Title of the Study:

A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF CULTURAL TRANSITIONS, IDENTITY AND

IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCES OF INDIAN WOMEN IN CHITRA BANNERJEEDIVAKARUNIS ARRANGED MARRIAGE.

Introduction:
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, the modern epitome of Indian writing in English deserves
a place among the literary giants. She is born in India in 1956 and lived until 1976. She is
involved in the teaching at the University of Houston Creative Writing Program.
Divakarunis interest in women began after she left India where she re-evaluated the
treatment of women there. She started MAITRI, a hot line for south Asian women who are
victims of domestic violence, which eventually led her to write a short story collection
Arranged Marriage (1995). Distinguished books and awards are to her credit.
As an immigrant author, she pictures Indian immigrant womens cultural transition,
suffering, their difficulties in being between two worlds and transformation that migration
brings into their lives.
Divakaruni has integrated variety of themes into her storyline like racism, interracial
relationship, economic disparity, abortion and divorce. But she has peculiarly dealt with how
women are being handled by men. She dealt with lives of women both at home and abroad.
She presents the struggle and plight of women through her stories. Some protagonists trapped
and remained as bird in cage and some escapes and carve their identity.

Objectives of the Study

The present research work concentrates on the following objectives:
1) To analyse the male hegemony reflected in the short stories.
2) To study the immigrant life related to race, caste, religion in foreign land and cultural
differences perceived by Indian women.
3) To study the quest for identity and struggle for existence of Indian women in the short
stories.

Scope and Limitations

Present research focuses on Chita Banerjees Arranged Marriage (collection of
short stories). Her other fictional works are totally excluded from this research.

Research Methodology
The researcher will adopt descriptive, analytical, interpretative and exploratory
methods for present study. It will include all eleven stories published in her famous collection
Arranged Marriage. Themes, characters and occurrences in the stories will be critically
analysed, discussed to meet the objectives of the study

Tentative Chapter Scheme:

1. Introduction: It will introduce the topic with background, development of short
stories, Indian Short stories and women writings, life and work of Chitra Bannerjee,
objectives of the study, research methodology, etc.

2. Thematic concerns: This chapter will present the themes and concerns in the short
stories of Chitra Bannerjee.

3. Immigrant Experience: This chapter will explore immigrant life in terms of race,
caste, religion in foreign land and cultural differences perceived by Indian women in
short stories.

4. Quest for Identity: this chapter will be devoted to exploring the quest for the
identity and the struggle for existence of Indian women in foreign land.

5. Male Hegemony: Male hegemony reflected in the characters and themes of Chitra
Bannerjees short stories will be explored in this chapter.

6. Conclusion: The final chapter will present the conclusion along with some important
observations and inferences. It will throw light on significance and relevance of the
study, indicating prospects of further study.

Researcher

Research Supervisor

Lahane Snehalata Ashokrao

Dr. Yogini Satarkar

School of Language, Literature

Assistant

and Culture Studies

Professor

(English)

School of Language, Literature

Swami Ramanand Teerth Marathwada

and Culture Studies

University, Nanded

Swami Ramanand Teerth

Marathwada University, Nanded