The Sense of Belonging in Meera Syal's Anita and Me

Abstract

Meera Syal’s debut novel, Anita and Me (1996), a semi-autobiographical narrative, addresses the struggle of seeking a sense of belonging and the challenges stemming from the tormenting longing for a home from a second-generation Punjabi immigrant girl’s point of view. The primary aim of this paper is to explore these challenges rooted in the clash of the two worlds, a tension between the longing for acceptance from the protagonist's white peers in the host country, Britain, and her inner urge to participate in the process of preserving the heritage of India.