Cultural dislocation and diasporic identity in Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace and The Hungry Tide

Abstract

This study investigates the works of Amitav Ghosh – one of the foremost Indian diasporic writers in English – to examine the challenges of constructing nationhood in the context of diasporic experiences. This paper, adopting a qualitative research approach, takes up three novels by Ghosh: The Shadow Lines (1988), The Glass Palace (2000), and The Hungry Tide (2004). Drawing attention to the psychological and cultural disharmony incurred by individuals while negotiating the complex nature of diasporic life is the major thrust of this study. In addition to the primary texts, the study adopts a variety of secondary works and critical perspectives in order to deepen the investigation into the themes. It depicts how many characters are unable to reconcile the cultural gap between their homeland and the host countries, and most do not adjust easily to their new environments. In The Shadow Lines, the characters Tha’mma and Ila embody this cultural tension: Tha’mma is very much disturbed by the westernized lifestyle that Ila is carrying on, while Ila, having grown up abroad, rejects the conservative values of her Indian heritage. In The Glass Palace, King Thebaw feels bewildered by the behaviors of colonial administrators as he is unable to acclimatize to this unusual socio-cultural world of India. In The Hungry Tide, Piya has trauma due to cultural displacement as it takes time for her to come to terms with new surroundings. Analyzing the protagonists’ view of these three novels, this paper critically examines how a diasporic life triggers cultural disorientation for the protagonists, offering new viewpoint and analysis from a postcolonial perspective.