Echoes of Assam: Reflection and Cultural Identity in Rebirth

Nasreen Banu A.¹, Dr. R. Ponmani Subha Chellam²

¹Research Scholar, Part Time, Department of English, St. John’s College, Palayamkottai, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli – 627012.

²Associate Professor, Research supervisor, Department of English, The M. D. T. Hindu College, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli – 627012. ponmanik.pappa2010@gmail.com

Abstract

This research paper examines Rebirth by Jahnavi Barua as a significant literary representation of Assamese culture, identity, and female subjectivity within the framework of cultural displacement and emotional reconstruction. The novel narrates the psychological and emotional journey of Kaberi, an Assamese woman living away from her homeland, who undergoes trauma due to marital betrayal during pregnancy. Through memory, introspection, and her narration to her unborn child, Kaberi reconnects with her cultural roots, leading to a symbolic process of rebirth. This study explores how Barua integrates Assamese cultural elements attachment to land, ecological sensitivity, family structures, and traditional values to create a culturally grounded narrative of healing and self-realization. It argues that Assamese culture functions not merely as a background but as a transformative force shaping Kaberi’s identity and resilience. The cultural landscape of Assam rivers, hills, and rural life symbolizes emotional security and continuity, contrasting with urban alienation. Motherhood emerges as a central metaphor for cultural preservation, while Barua highlights the inner strength and agency of Assamese women through emotional endurance and cultural awareness. Through self-reflection, Kaberi moves from emotional fragmentation to psychological wholeness, and her unborn child symbolizes hope, continuity, and the transmission of cultural identity. The idea of rebirth thus represents both personal transformation and cultural reaffirmation, emphasizing the enduring power of cultural roots in shaping female self-hood and resilience.

Keywords: Alienation, Culture, Displacement, Identity, Self-hood