Political and Familial Repercussions of Naxalism in Lahiri’s The Lowland

Abstract

This research article, Political and Familial Repercussions of Naxalism in Lahiri’s The Lowland seeks to examine Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland as a saga of two Bengali brothers; Subhash and Udayan Mitra, who belong to a middle-class family in the light of Naxalite movement. The narrative of The Lowland purports to depict how the tenderest of ties are torn asunder and the absence of loved ones haunts the subconscious mind of the affected characters in the novel. At the same time, Lahiri questions the politics of nationality with both pathetic desperation and revolutionary zeal. It examines the impact of Naxalite movement on socio-political life of the time, which later turns into a complete fiasco. It shows how Lahiri’s depiction evokes our feeling of familial responsibilities and we become dejected by devastating stories of passion and indifference. Above all, it tries to analyze Lahiri’s sense of history which is not as insightful as her grasp of human heart that are palpable in her other works.