Marginality and Social Inclusion: Bridging the Gaps in Multicultural Landscapes

Abstract

This research initiates a critical inquiry into the seeming paradox of multiculturalism, posing the question: “Multiculturalism professes to construct bridges – yet why do so many still plunges into the chasm?” This examination explores the narrative of diversity within a purportedly globalized context. Beneath the vibrant surface of multiculturalism lies a persistent reality: marginality endures, silencing voices through patriarchal structures and racial hierarchies. This study investigates this paradox, analyzing how Anita Desai’s Fasting, Feasting and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye reveal the underlying fractures within societies t hat claim inclusivity while perpetuating exclusionary practices. The objectives of this research are twofold: First to investigate the complex relationship between marginality, social inclusion, and multiculturalism, clarifying the structural and psychological mechanisms that sustain asymmetry, second to extract narrative techniques within literature that challenge hegemonic norms and envision alternatives modes of connection. Grounded, in postcolonial theory, this discourse utilizes Bhabha’s concept of hybridity, Spivak’s subaltern theory, and Fanon’s psycho-existential analysis of coloniality. The constrained subjectivity of Uma within a patriarchal Indian domestic sphere and Pecola’s desperate desire for blue eyes serve as compelling symbols of the failed promise of multicultural inclusion, illustrating how internalized oppression reinforces systemic domination. This treatise asserts that literature transcends mere reflection to act as a counterdiscursive tool – amplifying marginalized perspective, destabilizing conventional paradigms, and reimagining inclusivity liberated from coercive assimilation. By integrating theoretical rigor with narrative analysis, this study delineates pathways towards a genuine multiculturalism rooted in equity rather than superficial pluralism.