Immigrant Woman’s Self-Discovery in Bharathi Mukherjee’s Desirable Daughters

Abstract

Bharati Mukherjee (1940–2017) was an influential Indian-American author and academic, who significantly contributed to diasporic literature. She was born in Kolkata, India, her works including Jasmine and The Middleman and Other Stories reflect her exploration of cultural identity, immigration, and the evolving roles of women. Her novel Desirable Daughter (2002) addresses the immigrant concept of South Asians into the United States of America. The clash of traditional and the Western lifestyle of two different places is brought out perceptively in the story. This novel highlights the conflict between tradition and modern culture of diaspora. She has enlightened diasporic issues in her novel. The protagonist of the novel, Thara is an Indian immigrant who faces difficulty in America for acculturation. The sore of separation makes disorientation of Thara who immigrated to an alien land and finally, she discovers her terms in Indian tradition and rituals.