Globalization is one of those terms which is used quite inflationary in these times. Regardless which area one is looking at, it doesn’t matter if speaking for instance of economy, communication or education, it seems like every sector of our post-modern world is shaped by globalization. But how does this process influence our lives as an individual human being, as an identity? In his short-story “Lend me your Light”, which is part of the short-story cycle “Taales of Firozsha Baag”, Rohinton Mistry descibes the life of a young man, who emigrates from India to Canada. Even before arriving at his new home, the protagonist has a bad feeling concerning his future.
Kersi, the main character, member of the Parsi community, grew up in an apartment building in Bombay, India, went to an English school, listened to My fair lady in his youth and emigrated to Canada. In order to bring light to the question what causes Kersi to have problems with his eye-sight and to examine if he really resembles Tiresias the following term paper tries to analyze the protagonist’s identity.
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Main Part
- Theories
- Theories applied on the story
- Présence Parsianne
- Présence Indienne
- Présence Européenne
- Présence Américaine
- Kersi as an hybrid identity
- Conclusion
- Hybridity as a problem
- Hybridity as a resource
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper aims to explore the construction of identity in Rohinton Mistry's short story "Lend me your Light," specifically focusing on the protagonist, Kersi, and his experiences of migration from India to Canada. The analysis delves into the impact of various cultural influences on Kersi's identity formation and examines how these influences shape his perceptions and struggles.
- Identity construction in a postcolonial context
- The impact of migration on individual identity
- The role of cultural influences in shaping identity
- Hybridity as both a challenge and a resource for identity formation
- The concept of "Présence" as a framework for understanding multiple cultural influences
Chapter Summaries
The introduction sets the stage by introducing the concept of globalization and its impact on individual identity. The story "Lend me your Light" is introduced as a case study of a young man, Kersi, who emigrates from India to Canada. The introduction hints at Kersi's struggle with his identity and his experience of feeling "blind" between two worlds.
The main part of the paper begins by examining various theories of identity construction, drawing from the work of Stuart Hall, Edward Said, and Jacques Derrida. These theories highlight the political, historical, and cultural influences that shape identity, emphasizing the dynamic and fluid nature of identity formation.
The theories are then applied to the story "Lend me your Light," specifically focusing on the cultural influences that shape Kersi's identity. The paper draws on Hall's concept of "Présence" to analyze the different cultural influences on Kersi's identity, including his Parsi heritage, European influences, Indian background, and American influences.
The paper concludes by examining Kersi's experiences of hybridity and how he navigates the challenges and possibilities of being caught between cultures. The conclusion explores how Kersi eventually accepts hybridity as a resource and begins to embrace his multicultural identity.
Keywords
The main keywords and focus topics of this paper are: postcolonial literature, identity construction, migration, hybridity, diaspora, cultural influences, Présence, Rohinton Mistry, "Lend me your Light," Indian diaspora, Canadian identity, and intercultural experiences. The paper explores the intersection of these themes to illuminate the complexities of identity formation in a globalized world.
- Quote paper
- Anonym (Author), 2012, Identity construction in Rohinton Mistry’s short stories “Lend me your Light” and “Swimming Lessons”, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/376372
