Negotiating Identity: Tradition, Culture and the Female Experience in Becoming Me

Abstract

Rejina Marandi’s novel Becoming Me is a reflective narrative that traces the journey of a young woman as she grapples with the intricate issues of identity, belonging and self-realisation within a society rich in culture and complexity. This paper scrutinizes the text through feminist and postcolonial theoretical frameworks, focusing on the protagonist’s shifting understanding of herself amidst family pressures, societal expectations, and inner turmoil. Marandi skillfully weaves a storyline that links individual development to broader sociocultural insights, particularly highlighting how gender, ethnicity, and customs intersect in defining the female experience. This paper examines how Becoming Me conveys the quiet challenges and hidden strengths of women striving to balance the contrasts between tradition and modernity. The protagonist emerges as a symbol of resistance and negotiation, revealing that identity is a dynamic process rather than a fixed concept. The analysis delves into the text’s thematic richness, narrative style and symbolic features that highlight the protagonist’s evolution from compliance to empowerment.