A Study of the Narrative Techniques in Jhumpa Lahiri ‘s Short Fiction-This Blessed House
Keywords:
Shorter Fictions, Diegesis, Mimesis, Focalization, Packaging of the story.Abstract
In this paper attempts have been made to study modern storytelling methods used in Jhumpa Lahiri’s short story titled This Blessed House with special reference to Gerard Genette's six criteria of narrative discourse. The focus has been on discussing the rigid establishment of a gender role in society and its impact over relationships. It was found that the story fully complies with Gerard Genette's six guidelines of narrative techniques such as narrative mode, focalization, role of the narrator, handling of the time, packaging of the story and the way the speech and thought are represented. The story has been examined by putting it to all the six criteria using analytical method. This Blessed House has very successfully and effectively been able to bring to the fore the issue of marital conflict due to cultural gap emerged in the wake of globalization. This is an ongoing emergent issue which needs to be addressed urgently. Our study reveals that relationship between spouse can be sustained only by showing a little understanding, patience and compromise or in other words, by bridging communication gap between them.
