A Critical Review on the Key Literary Works of Kiran Desai and Jhumpa Lahiri

Volume 2 Issue 1 Winter Edition 2022

Abstract

 Aim: The paper is an exploratory study of the works of two Avant Garde woman writers of modern India. They both have some common traits, namely their masterly command over the English language, their global approach, and their deep understanding of the problems faced by the immigrant Indians living particularly in the United States of America. Furthermore, both writers have chosen the subject of insurgency in different parts of India occurring at different times. They both portrayed the buoyant mindset of modern women in the Indian context. The paper tries to explore further the outcome of insurgent movements and the ensuing plight of the common man. Similarly, it is focused on the condition of migrant Indians living in the U.S.A. and facing existential questions. It is also aimed to highlight the changed mindset of women in India in the twentieth century as shown by both literary geniuses. Methodology and Approach: The study is based on the reading and analysing of the texts of the books by Kiran Desai, namely, The Inheritance of Loss, and The Lowland and The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. Outcome: Gleanings from the works under study offer an incisive portrayal of the insurgency conditions and the travails of the common man during that period. In both the writers' works, the plight of Indian immigrants has been described with clinical precision. There is also a reflection of modern Indian women who can face the world in their stride. It has been a fruitful experience to wade through page after page of both writers' books. Conclusion and Suggestions: Both writers have reached the same conclusion that insurgency does not arrive overnight. It steadily grows out of continuous neglect of public demand and the lack of empathy by the ruling classes. Also, in the insurgent situation, it is only the poor and downtrodden class that badly suffers. Similarly, both writers have painted with the same brush the not-so-happy picture of the Indian immigrants living in