Missing Heritability in Kiran Desai's Inheritance of Loss

Abstract

This paper reviews the missing heritability as used in The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai, the relationship between colonial history, globalization, and socio-political conflict and how people live in postcolonial societies. The characters in the novel inherit emotional emptiness, cultural alienation and economic insecurity and not prosperity or stability because the setting of the novel is in Kalimpong in the 1980s with parallel narratives set in New York City. The book through the character of Jemubhai Patel, Sai, Biju and other characters brings out the psychological effects of colonialism and the ugly face of migration and globalization. The case of the internalized colonial mind of the judge shows that the colonial rule results in identity conflicts and detachment of emotions that goes through generations. Equally, the loneliness of Sai and the plight of Biju as an illegal immigrant help to underscore the inequalities and marginalization that characterize postcolonial condition. The political instability of Gorkhaland movement also increases the insecurity and displacement of the characters. The combination of personal narratives, historical and social realities reveals how the history of colonial oppression and economic inequality in the world affect identity, relations, and opportunities in modern society (Desai).