Transformation of Traditional Values and Diaspora Issues: A Critical Analysis on Jhumpa Lahiri’s Selective Short Stories

Author(s): Dr. Muhd. Mustafizur Rahman, Khandaker D Islam

Publication Date: June 29, 2024

Abstract

This paper examines the works on the transformation of traditional and social values and diaspora issues of Jhumpa Lahiri, known for her poignant narratives exploring the immigrant experience and the complexities of identity, intricately weaves traditional values into her storytelling, often depicting their adaptation and transformation in the context of migration and globalization through a close examination of Jhumpa Lahiri’s selective works such as "The Interpreter of Maladies", "The Namesake" and " Unaccustomed Earth". The transformation of traditional and social values is faced in the writings of Ms. Lahiri, one of the most famous writers of the diasporic issue. The current work discusses the subject in which her prime interest lies is culture, especially when it has to do with an alien world, is often a matter of interest, through which she is prone to reflect multilayered social walks of life.  This is, as discussed, often trapped between two separate environments - one of them leave behind and another strive to transition, thus creating cultural conflict. In several of her novels, as analyzed here, this cross-cultural tension is still there, particularly in America, a country aiding the migrants to be adapted quickly to its tradition and community and feel it fitting to settle there, yet yearning for their motherland never goes out of their minds and hearts. The analysis of this cross-cultural issue has become the prime focus into the current work where Lahiri's nuanced exploration of gender matters in terms of the roles and family dynamics within traditional frameworks are discussed. Finally, this work offers a comprehensive examination of how Lahiri's works illuminate the fluidity and resilience of traditional values in the face of migration, globalization, and shifting social dynamics.