Belonging & Identity - Ashima Chapter One

Ashima

Emotive Language

Quote: “But nothing feels normal to Ashima.” (p. 5)

Belonging is a complex process which can be perceived differently depending on the context of the individual. In The Namesake the author Jhumpa Lahiri demonstrates how one’s identity is tied closely to their sense of belonging in her use of emotive language. In describing Ashima’s situation of living in a foreign land, she states that “But nothing feels normal to Ashima.” In demonstrating the notion that Ashima is lost, living in a foreign place. Lahiri shows that her lack of identity leads her to feel as if she is alone. She is alienated. She does not belong. Hence identity is conveyed as being tightly linked to belonging, and a lack of identity can lead to a lack of belonging.