Identity Across Cultures: Communication, Multilingualism, and Diasporic Experience in Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake

Abstract

In a globalized and multicultural world, communication plays a crucial role in shaping identity across cultural boundaries. Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake presents a nuanced exploration of diasporic identity through experiences of migration, multilingualism, and intercultural negotiation. This paper examines how communication functions beyond language, focusing on naming practices, generational interactions, and linguistic choices as key sites of identity formation. Drawing on concepts from diaspora theory, cultural identity theory, and intercultural communication, the study analyzes the ways in which characters negotiate belonging between Indian and American cultural frameworks. The paper emphasizes that The Namesake explores new dimensions of communication in multicultural societies, where identity is continuously constructed through cultural dialogue, silence, and linguistic hybridity. By situating the novel within contemporary communication and cultural studies, the paper highlights its relevance to multilingual contexts and cross-cultural understanding.