Cultural Translation and Hybrid Subjectivity in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Whereabouts

Abstract

Jhumpa Lahiri’s Whereabouts (2021) resists conventional diaspora narratives by portraying identity as a fluid and affective process shaped by cultural translation and hybridity. Drawing on Talal Asad’s theory of cultural translation and Homi K. Bhabha’s concept of the “third space,” this paper argues that the protagonist’s emotional dislocation and liminality are not merely personal but embedded in asymmetrical power dynamics of cross-cultural meaning-making. Through qualitative textual analysis and thematic interpretation, the study examines key passages to show how identity is continuously reconfigured through fragmented memories, spatial movement, and symbolic acts of self-translation. The novel’s minimalist style, absence of proper nouns, and use of unnamed spaces underscore Lahiri’s resistance to fixed cultural identities, emphasizing universal human experiences over specific cultural markers. Recurring metaphors such as water and mobility further illustrate the instability of belonging in a globalized world. The analysis suggests that identity in Whereabouts emerges through negotiation rather than assimilation, existing in the in-betweenness where meaning is contested, unstable, and emotionally charged. Methodologically, this study relies on interpretive strategies rooted in cultural theory to explore recurring motifs and narrative structure. It contributes to literary scholarship by reframing the novel not only as a meditation on solitude but as a nuanced exploration of identity as an ongoing process shaped by language, memory, and transcultural experience.