Negotiating Identity: The Interplay of Tradition and Modernity in Bharati Mukherjee’s Novels
Abstract
This paper delves into the dynamic interplay between traditional and modern values in Bharati Mukherjee’s novels Jasmine (1989), Desirable Daughters (2002), and The Tiger’s Daughter (1971), exploring how these values shape the identities of the protagonists. Set against the backdrop of cultural shifts and the experience of migration, Mukherjee’s novels portray the complex lives of women navigating between their traditional roots in India and the modern influences they encounter in the diaspora. Through the journeys of Jasmine, Tara, and the other central characters, the paper investigates the ways in which these women grapple with societal expectations, familial roles, and personal aspirations. Mukherjee’s portrayal of the conflict between tradition and modernity is not just a binary opposition but a nuanced exploration of how identity is continuously shaped, negotiated, and redefined in the face of cultural, social, and personal changes. While the traditional values in these novels are linked to the patriarchal norms, religious customs, and familial expectations of India, modernity represents freedom, autonomy, and the breaking of these social constraints, often associated with the West. The protagonists, in their quests for self-realization, often find themselves caught between these two worlds, and their responses reveal the varying degrees of conflict, resistance, and adaptation. By adopting a feminist and postcolonial perspective, the study also explores the emotional and psychological challenges the characters face as they try to reconcile their inherited cultural values with the desires for individual freedom and empowerment. The analysis reflects on how Mukherjee’s work underscores the possibility of synthesizing these traditionally opposing forces to create a more complex and empowered sense of identity. This comparative study of the three novels provides a deeper understanding of how Bharati Mukherjee uses the tensions between tradition and modernity to explore issues of gender, identity, autonomy, and cultural transformation.
How to Cite
Twinkle, Dr. Raja, "Negotiating Identity: The Interplay of Tradition and Modernity in Bharati Mukherjee’s Novels", Vol. 3, Issue 2, 16-05-2025, pp. 50-59.
