East West Encounter and Compromise in The Foreigner (1968)

Tulasi. M; Dr. V. Viswanath; Dr. P. Murali Krishna Reddy

doi:10.53724/ambition/v9n4.04

Authors

Tulasi. M Research Scholar, Dept. of English, Dravidian University, Kuppam-517426, (India) https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5192-8314
Dr. V. Viswanath Lecturer of English, Dept. of English, Government First Grade college, Bangarpet-563114, Kolar, Karnataka, India. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7730-1923
Dr. P. Murali Krishna Reddy Assistant Professor, Dept. of English & Communications, Dravidian University, Kuppam-517426, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh, (India) https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4602-9178

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53724/ambition/v9n4.04

Keywords:

Cultural hybridity, alienation, existentialism, postcolonial identity, Arun Joshi, The Foreigner, identity crisis, detachment, compromise, East-West encounter

Abstract

The protagonist in Arun Joshi's 1968 book The Foreigner, Sindi Oberoi, a man of mixed Indian and Western ancestry, experiences psychological and cultural dissonance, which is explored in the East-West encounter. As Sindi balances the Eastern ideas of duty and belonging with the Western ideals of individuality, the book explores issues of alienation, identity crisis, and existential detachment. His nomadic way of life and unwillingness to develop relationships represent the conflict faced by postcolonial people torn between two realities. The story offers a complex viewpoint on the difficulties of cultural hybridity via Sindi's journey, finally arguing that genuine belonging originates from inward reconciliation rather than outward affiliations. Sindi's slow embrace of responsibility and involvement in life in The Foreigner reflects the compromise between East and West, illuminating a middle ground that cuts over cultural boundaries.

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