The Portrayal of Mimicry in Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Hell Heaven” and “Hema and Kaushik”: A Postcolonial Study

• Main Author: Mega Harwati Nungki Wiranita
• Format: Theses and Dissertations NonPeerReviewed
• Language: English; English; English; English; English; English; English; English; English
• Published: 2013
• Subjects: P101-410 Language. Linguistic theory. Comparative grammar; PR83 English literature
• Online Access: https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/2/1.%20HALAMAN%20JUDUL.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/6/2.%20DAFTAR%20ISI.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/8/3.%20ABSTRAK.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/7/4.%20BAB%20I%20PENDAHULUAN.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/9/5.%20BAB%20II%20TINJAUAN%20PUSTAKA.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/1/6.%20BAB%20III%20HASIL%20DAN%20ANALISA.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/3/7.%20BAB%20IV%20KESIMPULAN.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/4/8.%20DAFTAR%20PUSTAKA.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/5/9.%20SINOPSIS.pdf; https://repository.unair.ac.id/114392/; http://www.lib.unair.ac.id
• Institution: Universitas Airlangga

This study discusses mimicry issue depicted through the main character Usha in “Hell-heaven” and Hema and Kaushik in “Hema and Kaushik” in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Unaccustomed Earth. Their parents experiences diaspora and it makes them, as the second generation, have to adapt the new culture to be accepted. This study will identify the portrayal of mimicry but we should know about the cause of mimicry issue which is diaspora phenomenon first. New culture, new environment, and new people in the new land influence the main characters and cause them to mimic the new culture in order to be accepted by their friends or the people in that new land. Moreover, as the impact of Usha’s, Hema’s, and Kaushik’s mimicry, this study will also elaborate ‘In-between-ness’, and ‘Double Conciousness’. This study will apply Homi K.Bhabha’s mimicry as the main theory. This study conclude that Usha, Hema and Kaushik mimic the American language, lifestyle and clothing as a strategy to be an American and accepted by the American society. They also experience in-between-ness and double consciousness because they trapped in Indian culture and American culture.