above utterance of Satan, in The Paradise Lost
suggests that the state of mind under all circumstances
is a key factor. Human mind has the ability to think
both good and evil. But the assessment of good and evil
depends on the perception of human mind. The pace at
which the human brain perceives and acts is amazing.
With the help of rational faculty, man makes his life
meaningful and worthwhile. But life is not always a
bed of roses. At times, troubles torment and pressures
pester. It is the strength and health of the mind that
enables man to face the vicissitudes in life. This strength
combats the stress that unnerves the psyche. The human
psyche is governed by various factorssocial, cultural,
religious, economical, and spiritual. This paper attempts
to diagnose the illness caused by frustrated psyche
as reflected in the works of two prominent writers of
diaspora, Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri, and tries
to examine certain implicit remedies.
Another important factor that affects the psyche is displacement. People who get
displaced–geographically, culturally and spiritually—are always ill at ease and display the
symptoms of psychological ailment. The cross-cultural exposure at times poses challenges
to one’s thinking. An individual’s potential to strike a balance would address this problem.
All these factors, ultimately make an individual to launch a search for his own self. In an
alien land, ‘self’ is the casualty. Here, the mission for acquiring a new self becomes
paramount. In their works Bharati Mukherjee and Jhumpa Lahiri have dealt with the
psychological problems of the immigrants, besides prescribing certain effective remedies.
Both believed that it is painful for an immigrant to put down his/her psychic roots, which
establish one’s identity.