Tempe Caxton’s Quest for Identity in Dymphna Cusack’s Black Lightning
Author : Shilpi Sinha
Abstract :
The quest for identity is a universal journey of self-discovery, exploring who you are through personal experience, cultural background, societal roles and spiritual beliefs. It is concerned with life as individuals seek meaning, roots and purpose. It’s an internal process of self-realisation which leads to self-realisation and understanding one’s place in the world. Black Lightning is a significant novel written by Australian author Dymphna Cusack. It tells the story of a middle-aged woman Tempe Caxton who despite being a popular figure on television, gets removed from her job and faces a relationship breakdown, which altogether leads towards her mental breakdown. But she finds a purpose in life when she gets to know about her part-Aboriginal granddaughter and the poor living conditions of Aboriginal Australians. The paper aims to throw some light on Tempe Caxton’s quest for identity by highlighting how she challenges traditional notions of being a woman through her choices and decisions and by questioning gender barriers in Australia.
Keywords :
Identity, Choice, Society, Woman, Beauty, Gender, etc.
