The Search for Self: Identity Crisis and Cultural Struggles in Rohinton Mistry’s Family Matters

Abstract

This paper explores the theme of identity crisis and cultural struggles in Rohinton Mistry’s Family Matters by analyzing the struggles of various characters in the perspective of their cultural, familial, and personal dilemmas. According to Erik Erikson’s concept of an identity crisis, the paper examines how characters like Nariman Vakeel, Yezad, Coomy, and Jal confront questions about their identities within the frameworks of family expectations, religious values, and social pressures. Nariman Vakeel’s diminishing role within his family due to aging and illness, as well as his unresolved love for Lucy, exemplifies the emotional turmoil of lost identity. Yezad’s journey from materialism to spiritual awakening mirrors the broader search for self-amidst societal constraints. The Parsi community’s struggle for survival and relevance in post-colonial India is explored through the characters’ relationship to their heritage and customs. The paper also highlights the external pressures of communal violence, exemplified by Husain’s trauma during the Babri Masjid riots, as a reflection of the broader societal identity crises in post-colonial India. Through these narratives, Mistry portrays the impact of historical, cultural, and familial forces on individual identity, revealing the complexities of belonging, faith, and self-perception in a changing world. The novel’s characters’ attempts to reconcile with their pasts and find their place in the present reflect the universal struggle for self-understanding and a sense of home.