Cultural identity in Amitav Ghosh’s novel The Circle of Reason (1986)

Abstract

The obsession with space is embodied in the notion of “home” (homeland), which appears in most Indian diaspora literature. Diaspora communities often carry with them the culture, beliefs and traditions, myths and legends of their homeland. Many works of Indian diaspora literature draw on myths in constructing their plots as a way of revisiting memories of home. Such memories serve as a bridge to narrow the gap between the ideal homeland and the reality of exile. This article analyses the novel The Circle of Reason (Vòng tròn lý trí) by Indian diaspora writer Amitav Ghosh (born in 1956) to highlight the characteristics of cultural identity in diaspora literature. The cultural identity of the diaspora community presented in this novel functions as a tool for sustaining life in the new land. It is an identity not defined as belonging to any specific geographical or political place, but one that is transnational, continually in formation, and closely tied to the movement and survival of migrants, especially in the context of globalisation.