In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch
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Volume-13, Issue-2 | No embe - Decembe 2025
1
O iginal A icle
QUEST FOR SELF-IDENTITY IN THE NOVELS OF INDIAN WOMEN
WRITERS : A STUDY
S i. Gi eesh M. Meeshi
Assis an P o esso & Head Depa men o English,
Siddha h A s And Comme ce Deg ee College Janwad Road Bida .
Manusc ip ID:
IJAAR-130201
Abs ac :
Fo se e al women h oughou a ious coun ies and socie ies,
w i ing is he sole means o exp essing hemsel es. I is also a me hod o
main ain one's men al s abili y in a cul u e ha subjec s i s women o
many o ms o su e ing while simul aneously o bidding hem om
con iden ly exp essing hemsel es. Th oughou his o y, i has been
widely acknowledged ha women communica e h ough silence,
compliance, and endu ing ha dship wi hou e bal exp ession. Women
ha e made signi ican p og ess in he domain o li e a u e and w i ing.
Ch onicling he Indian Diaspo a communi y, he enowned no el
Jasmine (1989) explo es he uni e sal expe iences o his g oup. I del es
in o he complexi ies o iden i y o ma ion and e hnic dis inc ions wi hin
he b oade con ex o Indian cul u e. Jasmine equen ly al e s he
name, adop ing a ious aliases such as Jyo i, Jazzy, Jase, and Jane,
depending on he esidence and he indi iduals she esides wi h. Like he
esidence, he name is pe pe ually subjec o lux, endu ing con inual
me amo phosis and changes.
Keywo ds: Coun ies, socie ies, explo es, expe iences, con inual
me amo phosis, Diaspo a
ISSN: 2347-7075
Impac Fac o – 8.141
Volume - 13
Issue - 2
No embe - Decembe 2025
Pp. 1- 5
Submi ed:
15 Oc 2025
Re ised:
30 Oc 2025
Accep ed:
5 Oc 2025
Published:
25 No 2025
Co esponding Au ho :
S i. Gi eesh M. Meeshi
Quick Response Code:
Websi e: h ps://ijaa .co.in/
DOI:
10.5281/zenodo.17707072
DOI Link:
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenod
o.17707072
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How o ci e his a icle:
S i. Gi eesh M. Meeshi. (2025). Ques Fo Sel -Iden i y In The No els O Indian Women
W i e s: A S udy. In e na ional Jou nal o Ad ance and Applied Resea ch, 13(2), 1–5.
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17707072
Women a e inhe en ly bo n wi h
eedom, bu socie al cons ain s es ic
hei au onomy. She has assumed he ole o
he subo dina e gende . Howe e , hei
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ebellion and econcilia ion a e no cons an
and uni e sal. The p o es was exp essed
h ough a ious means in Indian English
ic ion. Female au ho s such as Ani a Desai,
Nayan a a Sahgal, Ru h P awa Jhab ala,
Kamala Ma kandaya, Shashi Deshpande,
San ha Rama Rau, Bha a hi Mukhe jee,
Nami a Gokhale, Chi a Bane jee
Di aka uni, Jhumpa Lahi i, Dina Meh a,
Ram Meh a, Indi a Goswami, Maheswe a
De i, A undha i Roy, Ki an Desai, Ani a
Nai , Meena Alexande , Shobha De, Gi ha
Ha iha an, and Manju Kapu , ocus on he
s uggles and challenges aced by women.
Howe e , Indian women no elis s exhibi ed
a highe le el o in ospec i e in ensi y and
since i y when explo ing he women's wo ld,
su passing hei male coun e pa s. They
aimed o emba k on an a is ic jou ney o
del e in o hei emale cha ac e s' inne
hough s and emo ions.
Fo se e al women h oughou
a ious coun ies and socie ies, w i ing is he
sole means o exp essing hemsel es. I is
also a me hod o main ain one's men al
s abili y in a cul u e ha subjec s i s women
o many o ms o su e ing while
simul aneously o bidding hem om
con iden ly exp essing hemsel es.
Th oughou his o y, i has been widely
acknowledged ha women communica e
h ough silence, compliance, and endu ing
ha dship wi hou e bal exp ession. Women
ha e made signi ican p og ess in he
domain o li e a u e and w i ing.
The e was a pe iod when emale
w i e s we e subjec o disdain, and o ha e
hei w i ings published and ead by a b oad
audience, hey had o employ pen names o
pseudonyms o conceal hei ue iden i ies.
Women's empowe men h ough he oice o
he oiceless has esul ed in he eme gence
o a new gene a ion o women. Wi hin he
ealm o li e a u e exis au ho s who
anscend he ole o o dina y s o y elle s o
c ea o s o anci ul na a i es. Ins ead, hey
assume he man le o c usade s, using hei
w i ing o os e empa hy wi hin eade s
owa ds he ma ginalised and opp essed.
The eme gence and de elopmen o
Indian women no elis s w i ing in English is
a signi ican cha ac e is ic. Female au ho s
demons a ed hei capabili ies in he ealm
o li e a u e. The li e a y con ibu ions o
Kamala Ma kandaya, Nayan a a Saghal,
Ani a Desai, Gi ha Ha iha an, Sashi
Deshpande, Ki an Desai, and Manju Kapu
ha e had a las ing impac on eade s o
Indian ic ion w i en in English. Ani a Desai
is a highly dis inguished Indian au ho who
w i es in English. The p ima y ocus o
Ani a Desai's wo ks is he concep o
aliena ion, as he he oes emba k on a
jou ney o sel -disco e y in hei ques o
pe sonal iden i y. Kamala Ma kandaya, a
highly dis inguished and enowned Indo-
Anglican no elis , explo es many subjec s
and cha ac e s in he no els. He ines
pieces include Nec a in a Seci e, Some
Inne Fu y, A Silence o Desi e, and
Possessions. Nayan a a Saghal's wo k, "Rich
Like Us", showcases a cap i a ing app oach
o na a i e.
Many Indian women who ha e
eloca ed o Wes e n coun ies as
p o essionals o as accompanying spouses
ha e made conside able con ibu ions o
English li e a u e wi hin he diaspo a. Thei
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Volume-13, Issue-2 | No embe - Decembe 2025
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wo ks explo e colonial and pos colonial
expe iences ia he lens o eminine
sensibili y, highligh ing he in e sec ionali y
o many o ms o ma ginalisa ion wi hin
pa ia chal cons ain s and he expe ience o
being ou side s in a o eign Wes e n socie y.
They explo e he deepe ealms o women's
subconscious, and a sense o longing and
ecollec ion ma ks hei composi ions.
Bha a i Mukhe jee's Desi able
Daugh e s (2002) na a es he jou ney o
Ta a Cha e jee, who a els om India o
San F ancisco and hen e u ns o he
homeland. Th ough w i ing, Ta a achie es
independence by ecalling he communi y's
his o y in a socially signi ican manne . The
s o y explo es he hemes o Diaspo a and
highligh s he clash o cul u es, emphasising
he signi icance o ansna ional connec ions
in oday's globalised wo ld.
Ch onicling he Indian Diaspo a
communi y, he enowned no el Jasmine
(1989) explo es he uni e sal expe iences o
his g oup. I del es in o he complexi ies o
iden i y o ma ion and e hnic dis inc ions
wi hin he b oade con ex o Indian cul u e.
Jasmine equen ly al e s he name, adop ing
a ious aliases such as Jyo i, Jazzy, Jase, and
Jane, depending on he esidence and he
indi iduals she esides wi h. Like he
esidence, he name is pe pe ually subjec o
lux, endu ing con inual me amo phosis and
changes.
The Namesake (2003), Jhumpa
Lahi i's i s no el, e ol es a ound he issue
o mig a ion. The na a i e depic s h ee
decades in he exis ence o a amily o
Indian Ame ican descen known as he
Gangulies. The s o y is old om he
pe spec i es o Ashima and Ashok, a
ma ied couple, and la e hei son, Gogol,
who g apples wi h inding his iden i y as he
emb aces a new chap e in his li e. Much
like Bha a i Mukhe jee, Lahi i i idly
po ays a sha ed expe ience: he ques o
iden i ica ion in a o eign coun y. The
Inhe i ance o Loss (2006) by Ki an Desai is
a sp awling no el on wo con inen s. I is se
in 1980s India and ocuses on he poli ical
un es in he Himalayan a ea, whe e he
Go kha na ional libe a ion on is igh ing
o independence. The no el cen es a ound
Jemubhai Pa el, a e i ed judge, and his
six een-yea -old g anddaugh e , who has
been o phaned. I explo es he oman ic
ela ionship wi h he ma hema ics u o ,
Gyan.
Addi ionally, he no el p esen s a
pa allel na a i e ha ollows Jemubhai's
cook and his son, Biju, who a els o
Ame ica o pu sue his d eams o success bu
ul ima ely inds himsel wo king in
unsani a y basemen s and ki chens in New
Yo k Ci y. Desai c i ically examines he
phenomenon o consume -d i en di e si y in
he Wes e n wo ld. She ha bou s scep icism
owa ds economic globalisa ion as a means
o achie ing p ospe i y o he opp essed.
Di icul Daugh e s (1998) by Manju
Kapu is a his o ical accoun o he e en s
ha occu ed in he 1940s. Vi ma i, he
p o agonis , de elops oman ic eelings o
he neighbou , an in ellec ually
accomplished "P o esso " who is al eady
wedded. Vi ma i a els o Laho e o pu sue
ad anced educa ion. Du ing he ime in
Laho e, she o ms a iendship wi h
Swa nala a, who happens o be he la ma e.
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A ha momen , she became awa e ha she
was in a con ined o limi ed si ua ion.The
ladies o Laho e we e imbued wi h a s ong
desi e o eedom. Women ac i ely
pa icipa ed in poli ical ac i i ies,
con e ences, demons a ions, and allies.
Kas u i, he mo he o Vi ma i, is equen ly
in ol ed in spinning. On Maha ma's
bi hday, he en i e amily pa icipa ed in
u ning and con inued o do so du ing he
mo ning.
Chi a Bane jee Di aka uni is an
Indian-Ame ican au ho and poe . She holds
he posi ion o Be y and Gene McDa id
P o esso o W i ing a he Uni e si y o
Hous on C ea i e W i ing P og amme.
Di aka uni's li e a y wo ks p edominan ly
ake place in India and he Uni ed S a es,
wi h a pa icula emphasis on he
expe iences o immig an s om Sou h Asia.
She is a e sa ile w i e ha ca e s o bo h
child en and adul s. He published wo ks
encompass a ious gen es, such as ealis ic
ic ion, his o ical ic ion, magical ealism,
and an asy. Di aka uni's li e a y wo ks
ex ensi ely explo e he immig an
expe ience, a signi ican and ecu ing issue
wi hin Ame ican socie y. Di aka uni's
depa u e om India p omp ed he o
eassess he cul u e o he na ion,
pa icula ly i s ea men o women.
A anged Ma iage, a book she
au ho ed, has been honou ed wi h an
Ame ican Book Awa d. I comp ises a se ies
o sho s o ies abou Indian women o n
be ween wo dis inc cul u es. The no el
"The Mis ess o Spices," acclaimed as one
o he ines li e a y wo ks o he 20 h
cen u y by he San F ancisco Ch onicle,
ea u es he p o agonis Tilo, who supplies
spices no jus o culina y pu poses bu also
o alle ia e he longing o home and he
sense o displacemen el by Indian
immig an s isi ing he s o e. Di aka uni's
w i ing endea ou s o os e uni y among
indi iduals. She is de e mined o e adica e
misconcep ions and p ejudices. He in en ion
in he w i ing is o elimina e he di isions
ha exis among indi iduals om many
backg ounds, communi ies, and age g oups.
Be o e emba king on he ca ee as a
ic ion w i e , Di aka uni had al eady gained
ecogni ion as a highly ega ded poe . She
composes poe y co e ing di e se opics,
pa icula ly emphasising he immig an
expe ience and Sou h Asian women. She
po ays he expe iences and challenges
women ace in hei pu sui o sel -
disco e y. Di aka uni equen ly ocuses on
he expe iences o emale immig an s in he
li e a u e. He a ac ion o women
de eloped a e she depa ed om India.
While a ending Be keley, she ac i ely
pa icipa ed in a women's cen e and had a
keen in e es in assis ing ic ims o domes ic
iolence. Subsequen ly, she ini ia ed he
es ablishmen o "Mai i" alongside a ci cle
o acquain ances, which ul ima ely p omp ed
he o au ho A anged ma iage, a li e a y
composi ion encompassing na a i es abou
he mal ea men and b a e y o immig an
women. Di aka uni acknowledges his ac ;
"I p io i ise my hough s and pe sonal
expe iences, s aying au hen ic o wha I
belie e is genuine and accu a e. I am awa e
ha my u h may no align wi h o he s'
pe spec i es. Howe e , I belie e e e yone
mus acknowledge ha e e y u h holds
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signi icance. When w i ing, i is p oblema ic
o ha e a p ede e mined agenda. Ins ead, he
ocus should be on since ely con eying an
impo an s o y, ensu ing a space in he
wo ld o i ." (Di aka uni 91). Chi a
Bane jee Di aka uni is enowned o
depic ing Indian women who ha e mig a ed
o ano he coun y. Di aka uni was bo n in
India and la e immig a ed o he Uni ed
S a es o Ame ica. She d aws upon he
expe iences and hose o o he immig an
Indian women o c ea e no els and poe y.
2002, she au ho ed "Neela, Vic o y Song"
and ollowed i up wi h "The Conch Bea e "
in 2003. These wo a e sui able o child en.
Fu he mo e, she au ho ed nume ous li e a y
pieces a ge ed owa ds adul eade s. The
poems "The Reason o Nas u iums"
(1990), "Black Candle" (1991), and
"Lea ing Yuba Ci y" (1994) a e all
examples o poe y. "A anged Ma iage"
(1995) and "The Unknown E o s o Ou
Li es" (2001) a e collec ions o he sho
s o ies. He bes -selling no els include The
Mis ess o Spices (1997), Sis e o My
Hea (1999), The Vine o Desi e (2002),
and Queen o D eams (2004). The no el
"The Mis ess o Spices" was ans o med
in o a ilm, while "Sis e o My Hea " was
adap ed in o a ele ision se ies. She was he
ecipien o nume ous accolades and
incen i es. The accolades ecei ed include
he Memo ial Awa d in 1989, he W i ing
Awa d in 1990, Poe y P ime and Pushca
P ime, he Ame ican Book Awa d in 1996,
and he Cali o nia A s Council Awa d in
1998. "The Fo es o Enchan men s" (2019)
and "Be o e We Visi he Goddess" (2016)
a e Chi a Bane jee Di aka uni's mos ecen
no els.
Chi a Bane jee Di aka uni is a
p ominen Sou h Asian w i e in English
who belongs o he gene a ion o young
Indian w i e s who eme ged on he li e a y
scene a e Salman Rushdie. He
pos colonial diaspo ic iden i y se s he apa
and is well ecognised. Ha ing spen mo e
ime esiding ou side India han wi hin i ,
she has been acknowledged as an Asian
Ame ican w i e , emb acing a hyb id
iden i y and p oducing pa ly
au obiog aphical li e a u e.
Mos o he na a i es, which ake
place in he Bay A ea o Cali o nia, cen e
a ound he encoun e s o immig an s o he
Uni ed S a es. These indi iduals'
pe spec i es a e ha dly ep esen ed in he
wo ks o o he Indian au ho s w i ing in
English. Di aka uni's wo k has been
included in o e i y p es igious
publica ions, such as he A lan ic Mon hly
and The New Yo ke , and has been included
in mo e han hi y an hologies. He w i ings
ha e been ansla ed in o ele en languages:
Du ch, Heb ew, Po uguese, Danish,
Ge man, and Japanese.
Re e ences:
1. Lahi i, Jhumpa. The Namesake. New
Delhi: Ha pe Collins, 2004.
2. Ma y Eagle on. Wo king wi h
Feminis C i icism. Ox o d:
Blackwall, 1996.
3. Mukhe jee, Bha a i. Da kness.
Canada: Penguin, 1985.
