NARRATING THE DIASPORA DIFFERENTLY: AN ANALYSIS OF WHERE THE LONG GRASS BENDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i2s.2026.7312Keywords:
Diasporic Dilemma, Hybridity, Immigrants, Second-Generation Diaspora Writers, First-Generation Diaspora WritersAbstract [English]
This article deals with a close analysis of Neela Vaswani’s short stories collection, Where the Long Grass Bends published in 2004. The inference that can be drawn after a close analysis of these stories is that not all second-generation immigrants are obsessed with the need to establish a relationship with the country of their origin, which has been the case with most first-generation diaspora writers. Vaswani, for the most part, steers clear of this pitfall that poses a major psychological hurdle in getting on with their lives in the country of their birth. In this sense, Vaswani’s writing reveals a forward-looking mindset. Her penchant for experimentation with narrative modes also lends support and credence to this inference. The stories use innovative narrative strategies that are more in tune with the contemporary modes, allowing her to sidestep the inevitable, lapsing into the theorised themes. The characters in her stories are drawn from different ethnic backgrounds and thus can be grouped under stories that explore ethnic value systems and cultures. It is possible to discern an adherence to the conventional short story format in these stories.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Shilpi Agarwal, Dr. Sinorita Mazumder
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