Culture Amalgamation in Chitra Banerjee’s The Mistress of Spices
Abstract
The increasing tide of globalisation has reshaped the landscape of modern literature; texts are crossing national and cultural barriers as budding authors articulate the various voices of those long considered subaltern. At the crest of this new literary wave comes a new generation of South Asian female authors who have begun to leave their own stamp on the entire novelistic world.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni has distinguished herself as one of the pioneering novelists of South Asian diasporic literature. Her accounts of the experience of the diaspora and its effects on women not only provide insight into the lives of the 1,4 million South Asians who currently reside in the United States, but also present a model for better understanding the cultures that have been confronted as a result of the encounters between the East and West. This study describes the mingling of cultures in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Mistress of Spices. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is a specialist in the field of Diasporic India in English writing. She has carved out a space for herself in the literary world as an immigrant author. She uses her poetry and prose to create a connection between Calcutta and California. Divakaruni stated in an interview published in India Currents, "We Indian-Americans are still in an early immigrant society."
Our remembrance of the former land and lamentation at the loss of our roots lends poignancy to our writing. In fact, Divakaruni's works depict the culture and manners of her native India, incorporating both positive and negative characteristics of the country. The captivating novel The Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni tells the story of Tilo, a mistress who operates a spice shop in Orkland, California. She imparts the flavour of Indian culture and enchants "India" with spices through her artistic skill. The paper examines the appealing manner in which identity becomes a question as a result of multiculturalism, reflections on the personal identity of immigrants, and self-discovery.
