Echoes of Spices, Dreams and Destinies Across Magical Realism and Cultural Identity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Mistress of Spices and Queen of Dreams
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17507/tpls.1511.13Keywords:
magical realism, cultural identity, destiny, myth, memoryAbstract
This paper explores the intricate interplay of magical realism and cultural identity in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s novels The Mistress of Spices and Queen of Dreams. Through the lens of sensory landscapes, myth, memory, dreams, and personal transformation, the study examines how Divakaruni constructs a narrative space where magic becomes a metaphor for diasporic struggle, healing, and self-realization. Through the imaginative use of sensory landscapes, myth, dreams, food, and destiny, her stories capture the fluidity of identity while highlighting the struggles of belonging and transformation. Magical realism becomes a narrative device to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy, allowing characters to face the tension between ancestral traditions and modern lives. Spices and dreams, as recurring motifs, serve as cultural symbols that shape destiny and selfhood, reflecting tradition and modernity. By interlacing myth and memory, Divakaruni reimagines the immigrant experience, portraying how cultural heritage and personal aspirations influence each other. The representation of identity and belonging in a diasporic context emphasizes the adaptation of traditional values while embracing new realities. The present study examines how Divakaruni’s storytelling not only preserves cultural traditions but also redefines them through the lens of myth, memory, and transformation, creating narratives that resonate with universal human experiences.
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