HOME, EXILE, AND NEGOTIATED BELONGING: RECONSTRUCTING DIASPORIC IDENTITY IN JHUMPA LAHIRIS FICTION

This study examines the reconstruction of diasporic identity in Jhumpa Lahiris Interpreter of Maladies (1999), The Namesake (2003), and Unaccustomed Earth (2008). Drawing upon Stuart Halls formulation of cultural identity as a production continuously in process, Avtar Brahs theorization of diaspora space, and postcolonial perspectives articulated by Bill Ashcroft,this paper argues that Lahiri reconceptualizes diaspora not as a fixed condition of exile but as a negotiated and relational mode of belonging shaped through domestic spaces, intergenerational memory, naming practices, and emotional inheritance. Employing qualitative textual analysis and comparative close reading, the study explores first generation exile, second generation hybridity, gendered displacement, culinary symbolism, narrative minimalism, and the politics of naming. The analysis demonstrates that Lahiri domesticates postcolonial theory by locating diasporic transformation within intimate spaces rather than overt political arenas. Ultimately, her fiction reframes diaspora as a liminal, evolving condition of identity formation marked by continuity, rupture, and negotiation. This paper contributes to contemporary diasporic literary studies by synthesizing theoretical frameworks with narrative strategy and by situating Lahiri within global postcolonial discourse.