International Journal of Research ISSN NO:2236-6124

A Thematic Study on the Plight of Indian Immigrants in Kiran Desai’s The

Inheritance of Loss

Ms. Stella Martina Xavier

Assistant Professor,
Department of English Language and Literature
St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad
Abstract
Diaspora is a large scale of people from a particular Country(homeland) who migrate
/disperse to other countries with their own constraints may pertain to economic, political,
personal, reason etc. Their works composed are dispersed were it is well received and has
emerged as a unique genre (literary). People who migrated from India to other countries like
Africa, England, America etc have made a remarkable impact through their writings. It did
influence and reflected through their predicament, treatment received, their persisted a sense
of isolation, alienation, search for identity, loss of their motherland etc. On one side we see a
bond so strong with their native land and at the same time a feeling of rootlessness in the
nation their settle as exiles which may be either forced or at times taken on a personal
frontside. We do observe that traditional values, culture, folklore etc which is expressed
consciously or unconsciously through Indian diasporic writers.

One such Indian women writer who has made a remarkable position is Kiran Desai
through her expressive writings with a distinctive voice. She has expressed elegantly the lives
of Indians in exile who are struck between the traditions inherited and the world they are
settled; through the process a quest of self-identity. We further examine the anxieties, biases,
struggles of the characters, put forth their aspects of immigrant behaviour and psychology.
This paper is an attempt to analysis the plight of the immigrants and their problems like a
sense of alienation, isolation, rootlessness etc are issues which is of major concerns. This
novel depicts how natives suffer mental torment, emotional humiliation when they go to the
foreign countries and finally led them to dejection, unhappiness, loneliness etc in certain
situations. Kiran Desai skilfully presents and we do observe that those immigrants who
despite suffering all the treatment try to retain the confidence and courage to keep persisting
the goal with which they come to the country. This work leaves a persisting impression on
the readers mind.

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Diaspora is a term applied to a large scale of people from a particular country(homeland) who
migrate /disperse to other countries with their own constraints may pertain to economic,
political, personal, reason etc. Their works composed are dispersed were it is well received
and has emerged as a unique genre (literary). People who migrated from India to other
countries like Africa, England, America etc have made a remarkable impact through their
writings. It did influence and reflected through their predicament, treatment received, their
persisted a sense of isolation, alienation, search for identity, loss of their motherland etc. On
one side we see a bond so strong with their native land and at the same time a feeling of
rootlessness in the nation their settle as exiles which may be either forced or at times taken on
a personal frontside. We do observe that traditional values, culture, folklore etc which is
expressed consciously or unconsciously through Indian diasporic writers.

One such Indian women writer who has made a remarkable position is Kiran Desai
through her expressive writings with a distinctive voice. She has expressed elegantly the lives
of Indians in exile who are struck between the traditions inherited and the world they are
settled; through the process a quest of self-identity. We further examine the anxieties, biases,
struggles of the characters, put forth their aspects of immigrant behaviour and psychology.
This paper is an attempt to analysis the plight of the immigrants and their problems like a
sense of alienation, isolation, rootlessness etc are issues which is of major concerns. This
novel depicts how natives suffer mental torment, emotional humiliation when they go to the
foreign countries and finally led them to dejection, unhappiness, loneliness etc in certain
situations. Kiran Desai skilfully presents and we do observe that those immigrants who
despite suffering all the treatment try to retain the confidence and courage to keep persisting
the goal with which they come to the country. This work leaves a persisting impression on
the readers mind.

It is a common tendency in human nature to move on to other country when his/her own
fails to fulfil their needs, aspirations and dreams. The natives of developing nations quite
often move to the developed nations with a ray of a better future. Whether what they wished
for or expected may or may not turn reality; it is left up to an individual regarding this. In this
connection the longing and pain of leaving one’s own motherland, departing depending upon
their wishes and then leading the life of an non-natives in a foreign country continues to be
labelled with the immigrants, all the time. A shift of adjustment in a new environment,

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compromises met, a sense of feeling which is dislocated, isolated, feeling of loneliness etc to
theses immigrants remains in most of the situations. We find these issues which have become
major concerns among literary writers who have projected realism as it is in their works.
There is always a quest of identity among immigrants who strive hard to retain in most cases
in certain situations.

Kiran Desai with a distinctive voice has been expressive enough through her works. Like
her many contemporary writers Kiran intensively explored the theme of predicament and
plight of immigrants especially Indians in her 2006 Man Booker prize for fiction was
awarded to her, the illustrious daughter of Anita Desai, for her second novel, “The
Inheritance of Loss” published in January 2006.This novel brings forth mental, physical,
emotional, psychological etc aspects of characters who undergo transitional phase to
transformation when they move on from their native land to the land they settle.

The exile experience and the ordeal of immigrants living are mainly demonstrated by the
two major characters namely Jemubhai and Biju in the novel The Inheritance of Loss. Biju
moved to New York to earn prosperity as an illegal immigrant whereas Jemubhai also known
as “The judge” moved to Cambridge for higher studies. Kiran Desai has skilfully portrayed
the two narratives i.e. stories of these two characters of voluntary exile. Both the characters
Jemubhai and Biju, at some point or the other; faced despondency in the new world,
experienced a sense of isolation, alienation and the hostility of foreigners.

Jemubhai as we are told introduced to his name only in the sixth chapter as the judge in
the novel who lives in retirement, along with his cook, his orphaned grand daughter Sai in a
decrepit old house in Kalimpong. We get to know that the judge was born in a poor family
but struggled hard but luck did favour him by securing a place in the Cambridge University, a
moment of delight to him. Although his achievement was immense, he was able to secure a
ticket to a successful future, a job with the Indian Civil Services. Because of he being poor,
he could not afford the money for the fare to England then. But somehow managed a ship
ticket to England with the help of dowry received from a rich man who got his daughter
married to Jemubhai. He went to England after marriage leaving his wife behind in India.

He felt or gripped with loneliness, a sense of alienation and isolation as he lived in

Cambridge, far from his home land and did struggle hard in coordination with the people
abroad, unable to feel ease among them in their society. Jemubhai “failed to make a
courageous gesture outward at a crucial moment and found, instead, that his pusillanimity

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and his loneliness had found fertile soil. He retreated into a solitude that grew in weight day
by day” (Desai 39; Ch 8). We do observe that the people never spoke to Jemubhai, but rather
used to mock and put him down for he has been Indian typically. These attitudes lay heavily
upon Jemubhai that during his stay in England because of humiliation and were he was
unable to express he gradually put himself into a man who detested his origin and his self-
sadly go to say. Therefore, the result is Jemubhai transformed into being an anglophile person
who accepted the English ways of life. We see through the process the plight of denying your
own self at any given situation in life.

“Thus, it was that the judge eventually took revenge on his early confusions, his
embarrassments gloved in something called “keeping up standards”, his accent behind a mask
of a quiet…. He loathed Indians. He worked at being English with a passion of hatred and for
what he would become, he would be despised by absolutely everyone, English and Indians,
both.” (Desai 119; Ch 18).

The ill-treatment received by the judge in England has changed his character who turned out
to be a complicated person who has suffered a psychological torment. The anger and inner
most frustration against the degradation he did experienced in foreign country was showcased
or meted upon his Indian wife Nimi who has become the most convenient prey of his
sadisticbehaviour. It can be reflected in the following sentence, “He would teach her the same
lessons of loneliness and shame he had learned himself” (Desai 170; Ch 28). He in turn
seemed to drive happiness and satisfaction by despising Nimi.

He actually lost his identity through the process of his transformation that when he
returned home, he found himself dispersed in his very own homeland too by been a fake
person and typically trying to pose of as a sophisticated English gentleman. In similarity just
like in England he felt a sense of isolation and alienation in India because he considers
himself highly educated and upgraded in his place and sees no one like him around in his
home town. Thus, Jemubhai began to behave and act as if like a foreigner in his native place
as if he never knew that place at all. We can see through the following lines “Hesat up,
fidgeted, looked at the winged dinosaur purple-beaked banana tree with the eye of one seeing
for the first time. He was a foreigner—a foreigner—every bit of him screamed” (Desai 166-
67; Ch.28).This attitude gradually developed in him made him hate his fellowmen and sadly
to say he could not even find a true soulmate in his wife Nimi. The reason behind is they
knew little about tradition, mannerism, culture about England; and people around were too

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Indianized. His attitude towards been beautiful has changed according to his perspective and
can be reflective by the following sentences, “He did not like his wife’s face, searched for his
hatred, found beauty, dismissed it…An Indian girl could never be as beautiful as an English
one” (Desai 168; Ch.28).

Through the process of getting into the English life style, the judge gradually lost his
individuality oscillating between being an Indian and an Englishman, but could not become
either of them.

Kiran Desai gives an account of the judge and examines deep into his psychological
pattern for his attitude and behaviour. Jemubhai had much affection for his people within his
heart; but was uncomfortable for they not being educated and not following the then trend
and way of living. We can observe that instead of holding on to his own individuality and
true self, he did choose an alien traditional and culture through the process losing his
complete self. He was not assertive enough which process him weak mentally and a sense of
insecurity prevails.

Basically, in general Indians are emotional, simple, hardworking and family oriented; who
are closely connected with their family members and their motherland; even if they try to
follow the western ways of living, their culture; they will still continue to miss their
homeland in spite of feeling guilty by letting down their native land. Kiran Desai has
analysed the Indian psyche through her characters in the novel; due to the course of time
these immigrants are struck between the native homeland and the settled world. For example,
in this novel Jemubhai who has changed did have precarious feeling before he left England
;we get know from the following lines from this novel, ”Jemubhai looks at his father , a
barely educated man venturing where he should not be, and the love in Jemubhai’s heart
mingled with pity, the pity with shame…the ship moved…watched his father
disappear…Never again would he know love for a human being that wasn’t adulterated by
another, contradictomry emotion” (Desai 37; Ch.8).He has mixed feeling for been sorry and
at the same time a sense of helpless towards his poor father. Just like this character in this
novel, even Indian immigrants feel the same way and the intensity is even more in reality
when they depart and separate from their family members and their country. Those people
who miss their home easily are the ones who are prone to a feeling of despair, loneliness etc.
Indians are too sentimental in various aspects who in turn become isolated, alienated in the
foreign country as far as I perseve.

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Shifting from the judge, the next important character Biju who moved to New York as an
illegal immigrant to earn a living through the process to becomeprosperous, with a ray of
hope to secure a better future. Even in the novel when Biju felt all alone and felt homesick,
started missing his father which led him to become sad which often resulted in anger and
resentment.Because he was attached to his father and had been much in the habit of finding
and seeing his father around all his life. At this important junction when he is starting a new
life in a foreign place, he did miss the presence of his father who was not with him at that
point of time. We can see his reflection of his feelings in the following lines, “Biju couldn’t
help but feel a flash of anger at his father for sending him alone to this country, but he knew
he wouldn’t have forgiven his father for not trying to send him, either”. (Desai 82; Ch.14).
We can analyse how Indians depend mainly on their families in most of the affair and aspects
of their lives. We tend to become emotional mentally and psychologically. Thus, feeling
lonely and despair when we miss our native land when we settle abroad.

“Slipping out and back on the street. It was horrible what happened to Indians abroad and
nobody knew but other Indians abroad. It was a dirty little rodent secret” (Desai 138; Ch
22).Biju always aspired to go to the West so that he can secure a good position and thus
become prosperous, he saw that his father did his best and ensured that everything is provided
for him so that he can move abroad; but sadly to say not all who dream fail to realise that by
merely going abroad there is no guarantee of success all the time. In fact, we find numerous
Indian immigrants lead a miserable and pathetic conditions in the West than they would have
done much more in their own mother land.

We even see the plight of Biju who is seen working in numerous jobs in constant change
most of the time; through the process gets to know bitter truth about immigrant life in reality.
He does realise that there is not much to do there to improve his status as an illegal
immigrant. But contrary and ironic enough to realise the condition of Nandu, Biju’s father
who in turn is elated and proud for having sent his son abroad to make a fortune to over come
their poverty but we see indeed his son who is in a more pathetic condition and far worse than
his father status in India.

The difference like the other character of the novel, the judge Jemubhai felt ashamed and
embarrassed about his past life mean while we feel how Biju wanted to recollect his past life
back in India, he was emotional and nostalgic about it.“Lying in his basement shelf that night,

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he thought of his village where he had lived with his grandmother on the money his father
sent each month…” (Desai 102; Ch 17).

Usually as I should say realisation comes at the end after experiencing in any given
situation which can be reflected in Biju who felt he was wrong in judging about the West as
well as his own country. He knew the worth of his motherland; it made his life seem
meaningless and empty, he regretted for leaving his country. His life became miserable,
living in poverty and stuffed into the building full of rats in Harlem. Initially when he
received the opportunity of going to America, he considered the most fortunate person who
had high hope and aspirations which were crushed just by his imagination. He had to struggle
and work hard in tousled restaurants of New York one after the other on meagre pay and
more over as an illegal worker. Biju was shattered living in an alien country where he was
mistreated, abused, exploited. He knew no one, couldn’t respond to people and converse with
them, he was hesitant at times even to say something or reciprocate. Through the following
lines we understand how broken and unworthy life he was leading which is of no way useful
living abroad; there was a sense of emptiness in his life; which he knew no one can fill it up
as such. “Biju walked back to the Gandhi café ,thinking he was emptying out. Year by year,
his life wasn’t amounting to anything at all; in a space that should have included family,
friends, he was the only one displacing the air. And yet, another part of him had expanded:
his self-consciousness, his self-pity…. He might even experience that greatest luxury of not
noticing himself at all” (Desai 268; Ch 41). There was no other way how to run away from
that situation where he could not remain his own self; he had to remain self-conscious all the
time in abroad.

Kiran Desai also attempts to showcase how those immigrants suffer all kinds of ill
treatment and stay committed, courageous enough with the main goal to secure a job, earn
money and settle in near future etc. In spite of facing hardships where they are underpaid,
made to work for long durations, made to live in unhygienic, filthy place etc and more over
not treated equals or accepted by the natives; which often results them to look down not only
on one self but also dignity of labour is lost; such is the plight of certain Indian immigrants.
But to certain immigrants who have a different view point which we see through this
character Achootan by retorting a reply from the native when the latter tease him about him
coming to their country.

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“Your father came to my country and took my bread and now I have come to your country to
get my bread back” (Desai 135; Ch 22). Though the immigrants belonging to lower social
class suffer poverty irrespective whether they are in any country.

We see how life in a foreign country is not easy all the time for the immigrants as it does
not always accept who you are, lacks stability, lacks human touch at time. Biju who got
acquainted with reality and the way his fellow people were suffering in utter impoverishment
yet surviving. Finally, he reached to the conclusion that there is no place for human
relationship who lacked substance especially when applicable to an immigrant worker. “Biju
knew he probably wouldn’t see him again. This is what happened, he had learned by now.
You lived intensely with others, only to have them disappear overnight…the emptiness Biju
felt returned to him over and over, until eventually he made sure not to let friendship sink
deep anymore” (Desai 102; Ch. 17). We can note how Biju was not too keen to be involved
with his fellowmen, in terms of attachment because the sense of pain in losing them all of a
sudden was too intolerable. No matter what he does not want to lose his self, his individuality
in an alien country.

Desai’s approach to this thematic study of plight among the Indian immigrants is in keeping
with the complexity of human nature and of human condition. She did express harsh reality
of life in a realistic manner. A person’s true worth can be evaluated from the way he / she
deals with the world, which includes relationships, mutual understanding and commitment.
We do understand that we can’t satisfy and be happy with everyone around. We can observe
how in foreign countries, people have limited social connections who are comfortable
communicating and are committed, so it’s nice to be good and confident; who are responsible
only to their family members and few friends if any. Thus, we see how Desai has been
engaging and sharing about immigration, globalisation, experiences faced by immigrants etc
in her novel “The Inheritance of Loss”.

Desai did attempt to present every view point through one of her minor character called
“the Ohio man” the conservative view about immigration, “ He knew what his father thought;
that immigration , so often presented as a heroic act, could just as easily be the opposite; that
it was cowardice that led many to America; fear marked the journey; not bravery……where
by merely looking after your own wife-child-dog-yard you could feel virtuous” (Desai 299;
Ch 48).There is another perspective to some of the contented immigrants view about the west
and life abroad especially Western countries. Desai has put forth that view point in this novel,

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in a light-hearted manner. Usually people of developing countries like India are impressed by
everything and everyone from the Western countries; as I should say are fascinated in spite of
knowing pros and cons. The comfort and the material benefits received in Western countries
make the immigrants live in spiteof negative aspects of living in an unknown land. They
believe that adjustments in difficult situations are no big problem and they do endure silently
for the advantages received in return, and thus try to ignore them. One such character in the
novel Mr. Kakkarbelieves that by leaving America, Biju was not doing the right thing and his
decision can be reverted. In spite of advice given by Mr. Kakkar, Biju did not change his
mind; he remained unaffected and it was too trivial for him to consider. Thus, Biju decided to
move on to his motherland; which can be seen in the following lines,“In the mirror of his
bathroom, Biju saluted himself. Here he was on his way home, without name or knowledge
of the American president, without knowing the name of the river on whose bank he had
lingered…Now, he promised himself, he would forget the insight, begin anew” (Desai 286;
Ch. 45).

Kiran Desai also demonstrates the Indian psyche through her characters in the novel and
tries to justify how difficult especially for certain Indian immigrants to adjust in an alien
country. We had seen instance that life in a foreign country is very hard in spite of prejudice,
inequal treatment of the immigrant’s experience which make lives even harder. In spite of
facing hardships by the immigrants still with the spirit of determination, quest, goal of
attaining prosperity, success in the new world prevails; we can see how certain sensitive
characters like Biju who move out of the alien set up to attain his individuality and prove his
identity in his own mother land with a positive approach.

To an extent Jemubhai and to point out specifically the character of Biju become
representatives of the predicament, pity, the plight of Indian immigrants residing in the
developing countries. It was a tough decision for Biju to turn down which may be a
promising future which other might suggest. We may appreciate how Kiran Desai has
skilfully presented reality through Biju who represents a section of other Indian immigrants
all over the world who are attached sentimentally in attitude towards their motherland,
homesick, sensitive towards their family members, a special bond which no one can better
understand as Biju had towards his father, longing and love for their native land etc in the
novel.

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Thus, this novel as I should say is Kiran Desai’s masterpiece where she had amalgamated
socio-cultural variance between non-natives and natives, concept of identity, globalisation,
immigration and the plight of illegal immigrants, the imagined and real boundaries created
around us etc and how it can be dealt accordingly. The representation presented in the novel
were how an immigrant must endure certain issues, problems, must toil hard etc if one wants
to survive in a foreign country. The theme of immigrant’s plight is realistically and
exceptionally dealt with which it leads them to isolation, alienation, sense of identity crisis,
being alone, dejection, compromises on any given situation etc.

This theme keeps reoccurring throughout the novel and makes us ponder and creates a lasting
impression were problems faced by them, issues dealt, psychologically and mental torment
they undergo in context to Indian immigrants and their experiences, the real sense of loss in
various aspects of an individual is show cased in a very sensitive manner.

At times they go beyond the boundaries of their native land to attain their aspirations, goals
etc. According to my view the retention of cultural identity, to strike a balance where they
need to retain and preserve their identity along with native land meanwhile in the new world
the need to adopt and integrate as a balanced new perspective. In the contemporary day’s
transformation in attitudes among the immigrants have changed for the better and may be the
issues and problems dealt may be catered and addressed for peaceful coexistence.

Work cited:
1.Desai, Kiran. The Inheritance of Loss. New Delhi: Penguin, 2006.Print.

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