Marriage, Migration, and the Making of Selfhood in Manju Kapur’s The Immigrant

Abstract

The question of self-identity occupies a central position in diasporic literature, where characters negotiate belonging, alienation, and cultural adaptation. The Immigrant (2008) explores these concerns through the journey of Nina, an English lecturer from Delhi who migrates to Canada after marriage. The novel foregrounds her struggle with cultural dislocation, marital expectations, and gendered roles, thereby reflecting the ambivalence of diasporic existence. This paper examines how Nina negotiates her identity amid the conflicting demands of tradition and modernity and argues that selfhood in the novel emerges as a fluid and dynamic process shaped by migration, sexuality, gender politics, and personal agency. Through theoretical engagement with diaspora studies and postcolonial identity theory, this study highlights how Kapur redefines female subjectivity within transnational spaces.