The Perpetual ‘Foreigner’ and the Reflexive Subject in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake

This paper examines the concept of the perpetual 'foreigner' and the formation of the reflexive subject, focusing on Jhumpa Lahiri's The Namesake. While transnational migration is a global phenomenon, according to French philosopher Guillaume Le Blanc, as long as the national identity of the arrival country designates immigrants as foreigners, they may struggle to escape the identity of the 'foreigner' eternally confined to the border. Asian immigrants, regardless of their legal status or policies such as jus soli, have been shown to fall into the category of forever foreigners. British sociologist Anthony Giddens emphasizes the post-traditional order, arguing that under this order, individuals can create and construct their subjectivity based on the reflexivity of the susceptibility of knowledge, the revision of life trajectories, and multiple options. This vision presents the possibility that future generations of Gogols and Moshumis may construct their own identities as reflexive subjects, neither fully assimilating nor remaining perpetual foreigners.