The Role of Family and Inheritance in The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (2006)

The Role of Family and Inheritance in The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai (2006)

Expanding the Roles:
Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss is a novel set in India, following the intertwined lives of characters grappling with the legacies of colonialism, migration, and family. The novel explores themes of inheritance—not just in the material sense, but in terms of cultural, emotional, and psychological legacies passed down from one generation to the next. For literature students, this book offers a rich exploration of postcolonial identity and the complexities of belonging.

• Inheritance of Identity and Trauma:
  The characters in The Inheritance of Loss deal with the inherited burdens of colonialism, cultural displacement, and familial expectations. Students can analyze how Desai explores the concept of inheritance on multiple levels, focusing on both material wealth and the more abstract inheritances of trauma and emotional scars.

• Migration and the Search for Home:
  Many of the novel’s characters are affected by migration, and the novel explores the tensions between belonging and displacement. Literature students can examine how Desai portrays the migrant experience, especially in the context of the broader effects of colonial history.

What We Learn:
Through The Inheritance of Loss, literature students can explore how identity is shaped by historical, familial, and cultural inheritances. The novel also provides an opportunity to study the effects of migration and colonial legacies on personal identity and family dynamics.