DIASPORIC IDENTITY AND CULTURAL ALIENATION IN NAIPAUL’S FICTION: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE MIMIC MEN, A HOUSE FOR MR BISWAS, AND HALF A LIFE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/JISSI.v2.i1.2026.83Keywords:
Diasporic Identity, Cultural Alienation, Postcolonial Literature, Migration, Cultural Hybridity, Identity Crisis, Displacement, Belonging, V. S. Naipaul, Comparative StudyAbstract
The themes of diasporic identity and cultural alienation, as explored in the novels The Mimic Men, A House for Mr Biswas and Half a Life by V. S. Naipaul are discussed in this study. This study is qualitative and comparative in nature and the intention was to explore issues and concerns of Naipaul's depiction of themes of displacement, crisis of identity, cultural hybridity and alienation of individuals between cultures. The study takes its starting point in postcolonial and diasporic theories and explores how the protagonists attempt to create a feeling of belonging in postcolonial and migratory societies. These findings show how multifaceted multiple cultural identities are, and mental health issues are homelessness and social marginalization for the characters as they engage with several cultural influences. Ralph Singh in The Mimic Men is a figure of the crisis of colonial mimicry and self-estrangement, Mohun Biswas in A House for Mr Biswas is a figure of autonomy and stability, Willie Chandran in Half a Life is a figure of the continuous search for selfhood across different cultural landscapes. The comparative analysis shows that while the protagonists have different life stories and experience cultural dislocation and uncertainty, they do have shared similarities. It is the conclusion of the study that Naipaul's fiction provides a powerful critique of the psychological and cultural impacts of diaspora and that his writing throws up many complexities in the process of identity formation in postcolonial societies. The study offers insight into diaspora literature and the postcolonial identity through the analysis of the themes of migration, belonging and alienation.
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