identitarian markers, with a view to mapping the identity construction of women based on inequity and differences. Many subsets of ideas are linked to diasporic feminist studies among which postcolonial feminism, postmodern feminism, and transnational feminism deal with questions of plurality, difference, and empowerment. Some South Asian female writers in the United States of America delineate how the questions of gender, race, and nationality converge to solidify the individuality of fictional South Asian female diasporic characters in the USA. Bharati Mukherjee, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, and Jhumpa Lahiri are some of those writers who write about the complex positioning of women from a particular historic-cultural background in diasporic space with regard to their involvement with native communities, and how this involvement is shaped by significant inside and outside cultural, political, and racial aspects. Theorists like Julia Kristeva, Judith Butler, Chandra Talpade Mohanty, Avtar Brah, Linda Nicholson, Jane Flax, Inderpal Grewal, and many others have interpreted the complex subject positions of women in relation to new global realities arising from migrations and transnationalism. These epistemological interpretations complement the fictional writings with a discursive framework. Thus, both diasporic writings and films depict how the identity formation of women in the diaspora is refashioned by a conflict between tradition and modernity. The destabilized identity of women, originating from their cultural sensibilities, and as a result of exposure to disconcerting lived experiences, has become a consistent theme of diasporic fictions by women writers. In this dissertation, I study the identity formation of fictional South Asian women characters through the lens of postcolonial, postmodern, and diasporic feminism. Postcolonial feminism focuses on the particular issues involving women from disempowered, marginal positions whereas postmodern feminism emphasizes the plurality and differences among women. Diasporic feminism synthesizes the former issues furthering them with discussions on intersectionality and transnationalism. Whereas intersectionality shows the impossibility of reducing one’s identity to a single definition, transnationalism deciphers how diasporic condition enables one to simultaneously belong to multiple geographical and psychological spaces. Border crossing and interstitial existence occupy the transnational study of fictional migrant women. In the dissertation, I read the characters as resilient and buoyant in spite of having to face puzzling choices and poignant negotiations. These characters are sometimes devastated and broken because of being exposed to conflicting situations that make them choose between the known and the unknown, between tradition and modernity. However, they somehow devise a strategy to overcome their situations and emerge as new women who are capable of taking responsibilities for the choices they make. Acknowledgements Embarking on the journey of doctoral research has been an unparalleled experience for me and at first I thank Almighty Allah for enabling me to pursue this arduous quest for erudition. Words are inadequate to express my deepest gratitude and respect to Professor Fakrul Alam whose magnitude of enlightenment is awe-inspiring. It has been my privilege to work under his unrelenting supervision. My naive ideas have been sophisticated and methodized under his patient guidance and inflexible editing. In spite of his busy schedule, he has always been unconditionally forbearing and vigilant during my entire scholastic passage. I acknowledge my indebtedness and sincerest thankfulness to him. It also seems magical to me that I started the first day as an undergrad student in the Department of English, Dhaka University, with Professor Fakrul Alam’s class. I also cordially thank Ms. Nazma Alam, wife of Professor Fakrul Alam, for always welcoming me with a warm smile on her face. I can never forget her affection and graciousness. I want to thank my mother for her blessings and my late father who always believed in me, he was often in my thoughts. Next, I thank my son for his patience in keeping himself engaged in various activities when I was busy studying. He has been a great source of inspiration. I must thank my husband for always being there for me, consistently providing the much needed mental support. He also helped me in innumerable ways in completing the journey. Finally, I would like to thank Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam, Professor Kazal Krishna Bandyopadhyay, Professor Rubina Khan and Professor Sonia Nishat Amin, Department of History− for their valuable criticism which enriched my work and also enlightened me as a thinker. i Contents Declaration Abstract Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………….............. i Contents …………………………………………………………………………........... ii Introduction: Redefining Fictional South Asian Women in Diasporic Space………….......... v Chapter One: South Asian Diaspora in the USA: the Role of Race, Culture, and Class in the Identity Construction of Women Migrants………………………………………………… 1 (i) Old and New South Asian Diasporas………………………………………………… 5 (ii) Migration and Reality: The South Asian Diaspora in the United States……………. 8 (iii) Migration and Narrative: Indian Diasporic Writing………………………………… 10 (iv) Gendered Identity of Migrants……………………………………………………….. 20 (v) Redefined Plurality as the Core Idea in Women Migrants’ Identity Construction…. 23 Chapter Two: Identity Formation of South Asian Diasporic Women: Connecting Postcolonial and Postmodern Feminism with Diasporic Studies……………. 30 (i) Identity Formation…………………………………………………………………….. 31 (ii) Points of Convergence between Postcolonialism and Postmodernism……………….. 38 (iii) Postcolonial Feminism………………………………………………………………... 40 (iv) Postmodern Feminism……………………………………………………………….. 48 (v) Diasporic Female Identity…………………………………………………………….. 53 Chapter Three: A Study of Transforming Female Characters in South Asian Women Writers ………………………………………………………………………… 59 (i) Jasmine…………………………………………………………………………………. 59 (a) Mirroring of Postcolonial Feminism in Jasmine……………………………… 62 ii (b) Jasmine and Postmodern Feminism………… 66 (c) Woman in the Diaspora: Always in the Flux………………………………… 72 (ii) Queen of Dreams………………………………………………………………………. 77 (a) Mirroring of Postcolonial Feminism in Rakhi of Queen of Dreams.................. 78 (b) Divakaruni’s Protagonist Reflecting Postmodern Feministic Aspects………. 82 (c) Woman in the Diaspora: Always in the Flux………………………………… 85 (iii) The Lowland………………………………………………………………………….. 88 (a) Mirroring of Postcolonial Feminism in Gauri……………………………….. 90 (b) Lahiri’s Protagonist Reflecting Postmodern Feministic Aspects……………. 94 (c) Woman in the Diaspora: Always in the Flux…………………………………. 96 Chapter Four: In the Light of Diaspora and Feminism: the Mutability of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Women Characters……………………………………………… 100 (i)ChitraBanerjee Divakaruni −A Brief Introduction……………………………………. 101 (ii) Mirroring of Postcolonial Feminism in Arranged Marriage......................................... 109 (iii) Divakaruni’s Characters Reflecting Postmodern Feministic Aspects………………. 121 (iv) Women in the Diaspora: Always in the Flux…………………………........................ 129 Chapter Five: When Diasporic Experience Takes a Transnational Turn: Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth……………………………………………………………. 139 (i) Mirroring of Postcolonial Feminism in Unaccustomed Earth………………………… 143 (ii) Lahiri’s Characters Reflecting Postmodern Feministic Aspects……………………… 156 (iii) Reading a Few Characters Transnationally………………………………………….. 164 Chapter Six: Reifying Identity Formation on Screen: A Study of Two South Asian Diasporic Films…………………………………………………………………… 175 (i) The Namesake………………………………………………………………………….. 179 (ii) English Vinglish……………………………………………………………………….. 186 iii Conclusion: Quest for a Flexible Self …………………………………………... 193 Works Cited………………………………………………………………………………………. 202 iv Introduction Redefining Fictional South Asian