Abstract
This paper explores alienation as a global problem in reference to Indian Writing in English. We all live in a global world today where people with different backgrounds and roots come in contact with one another feeling the difference between home and exile. These individuals are torn between two cultures and are unable to totally adapt to the new setting which results into alienation. They are rendered homeless both at home and abroad losing their self-identity in search of new grounds.
An attempt will be made in this paper to explore the feelings of homelessness and cultural subjugation in an alien land. The paper, in particular will focus on the novels of arun joshi and kamala markandaya. Man's rootlessness and consequential loneliness and anxiety are Joshi's major themes. Kamala Markandaya's primary subject has been the tension between East and West. Her novels focus on the wretchedness from a sociological and psychological perspective and delineate the dilemmas of individuals in the form of crisis of identity. These writers have successfully articulated cultural clash and its ruinous impact on a rootless nomad.
Finally it must be reiterated that the theme of cultural alienation is very well exemplified in the writings of both the writers. The depiction of connectedness and alienation forms a continuing thematic concern in their novels. They hint towards cultural assimilation but complete cultural assimilation seems to be impossible. Indian novelists in English have really taken forward the cultural co-existence as a way to overcome the problem of alienation.
Author Information
Shruti Sinha, Management Development Institute of Singapore, Singapore
Paper Information
Conference: LibrAsia2013
Stream: Literature
This paper is part of the LibrAsia2013 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Sinha S. (2013) The Trauma of the Loss of Identity and Anguish of Alienation: An Appraisal of the Indian Writing in English ISSN: 2186-2281 – The Asian Conference on Literature and Librarianship 2013 – Official Conference Proceedings https://doi.org/10.22492/2186-2281.20130448
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/2186-2281.20130448
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