Reading the Namesake : Analysing the Complexities of Senses of Belonging

Is an individual's sense of belonging easy to define? In other words, is this concept devoid of ambiguity, or considered absolute? The Namesake presents a narrative where the diasporic sense of belonging can be closely examined. However, the novel also provides ample opportunities to study an individual's sense of belonging beyond diaspora. The study, thus, looks into how an individual's sense of belonging comprises unacknowledged undercurrents. Understanding an individual's sense of belonging in this way marks a difference from the traditional and place-based conceptualisation of it by a) drawing attention to the nuances embedded in the concept, and b) contributing to seeing the essentially complex and multifaceted nature of it.