QUEST for Meaningful Existence: The Socio-Cultural and Political Dialogue in Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss

This paper explores the quest for meaningful existence among characters portrayed in Kiran Desai’s novel The Inheritance of Loss in light of post-independence socio-cultural and political upheavals. Following India’s independence, new aspirations were awakened among its people, particularly among the marginalized sections, who were historically silenced and suppressed. However, their dreams were often thwarted by entrenched bureaucratic systems and the lingering legacies of colonial power. The novel offers a cross-section of society, revealing the psychological, emotional, and ideological struggles of individuals navigating tradition, modernity, and global change. Characters who lack resilience and openness succumb to neurosis, disillusionment, and alienation. In contrast, those who embrace change, reflect critically, and reach out to others discover self-assertion and emotional harmony. Through such portrayals, Desai presents a nuanced view of survival, resistance, and the formation of new social identities in a changing India.