Motives of Mimicry in Philip Roth's The Human Stain
Date
2018-02
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Faculty of Art in English
Abstract
This research work explores the issue of cultural transformation of the people
for the reconstruction of identity and live a free, honored and successful life. Nobody
is superior or inferior by the racial background he or she has but it is the ability and
talent to perform the work. Roth's hero Coleman Silk gets tired of identifying with his
group- Negroes who were negatively judged on the basis of their race- discriminated
and also deprived from opportunities being a Black person. For the reconstruction of
his identity, to get rid of domination in the name of cultural background, to champion
freedom with due honor in his life and also due to the effect of cultural hegemony, he
abandons his racial/cultural identity and mimics the Whites. Identity for him is not the
fixed thing that history and culture decides but it is fluid and flexible which can be
constructed by the personal effort. Therefore, he utilizes mimicry as the means to
upward social mobility and financial success. In this research, issues of mimicry have
been analyzed with the theoretical insights from Homi K Bhabha, the concept of
hegemony with Antonio Gramsci's notion, identity related issues have been discussed
with Henry Tajfel's concept of identity. Therefore, this paper explores the different
factors causing people for changing their identity by mimicry.
Description
Keywords
Discrimination, Culture and Race, Hegemony, Mimicry