QUEST FOR SELF AND SEARCH FOR IDENTITY IN CHITRA BANERJEE DIVAKARUNI’S SISTER OF MY HEART AND THE VINE OF DESIRE

Abstract

A woman’s search for self-identity is closely connected to her religious, social, ethnic, and public environment. Her circumstances are often unpredictable and vary in different parts of world. This makes gender roles complex and challenging. While both men and women struggle with identity, women face additional difficulties in being recognized as individuals. As they explore their strengths and weaknesses, their journey becomes even more complicated. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s female characters come from different backgrounds, and her novels are set in both India and America. Her Indian women find themselves caught between these two countries, struggling with social changes that affect their sense of self. They face challenges in understanding who they are and where they belong. This article explores the identity crisis in Divakaruni’s novels “Sister of My Heart and The Vine of Desire”.