Subversion of the Biological Identity in Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s Secret Daughter
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Department of English
Abstract
This research explores the conflict between biological and cultural identities
which entail the identity crisis of the main character Ashain Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s
novel Secret Dughter, who lives in America with her mixed race foster parents. The
Researcher examines the issue of identity conflict and identity crisis from the
perspective of the theory of identity by Stuart Hall,Richard Jenkins and Adrian
Holliday. Going through the issue of identity conflict, this research presents identity
crisis and the feeling of incomplete and uncertain inthe life of an adoptive girl,Asha.
When her biological identity does not match with the culturally constructed identity
then she goes through the identity crisis.This thesis tries to show how Asha’s
classmate streat her as‘other’in the classroom leads to her through the identity
crisis.At the very starting, there comes a problematic situation in herlifedue to the
conflict of biological identity and culturally constructed identity but with the change
of time, she gets the ultimate solution of her problems when her culturally constructed
identity wins over her biological identity.
Key Words: Identity Crisis, Culture, Conflict,Biological, Adaptation, Love, Hate,
Ambivalence, Hybridity, Discrimination, Gender