Navigating Emotional Diaspora: The Interaction of Trauma and Identity in “The Namesake”

Abstract

In “The Namesake”, ‘Lahiri’ presents a moving and perceptive examination of identity, grief, and the immigrant experience by deftly capturing the diaspora’s emotional agony and complex realities. The book provides an insightful commentary on the persistent effects of cultural displacement and the search for belonging in a world continuously changing from the “Ganguli” family's perspective. ‘Ashima Ganguli's’ emotional anguish is exemplified by her deep loneliness and isolation in a distant environment. Separated from her family and familiar surroundings, she struggles to adjust to American society, relying on Bengali customs to help her cope with her feelings of loss and displacement. Her loneliness is apparent, representing the immigrant's sense of being stuck between two cultures. This paper aims to highlight the theme of emotional diaspora of the female protagonist, the mother of the central character of this psychologically twirling novel. The study of this research is more analytical and descriptive to justify the psychological perception of the society and the females made by the society as well. The study will focus on the traumatic and diasporic theory. As ‘Ashima Ganguli’ is the most evident psyche standing in the courts of emotional diaspora along with the traumatic perception of the main role, ’Gogol’, and his seasonal relationships with his identity and his parents.