Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss (2006) examines postcolonial questions of identity, cultural dislocation, and colonialism’s enduring impact through characters navigating India and the United States. The novel employs code-switching—the movement between different languages within discourse—as a complex literary technique that enhances the work’s artistic dimension and sociopolitical critique. This analysis draws from established research on code-switching within postcolonial fiction, engaging with studies investigating how this linguistic practice articulates cultural multiplicity and contests dominant language hierarchies. Using detailed textual examination of code-switching instances, with particular attention to characters such as Sai and Biju, this investigation incorporates postcolonial theories of cultural mixing alongside sociolinguistic approaches that view language as an instrument of authority. The examination demonstrates that code-switching operates on two levels within the novel: it deepens the work’s linguistic complexity while revealing underlying social and political tensions. Sai’s movement between languages mirrors her divided cultural belonging, whereas Biju’s linguistic challenges in America demonstrate the isolation experienced by immigrants. Desai’s deliberate use of code-switching extends beyond decorative language choices, providing significant understanding of how postcolonial subjects negotiate identity and navigate power structures.
Key Words: Code-Switching, Identity, Power, Colonial Legacy, Hybridity, Globalization, Postcoloniality
