LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:11 November 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Diasporic Issues in the Works of Meera Syal

Jyoti Sharma, Ph.D. Research Scholar

Abstract

Diasporic subjectivity, a pertinent topic of discussion in contemporary literature, is inevitably marked by desire to return to the lost origin. Displacement, whether forced or self-imposed is is in many ways a calamity. The study of trans-cultural literature might be the study of the way in which cultures recognize themselves through their projections of ‘otherness’.

The diasporic production of cultural meanings occurs in many areas, such as contemporary music, film, theatre and dance, but writing is one of the most interesting and strategic ways in which diaspora might disrupt the binary of local and global and problematize national, racial and ethnic formulations of identity.

The diasporic Indian writers of the first generation have already established their credentials by winning numerous literary awards and honours. But recently the ranks of the second generation of Indian writers in the west have swelled enormously and many among them have won international recognition.

Meera Syal, who was born in England, has successfully represented the lives of first generation as well as second generation non-resident Indians in the west in her novels Anita and Me and Life Isn’t all ha ha hee hee. Meera Syal is a well-known British Indian comedian and actress with regard to diasporic, literature. Her novels resonate with the predicament of diasporic visions. The South Asian diasporic writers we are looking at often describe new problems and circumstances. Their writings draw attention to the way displacements have determined cultural exchanges between communities and shaped new identities in an increasing mobile world. They often talk about how enabling it could be for women to be in different kind of communities There is an attempt to shed new light on issues like ethnicity, culture, space, memory through multidisciplinary representations like fiction, life writing, film, photography and fiction to film. So a couple of very good recent films that highlight the potential of exploring links between migrants and the host lands are good to talk about and to teach. One of them, which is very much concerned with diasporic issues, is Bhaji on the Beach. It is a British film about second-generation South Asian Women in Britain and very skillfully dramatizes these questions of identity and cultural belonging.

Keywords: Diaspora, hybridity, identity, Syal, Culture.

Introduction

In Meera Syal, there is a discernible tendency to explore trans-cultural experience. Her characters experience conflicting desires of belonging determined by the different conditions of the cosmopolitan contact zone of cultures. But the pleasure of writing as an Asian women is the pleasure of exploding stereotypes ---- Meera Syal

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Jyoti Sharma, Ph.D. Research Scholar
Department of English and Modern European Languages
Banasthali Vidyapith
P.O. Banasthali Vidyapith
Distt. Tonk – 304022
Rajasthan
India
jyoti10.sharma@gmail.com
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