Transnationality, Trauma and Emotional Estrangement in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Selected Short Fiction

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the present research article is to explore the interrelated themes of transnationality, trauma, and emotional estrangement in Jhumpa Lahiri’s acclaimed short fiction, with a special focus on Interpreter of Maladies and Mrs. Sen’s. Lahiri masterfully and intricately captures the psychological and emotional complexities faced by diasporic individuals who navigate multiple cultural landscapes.

Approach and Methodology: This study adopts qualitative approach based on close textual reading of selected short stories to depict fractured and ruptured identities, disrupted and destabilized relationships, and the nuanced complexities of intercultural existence.  The research relies on secondary sources from literary criticism, scholarly articles, and peer-reviewed journals. MLA 9th edition citation style is followed throughout.

Outcome: The analysis reveals that characters such as Mrs. Das and Mrs. Sen embody the deep psychological conflict between cultural heritage and the pressures of assimilation. Mrs. Das, though ethnically Indian, experiences a profound sense of estrangement in her role as an Indian-American tourist, while Mrs. Sen, as a recent immigrant, struggles with emotional detachment from her immediate environment in America

Conclusion: In both Interpreter of Maladies and Mrs. Sen’s, Jhumpa Lahiri poignantly explores the emotional toll of cultural displacement. Her narratives illuminate the silent, often invisible wounds inflicted by migration, where the idea of home becomes ironically fragmented and personal identity remains suspended between two worlds.