The Impact of Globalization on the Cultural Identity in Kiran Desai’s “The Inheritance of Loss”

Abstract

Kiran Desai’s work tries to discovering the influence of globalization on the loss of one’s cultural identity. The judge is haunted by his colonial legacy, his granddaughter Sai is lost between different worlds, and Biju is the cook's son and suffers exploitation in the United States. Desai illustrates a landscape of deep dislocation. The global opportunities promise of disconnection is also the perfect backdrop for the Gorkhaland conflict. The fractured self, deepened inequality, and loss of home and dignity in one’s inheritance are the hollow remnants globalization leaves behind in a world of diminishing cultural certainty. The present study examines how processes of globalization in Kiran Desai’s novel affecting on cultural identity through focusing on urban environments where diverse cultures converge. This research assesses changes in traditions, language, and customs in cities across boundaries.