Between Memory and Survival: Nostalgia, Adaptation, and Resistance in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake and Kate Grenville’sThe Secret River

Between Memory and Survival: Nostalgia, Adaptation, and Resistance in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake and Kate Grenville’s The Secret River
Miti Sharma and B. K. Anjana

Abstract

The modern world is characterised by migration and displacement. But even after finding a new home, many continue to carry their old worlds within them. This inner conflict has profoundly been portrayed in literature, because the journey of relocation continues after arrival as well. In this context, the present article explores how nostalgia, adaptation, and resistance structure everyday life in conditions of displacement. The novels selected for the analysis include The Namesake (2003) and The Secret River (2005), authored by Jhumpa Lahiri and Kate Grenville respectively. Through the study of the female protagonists, the article demonstrates that certain responses are not abstract emotions but practical behaviours enacted through food, language, and rituals. Ultimately, belonging emerges from the negotiation between attachment to the past and present existence. Both the novels portray displacement as a condition which plays a crucial role in shaping perception and ethical choice. This article argues that the experiences of immigrants and settlers differ in context but converge in revealing the fact that belonging is not tied to a single place but is negotiated over time rooted to memory and habit.