CLASS, GENDER, FOOD AND DIASPORA: RE-READING OF SALMAN RUSHDIE’S MIDNIGHT CHILDREN AND ANITA DESAI’S FASTING, FEASTING

Abstract

The home is a sentimental repository of memories, particularly those associated with food. It serves as a repository of memories that provides individuals with a feeling of cultural foundation. Furthermore, eating is believed to influence the narratives of our existence. Food influences the emotional, psychological, social, economic, political, historical, and cultural realities of individuals. Typically, Families with a rich historical legacy transmit their cultural and ethnic culinary traditions to subsequent generations. Food is a fundamental component in the formation of identity and the cultivation of culture. Consequently, it has been progressively integrated into culture, thereby serving as an expression of cultural identity. When immigrants relocate, they bring their habits, which are the primary factor in maintaining food culture. The cuisine of any town or country is universally recognized as a reflection of its history, lifestyle, values, and beliefs. The physical surroundings, historical experiences, and various other elements will influence food memory, leaving imprints of culture. This study will examine the connections between food and gender, food and class, and food and Diaspora as represented in Indian English narratives. The primary aim of the research is to examine, comprehend, analyze, and critique the relationship between food and culture as depicted in Indian literary works. This study will analyze how gender, class, and diaspora influence a nation's eating culture. The study aims to identify distinct methods by which class influences the cultural formation of individuals. The study will analyze the works of both immigrant and nonimmigrant writers to illustrate their distinct cultural influences. Furthermore, the present study will utilize the theory of culinary culture to examine the notion of diversity in the chosen works.