CULTURAL DIVERSITY, LANGUAGE AND MORAL DILEMMA: DOUBLE CONSCIOUSNESS IN ‘SEARCH FOR MY TONGUE’

Abstract

This qualitative study examines Sujata Bhatt’s poem “Search for my Tongue” (1988) through the lens of W. E. B. Du Bois’s concept of double consciousness (1903). By analyzing the key themes of the poem such as cultural dislocation, linguistic loss and search for identity, the study encompasses the internal conflict and fragmented self, experienced by the speaker in the poem, thereby suggesting the identity crisis suffered by individuals with multiple linguistic and cultural contexts. The study investigates the complexities of these competing identities and examines the significance of Du Bois’s concept to understand Bhatt’s distinctive approach of dealing with the phenomenon. By a critical reading of the poem through the lens of double consciousness, the study contributes to a profound comprehension of the interconnected web of culture, language and identity.