Novels of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: Narratives of Acculturative Stress in the Diaspora

Abstract

Globalization, leading to large scale flows of populations across nations and societies in search of livelihood and peaceful living conditions, has resulted in the formation of significant diaspora communities, in developed countries of the west. Consequently, increasing research is now focused on stresses created due to these crosscultural situations in host countries of the western world and their solutions. This paper is an exploration of acculturative stresses faced by the Indo-American diaspora, as articulated in The Mistress of Spices (1997) and Queen of Dreams (2004) by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. The two novels are widely read for their complex and in depth portrayal of diaspora identities and for their exploration of stress causing factors in the diaspora. J.W. Berry's acculturative stress theory, and his bi-dimensional quadric model of acculturation have been used, to show how characters in the two novels deal with acculturative stresses, and what causes these stresses. Confused identities, generation gaps in families, adjustment issues at work, and racism are the stresses that are specifically dealt with in these two novels. The study concludes that there is a unique opportunity to understand, through its literature, the culture of the Indian diaspora and thus clarify dominant host society's misconceptions that result in racism and other discriminatory behaviour. A wide readership within the host society provides a perfect platform to create awareness of the need to develop multiculturalism as a policy to help host societies and diasporas integrate. There is a need for developed host societies to follow policies of participative social inclusiveness such as celebration of festivals and tolerance and acceptance of cultural difference. That is the only way to ensure welladapted and happy global societies in the contemporary world.