Exploring Migration, Gender, and Identity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Fiction

Abstract

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, a prominent contemporary diasporic writer, foregrounds the complex intersections of migration, gender, and identity in her fiction. Her narratives often explore the emotional and cultural negotiations that women undertake while navigating the dislocations of migration and the challenges of assimilation in multicultural contexts. Through works such as The Mistress of Spices, The Vine of Desire, and Arranged Marriage, Divakaruni depicts female protagonists who grapple with the dual burden of cultural memory and the pressure to adapt to new environments. These narratives reveal the struggles of women attempting to preserve their cultural roots while forging new identities in foreign spaces. Themes of displacement, nostalgia, belonging, and the search for empowerment emerge as central concerns. Furthermore, Divakaruni’s fiction highlights how migration complicates traditional gender roles, compelling women to negotiate between patriarchal constraints and opportunities for independence in diasporic settings. This paper examines how Divakaruni’s female characters embody resilience and transformation, ultimately demonstrating that identity is not fixed but continually reconstructed in response to migration. Her fiction thus serves as a significant contribution to postcolonial and feminist literary discourses, illuminating the fluidity of identity in a globalized world.