View of A REVIEW ON INDO-ANGLIAN LITERATURE

(1)

Vol.03, Issue 03, March 2018, ISSN -2456-1037 (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL) UGC APPROVED NO. 48767

A REVIEW ON INDO-ANGLIAN LITERATURE Shikha Kataria

Ph.D. Scholar (English),

Jayoti Vidyapeeth Women‟s University, Jaipur (Rajasthan), India 1 INTRODUCTION

The word „Indian Literature‟ is of latest origin. In the beginning, it was meant as „Sanskrit literature‟ by the scholars of Indian literature such as Sten Konow, Albrecht Weber, and M.

Wintemitz etc. However, the common and established vision of literary historians is that the Indian literature is tiaanassemblage of various literatures of the subcontinent taking different linguistic manifestations.

Indian literature (Sanskrit) and the literature carved in various languages are acknowledged by Sahitya Akademi which is the part of Indian literature. In the essay “Many Languages but one Literature: A Retrospective on Indian Writing”, Mulk Raj An and has uttered that, at the inauguration time of Sahitya Akademi, Dr. Radha krishnansaid a truth, “There are many languages in India but one literature”.

The main motive of the Indian literature is to stimulate the essence of patriotism. The knowledge of national uniqueness appeared in literature and frequently the Indian writings revolved into power of enlightenment in 19th century. At the phase of the freedom fight in India, the patriotism appeared in the thoughts of the people in India, which made the general public belonging to different tribes and castes, different regions, united and flourished the closure of the foreign rulers from the Indian soil. The literature question and Indian freedom fight is mainly associated with the knowledge of national uniqueness and the self- awareness of the nation.

Another motive of Indian literature is to emphasis the spiritualism which is natural in the minds of the people in Indian. The main note in the minds of Indian people has been intuitive, spiritual, and psychic.

At times, the Indian literature has been termedas spiritual however it does not represent that it is religio-centric or Theo-centric, rather life. It represented that it is about, how to bond the ultimate with the historical. Hence, the Indian literature structures the mission of knowing the ultimate through the historical. In case of the Indian literature, the spirituality concept is mystic and it associates the spirituality concept with the universal happiness.

1.1 Indo-Anglian literature

Aninnovativeidea to the literature is turned by the Indian writing in English.

It has acclaimed unstinted respect in both abroad and home. It grips a noticeable place among the English and other literatures in the universe. The Indian writing in English is not a minor stream of English literature or a part of English literature, but reasonably a part of Indian literature. Hence, Meenakshi Mukherjee says, “Indo- Anglian fiction in my view is a part of a truly Indian fiction 2 and not a tenuous extension of English fiction.”

The term "Indo-Anglian" denotes the creation of original literary in the language of English by Indians. At present, there areplenty of educated Indians who practise the English language as a medium of the innovative expression and exploration of their life experience. Their writing has now

(2)

recognized into important literature in its own factual and it is this extensive body of literature which is denoted as the Indo-Anglian literature. As C. R.

Reddy in his foreword to SrinivasaIyengar's work Indo-Anglian Literature points out,

"Indo-Anglian literature is not essentially different in kind from Indian literature. It is part of it, a modem facet of that glory which, commenting from the Vedas, has continued to spread its mellow light, now with greater and now with lesser brilliance under the inexorable vicissitudes of time and history ever increasing up to the present time of Tagore, Iqbal and Aurobindo Ghosh, and bids fair to expand with our, as well as humanity's expanding future."

Indian literature, which had persisted through medieval times, has had their rebirth. The authors such as Tukaram, Jnaneshwari, Miribai, Ramada‟s, Kabir, Surdas Tulsidas, and a group of others led the movement for rebirth. The movement of rebirth established motivation through the classics transformations. The existence of Indian literatures through transformations contributes more to the language of English. Gokak is clear when he states:

“But English as a literary medium wears an artificial look especially when it is realized that the mother tongue satisfies the inner urge for expression better than any other medium. Nevertheless, an Indian seeking cosmopolitan audience can legitimately take to English even today, as Sri Aurobindo did in his poetry as well as his philosophical writing. Even when English ceases to be the medium of instruction in our universities, it will have to play an important role as the medium for interpreting our culture and philosophy and for creative renderings our ancient and modem classics in the world “.

English learning fetched the West to the gates of the East with the blessings of materialism and the assistances of scientific ideas.

Ghalibuttered his miracle in one of his Persian poems:

“In these dark nights, they gave me good news of the dawn. They extinguished the candle and they pointed out to me the sun. They snatched the pearl away from the crown and Attached it to knowledge” .

The first Indian to write in English was Raja Ram Mohan Roy who wrote very influential English to advocate social reforms in India. It is factual that some of the Indians still started writing in English in spite of having numerous regional languages in India. There may be numerous explanations behind it.

While trying to notice the explanations of English writing, Ramamurti in his book „Rise of the Indian Novel in English‟, said,

“The emergence ofthe Indian novel in English itself was but parts of one great creative surge which manifested itselfin almost all the Indian languages around the same quarter century. The desire of some authors to write novels in English was, therefore, born of a genuine creative impulse characteristic of the times and not out of a desire to imitate the western models or to impress the western readers.” He says again, “The Indian writers in English referred to write in English because perhaps they felt more at home in that language and found it most natural to express themselves in English.”

1.1.1 Problem Statement

In the present era of globalisation, immigration has become familiar and

(3)

common style for most of the immigrant novelists where the world is shrinking in to a global village, the variance smelt down into similarities. Culture and groups outside the dominant ideology try to find out ways to put forward their diversity. In earlier times the main purpose of immigration of the third world people were only depend on their vocational problems. But in the present time people‟s vocational problem mingles with the desire of avocation for the purpose of crossing the boundaries of native land. Boasting as a life abroad has become a prestige icon for people today, because of which they fail to take into account the serious issues such as adopting to a new culture, new geographic environment, religious and political surroundings. There is a vast development and growth in the external world, but somewhere somehow there is a lack in the inner self of the individuals. There are situations which face a large scale of cultural differences in terms of linguistic, ethnic, and cultural determinates, the difficulty is getting vigorous for the immigrant to tolerate and manage.

2 OBJECTIVES

The aim of the research is to study on the concept of East – West Encounter in Indo- Anglian Literature comparatively. To obtain the aim of the research following objectives are framed.

 To analyse comparatively and critically the writings of Anita Desai, Raja Rao, and E. M. Forster.

 To bring forth how they have represented the East – West Encounter in their writings.

 To examine narrative strategies adopted by them.

 To critically examine their approach towards the various issues portrayed in their works.

2.1 Research Questions

 How were the writings of Anita Desai, Raja Rao, E. M. Forster when analysed comparatively and critically.

 How do these authors represent east – West Encounter in their writings?

 How were the narrative strategies adopted by them?

 What where the various issues portrayed in their works?

East-West encounter is shown by two ways in Indian English fiction:

East-West encounter of characters and East-West encounter of ideas. Few encounters result in unification and few results in separation. Jai Nimbkar„s Come Rain (1993) and Raja Rao„s Serpent and the Rope(1960) show the encounter of characters and Arun Joshi„s The Foreigner (1968) and Raja Rao„s Kantapura (1938) show the encounter of ideas. Jai Nimbkar„s Come Rain (1993) centers on Ann, an American girl who marries Ravi an Indian and then settles down in India.

The writer has depicted the struggle of Ann and the problems she comes across in India. The end of the novel is tragic. It ends with the separation of Ann from Ravi. Generally, the novels which depict east-west encounter of characters depict that the partner from the west leaving the partner of the east.

However, the story of Come Rain (1973) is completely different. Ann is quiet and patient girl. She knows the significance of Indian traditions and customs.

Therefore, she tries to mold herself to suit it. She always behaves as a responsible woman and an obedient daughter-in-law. She never complains against anyone. Thus, Jai Nimbkar has shown the confrontation with a different angel. Ann, who is an American girl comes to India, follows Indian customs and tradition and lives here for the rest of her life. On the contrary, an Indian person Ravi is

(4)

obsessed by the dreams of America and finally leaves his own country.

ArunJoshi „s The Foreigner (1968) is a critique on east-west encounter through ideas. Arun Joshi shows the hypocrisy of modern society through this novel. The writer has narrated the story of Sindi Oberoi and Baburao Khemka. Baburao Khemka`s rich father in India sends him to America. Babu was blinded by the freedom given to girls in America. Babu falls in love with an American girl and marries her. He is completely broken when he comes to know that his wife is not chaste. He finds that her wifeal ready had sexual relationship with other boy. Babu is depicted as a person with Indian notion and concept in America. Man-woman relationship in India is different from man-woman relationship in America.

4 RESEARCH SCHEME

Introduction- This chapter deals with the definition of Indo – Anglian literature along with this the contribution of various novelists under study in indo Anglian literature.

Theme of East-west Encounter in “The Serpent and The Rope”by Raja Rao- -This chapter describe about the theme of identity of the central protagonist in the background of east – west conflict in the novel The Serpent and The Rope by Raja Rao.

Theme of East-west Encounter in “Bye – Bye blackbird” by Anita Desai- This chapter is entitled “Bye – Bye blackbird and will present the study of man – woman relationship abused by cultural clashes which further leads to the feeling of alienation in wedlock.

Theme of East-west Encounter in “The Passage to India” by E.M.

Forster- This chapter is titled “The Passage to India” based on E.M.

Forster‟s novel of the same name. The novel shows the impact of cultural clash between East and West not only

in case of an individual but also on a race. The clash of culture is there in case of Hero and Heroine between Muslim and Hindu and between Indian and the English.

Conclusion-This chapter serve as a conclusion of the study in which various factors and reasons responsible for the breakup or modification of human relationship will be highlighted.

Further, this East West conflict leads to the feeling of alienation among individuals and identity crises.

5 METHODOLOGY

 The present century is predominantly more appropriate for studies in comparative literature.

 The persistence of such study is to determine the collective zones among numerous literatures and further uses secondary source of information to gather data such as reference books, journals, web, blogs, interviews, newspaper.

 This is a thoughtful co-ordination which finds similarity in some aspects.

 Hence the present study uses a comparative and critical analysis as the methodology since the obligation of literature in a sense is continually comparative.

6 CONCLUSIONS

Comparative literature is an educational field contracting among the study of literature or cultural appearance beyond linguistic, nationwide, or penalizing boundaries.

Comparative literature "plays out a responsibility like that of the investigation of global associations, other than efforts by dialects or aesthetic customs, in order to comprehend societies 'from within'".

While most every now and again performed by efforts of various

(5)

languages, comparative literature may likewise be executed on efforts of a similar language if the works start as of various countries or societies between which that language is spoken.

The typically intercultural or international field of comparative literature anxieties the connection among literature, comprehensively characterized, or different circles of human action, including history, governmental issues, theory, art, or science. Different types of literary investigation, comparative literature situates its accentuation on the interdisciplinary examination of cultural or social creation inside the

"economy, supporting elements, and social developments, past moves, spiritual dissimilarities, the urban condition, international relations, public procedure, or the knowledge".

REFERENCES

1. Mulk Raj Anand, Many Languages but One Literature : A Retrospective on Indian Writing

(Pencraft International 2003) 37

<http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream /10603/116364/8/08_chapter 3.pdf>.

2. Barman and Barnalee, „A Comparative Study of Raja Rao and Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya with Reference to Their Novels‟

(Gauhati University 2013)

<http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/1 0603/116364/>.

3. ibid.

4. Suryawanshi Pravin Dadaji, „Immigrant Feminine Experience in the Works of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni‟ (Savitribai Phule Pune University 2013)

<http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/1 0603/96676/>.

5. ¹Naikar, (2007, p.83-84)

6. V Suresh, „Cultural Elements of the East and the West in Jhumpa Lahiri‟s Interpreter of Maladies‟ (2013) 2 IOSR Journal of Humanities and Social Science (IOSR-JHSS) 61 <http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr- jhss/papers/NCSCRCL/Volume-3/18.pdf>.

7. Viney Kripal, „Third World Fiction‟ in R.

Dhawan (ed) (Commonweal, Classical Publishing Company 1988).

8. Harish Trivedi, „Colonial Influence, Postcolonial Intertextuality: Western Literature and Indian Literature‟ (2007) 43 Forum for Modern Language Studies 121.

9. (SahgaL, 1963, p.25)