Exile, metamorphosis, and identity in Bharati Mukherjee's Jasmine

Abstract

This thesis focuses on the theme of exile in Bharati Mukherjee's Jasmine and its effects on the hero in e in her negotiations for a reconstructed identity . The first chapter tackles the issue of exile in twentieth-century history and literature. The second section shows the prominence of migrant literature and explores contemporary literary and critical discourses. An analysis of the meanings of exile , expatriation, and immigration in the life and works of Mukherjee are presented to highlight their significance in contemporary American and Asian American literature.--The second chapter of the thesis analyzes the heroine's consciousness of exile in India and America brought about by her gender, Indian/Hindu traditions, ethnicity, and status as an immigrant. A detailed exploration of the other characters reveals their perspectives and frames of reference from which they view the Other and , in this case, the 'visible' woman immigrant. 22 520 __ |a In the third chapter the emphasis is on Jasmine 's resilience, self-confidence, and strong will and how these enable her to survive racism, discrimination, and stereotypical conceptions, to overcome the wonders and horrors of the new/old cultures, and to reconstruct a selfhood that is an amalgamation of her Indian/Hindu heritage and the values of the New World It is argued that the reconstructive and rebinhing process requires reconciliation with the past, fluidity, and an ongoing state of metamorphosis oriented towards psychological growth and maturation.--The concluding chapter stresses how Mukherjee weaves the different tensions defined by mass cultural expatriation and literary migration to show that the gap between pre- and post-twentieth-century pioneers cannot be completely bridged yet can be made narrower through recognition of differences and appreciation of similarities in fellow human beings caught in the painful reality of assimilation and preservation of cultures in their quest for old and /or new roots.