An Identity Crisis in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Oleander Girl

Abstract

The eminent diasporic writer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni from Indian origin has achieved an enviable position within a short creative span. She has been acknowledged as an impressive Asian American writer with a hybrid identity. Her works can be perceived as classic examples of ‘Feminis Narratives’. This paper attempts to analyse Divakaruni’s novel, Oleander Girl (2013) as a Feminist Narrative. It will deal in depth with the protagonist Karobi’s ‘quest for identity and discovery of her alterity’ and traces her transcultural journey from an innocent and protected girl to a matured, confident and assertive young woman. The paper emphasizes on the transformation in Karobi’s character using the theoretical framework of ‘feminism’ and the theory of ‘diaspora’. The paper portrays the identity clashes, immigrant issues and the dilemma of the protagonist as a young immigrant who travels to America in search of her father at a time when the country is coping up with the after effects of twin towers disaster.