InternationalJournalofLinguistics andLiterature(IJLL)
ISSN(P):2319-3956;ISSN(E):2319-3964 Vol.11,Issue2,Jul–Dec2022;27–32 ©IASET
EXPLORINGTHECOLONIALIMPACTONPOSTCOLONIALINDIANSOCIETY:A
STUDYOFKIRANDESAI’SNOVEL,THEINHERITANCEOFLOSS
Dr.SrinivasSorupakaAssistantProfessor,DepartmentofEnglish,OsmaniaUniversityPostgraduateCollege,Siddipet,Telangana,Andhra Pradesh,India
ABSTRACT
Historicaleventshaveaprofoundimpactonthelivesofpeople,andtheimpactpassesfromonegenerationtothenext.The colonialexperiencehascontinuedinspiteof,andlongafter,thewithdrawalofpoliticalcontrolandculturalpowerofthe formercolonialpowers.Therepresentationofthelingeringeffectsofcolonialismandthesocio-politicalandcultural problemsofpostcolonialIndiansocietyisthecentralconcernofthisresearchpaperThisstudymakesanattemptto exploretherepresentationoftheseproblemswhichincludemigrations,sub–nationalism,transformationofcolonial cultureanditseffectsonthenativecultureandtraditionasdepictedinKiranDesai’snovel,TheInheritanceofLoss.
KEYWORDS:Colonialism,Postcolonialism,Racism,EthnicSeparatism,Migrations,Immigrats’life
ArticleHistory
Received:18Nov2022|Revised:24Nov2022|Accepted:25Nov2022
INTRODUCTION
Desai’snovelvividlyportraysthesocio-psychologicalproblemsofIndianswhoarelivinginIndiaandabroad.BeinganIndian immigrantinAmerica,sheportraystheattitudesofthewesternersandthewaytheytreatthethirdworldpeople.James’character inthenovelrepresentshowthecolonialsystemofeducationdestroysanindividual’spsycheaswellashisnativeidentity.
OBJECTIVES
Themainobjectivesofthisresearchpaperasfollowing.Theyare,
TounderstandtheproblemsoftheIndianpeoplemigratingtoAmericaandthedreamofnewlife.
TopresentthesenseofexileasauniversalexperienceandtheimbalancebetweentheEastandtheWestthat changesaperson‘sthinkingandfeeling.
TounderstandtheBritishcolonialofficials’successinpursuingapolicyofdemographicchangeanditsimpacton post-colonialsociety.
ThecolonialintroductionofEnglisheducationhelpedtheBritishtooccupythesuperiorpositionoverthenative languageandcultureandmadetheIndianpeoplefeelthattheircultureandlanguageareinferiortothewesternculture.
DerekHooksinhisbookACriticalPsychologyofthePostcolonial(2012),notesFranzFanon’swordsonthepsycheof oncecolonizedpeople.
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Apsycho-affectiverelationorresponsehasthesemblanceofuniversalityandtimelessnessbecauseit involvestheemotions,theimaginationorpsychiclife,butitisonlyevermobilizedintosocialmeaning andhistoricaleffectthroughanembodiedandembeddedaction,anengagementwith(orresistanceto)a givenrealityaperformanceofagencyinthepresenttense.(102)
SimilartoFranzFanon’sexplanationintheabovelines,throughJames’characterinthenovel,Desairepresents howthecolonialsystemofeducationconvertsthenativepeopletobecometheanglophiles.Jemu,inthenovelisavictim whoisexhaustedwiththecolonialsystemofeducationandculture.HeisarepresentativeofthefirstgenerationIndians whowenttoEnglandforhigherstudiesandfacedtheracialpsychicproblemsduetotheracialdiscrimination.Hisjourney oflifeinthenovelbeginsfromasmallvillagecalledPhipitofGujarat.Hewasborninapeasantfamily;hisprimary educationbeginsatBishopCottonSchoolinGujarat.Whenhewaspursuinghisprimaryschooleducation,hewas fascinatedtoseetheportraitofQueenVictoriaonthewalloftheschoolbuilding.Helikesherportraitpassionatelyand graduallydevelopsmuchinteresttowardsEnglisheducation.HeplanstostudyinEnglandinordertomakehisfuture better.Heexplainsthatpoweroftheportraitlikethis:
Hefoundherfoggyexpressioncompellingandfeltdeeplyimpressed“thatwomansoplain couldalsohavebeensopowerful.Themoreheponderedhisoddity,themorehisrespectforher Englishgrew.(58)
Jemu’simpressiontowardstheroyalportraitofQueenElizabethandhisperceptiontowardsEnglisheducation showstheimpactofcolonialeducationsystemonIndiansociety.
ThoughJemu’sfatherdoesalowstatusjobandearnslessmoney,heprocuresmoneyandfeelsproudtosendhis sontoEngland.HesendsJemutoEnglandwithanaimofpursuinghighereducationaswellastogetthesocialdignity throughmakinghissonahighcourtjudgeinIndia.
Hissonmight,might,could!Occupytheseatfacedbythefather,prouddisrupterofthesystem, lowestinthehierarchyofthecourt.Hemightbeadistrictcommissionerorahighcourtjudge…. fatherbelow,sonabove,they’dbeinchargeofjustice,complete.(59)
TheabovelinesmakeitclearthatJemu’sfatheractofsendinghissontoEngland,hisadmirationforEnglish education,andhisdreamofmakinghissonahighcourtjudgeindicatetheattitudesoftheIndianpeopleandtheir perceptiontowardsEnglishasasuperiorlanguage.
AfterhisarrivaltoEngland,Jemu’slifebecomesveryhorrible,heoftenencountersmanytroubles,hefailstoget ashelterinLondon,hemovesaroundthestreetsformanydaysinsearchofaroom.Herequestsmanypeopletorenthima roombuttheyhatetoanswerJemuandtheyshoutonhisface:
“Justlet,”“Allfull,”oracurtainliftedandquicklydropped,stillnessasifalltheinhabitantshad,inthat instant,died.Hevisitedtwenty-twohomesbeforehearrivedatthedoorstepofMrs.Riceon Thorntonroad”(38).
ImpactFactor(JCC):7.4987 NAASRating2.67
Jemu’sprecariousconditionmakeshimhabituatethenewcultureandtolivelikeanEnglishman.Afterpassing somedaysinEngland,heregistershiscourseat‘FitzWilliamsCollege’,butthetroublesinLondonhaunthimonceagain. Atthecollege,Jemuexperiencestheracialdiscriminationbythewhites.EventuallyhislifeinEnglandmakeshimenter intoalifeofemptiness,heloseshishopeswhichhecarriedfromIndia,hefailsinIndianCivilServiceexams,andhencehe developsthesenseofloneliness.Thenarratorsays:
“Hislonelinesshadfoundfertilesoil.Hetreatedintoasolitudethatgrewinweightdaybyday.The solitudebecameahabit,thehabitbecamethemananditcrushedhimintoshadow”(39).
EventuallyJemu’sadoptionofEnglishculture,experiencingtheracialdiscriminationandotherbitterexperiences forcehimtoself-alienation.Hisbehavior,attitudeandeverythingresemblesthelifestyleoftheWest.Hebehaveslikean EnglishmanandseeseverythingthroughthelensesofEnglishness.HislifeofEngland,senseofEnglishness,racismand othertraumaticexperiencesforcehimtoexperiencehislifeintheshadow.Jemu,afterreturningtoIndia,feelslikea strangertohisownmotherlandandtohisownpeople,healmostforgetstolaughandtalktootherpeople,healways wishestolivelikeanEnglishmanwearingacoatandshoes.
PostcolonialMigrations
Humanmigrationcanbeunderstoodasaphysicalmovementbypeoplemovingfromoneplacetoother,migrationor movementfromaplacebeginswhenpeoplevoluntarilymovefromoneplacetootherortheymoveinvoluntarily.
AccordingtotheNewWorldEncyclopedia,themovementofpopulationsinmoderntimeshascontinuedundertheformof bothvoluntarymigrationwithinone’sregion,country,orbeyond,andinvoluntarymigration(whichincludestheslave trade,humantrafficandethniccleansing).Itissignificanttounderstandthatmigrationisoneoftheimportanttopicsof postcolonialstudies.Themigrationormovementfromacountrycanbelinkedtoitshistorical,cultural,religiousand economicbackgrounds.InthecontextofIndiathepostcolonialmigrationsarelinkedtothehistoryandpoliticalpoliciesof thecolonialruleinIndiaandtheexploitationsofIndianeconomicresources.
TheBritishruledIndiafortwohundredyearsandexploiteditseveryeconomicresourceanddestroyedthecountry economically,politicallyandculturally.Asaresultoftheeconomicexploitations,thepostindependentIndiaemergedas anindependentcountrywithmultipledisordersinitssocialstructure.Duetothepovertyandunemployment,peoplein postcolonialIndiastartedmigratingtodifferentpartsoftheworld,mainlytotheWesternsociety.DadabhaiNaoroji’swork PovertyandUn-BritishRuleinIndia(1901),andGauriVishwanathan’sworkMasksofConquest:LiteraryStudyand BritishRuleinIndia(1989),explainshowtheBritishGovernmentdestroyedtheIndiansocietyeconomically,politically andculturally.
Desaiinhernovelprovidesthebestexampletounderstandthatthehistoricaleventshaveaprofoundimpacton thesucceedinggenerations.Inthenovel,AchootanspeaksaboutthenatureandattitudesofwhitepeopletowardsIndians andotherthirdworldpeople.AchootanwhospendshislifeinCanterburyforeightyearsshareshisexperienceswithBiju (inNewYork)andtellshimhowtheBritishtreattheIndians:
ShitatleastthiscountryisbetterthanEngland,hesaid.Atleasttheyhavesomehypocrisyhere.They believetheyaregoodpeopleandyougetsomerelief.Theretheyshoutatyouopenlyonthestreet,go backtowhereyoucamefrom.(135)
AsAchootantoldBijuintheabovelines,AchootaninreturntotheresponseoftheBritish,heshoutsbacklike “yourfathercametomycountyandtookmybreadandnowIhavecometoyourcountrytogetmybreadback”(135).
HereAchootan’swords‘yourfathercametomycountryandtookmybread’representtheexploitationsoftheBritishwho ruledIndiaandexploiteditseconomicresourcesandforcedthecountrytoliveunderpoverty.
DesaidescribesthepostcolonialmigrationsastheresultofnotonlytheBritishexploitationsofeconomic resources,butitisalsoduetothecolonialmindsetsoftheIndianswhosubmissivelythinkthattheWesternpeoplelike theAmericansandtheBritishhavemoreknowledgeandwealththantheIndians.Inthenovel,thecookwhosendshisson BijutoAmericaexplainstohisneighborsaboutitsgreatness.“NewYorkverybigcity,thecarsandbuildingsarenotlike here,inthatcountrythereisenoughfoodforeverybody”(4)
Herethecook’sattitudetowardstheWesternsocietyisveryevidentthatforhimaswellasmanyoftheotherthird worldpeopletheWesternsocietyisgreaterandricherthantheirowncountry.Moreoverthecook’sperceptionof Americansocietyrepresentsthesocio-economicvariationsbetweentheEasternandWesternsociety,hiswords“inthat country(America)thereisenoughfoodforeverybody”(4),reflectstheinsecurefeelingsoftheIndianimmigrantswho wanttheirchildrentodependontheWesterneconomy.Desai’snovel,clearlyindicatetheeconomicdominationof Americainthepresentglobalworld.Withrelatedtothepost-colonialmigrationsandtheafterwardsconsequencesof colonialruleinthethirdworldnations.
ColonialismandtheEthnicSeparatism
TheBritishcolonialofficials‘successinpursuingapolicyofdemographicchangethroughimmigrationcannotbeseparated fromthequestionofpoliticalpowerinNorth-eastIndia.ColonialconquestmeantthatBritishofficialswithelaborateviews aboutpopulation,progressandcivilizationwereinpowerandtheycouldnowmakeandimplementpoliciesofpopulating thenewlycolonizedlandsaccordingtotheirwhimsandfancies.InAssamtherewasacompartmentalizationofethnic groupsbyvirtueoftheiroccupationandareaofsettlement.Inthecolonialeconomicorder,theindigenouspopulationwas notingeneralascommerciallysuccessfulastheimmigrant,producingfromtimetotimeill-feelingandsuspicionin everydayencountersbetweenmembersofethnicgroups.India‘sNorth-eastisthelocationoftheearliestandlongest lastinginsurgencyinthecountry.SeparatistviolenceinNagalandcommencedin1952.Sincethelate1970s,amultiplicity ofmorerecentconflictshasalsoproliferated.EveryStateintheregioniscurrentlyaffectedbyinsurgentandterrorist violence.Indeed,theNorth-easthasbeenanareaofgreatandcontinuouscivilizationalintercoursethroughouthistory,and hasbeenthoughtofas―agatewayofcommerceandculturethatlinkedIndiaoverlandtoeastandSoutheastAsiaǁ,anda ―complextransitionzoneoflinguistic,racialandreligiousstreamsǁ.(Web,SahniAjai)The‗indigenoustribes‘ofthe North-eastrepresentsuccessivewavesofmigrants,bothfromEastandWest,withmanyenteringtheregionaslateasthe 19thCentury.TheculturalmosaicwasmademorecomplexasaresultoftheBritishpolicyof‗annexingcolonies‘, ‗importing‘largenumbersofadministrators,plantationworkersandcultivatorsfromotherpartsofIndiaandneighbouring countriessuchasNepal,Bhutanetc.(SajalNag,2002).16Stalin,whilediscussingthefoundationsofLeninism,inhis ―TheNationalQuestionǁ,explainsthefunctionsofcolonialisminviewofannexingthecoloniesofIndiaandother nations:Imperialismcannotexistwithoutexploitingcoloniesandforciblyretainingthemwithintheframeworkofthe ―integralwholeǁ;becauseimperialismcanbringnationstogetheronlybymeansofconquest,withoutwhichimperialism is,generallyspeaking,inconceivable.(Morris1880:288).ConfirmingStalin‘sexplanationaboutthedynamicsof colonialism,inthenovel,TheInheritanceofLoss,wecanobserveDesai‘sdepictionoftheGorkahaNationalLiberation
Front.TheyconstituteaNepaliIndianpeoplefightingfora(Gorkhaland)‗transnationalland‘whichwasonceintegrated bytheformercolonizersatKalimponginDarjeeling.
CONCLUSIONS
Theresearchpapertriedtolocatethedynamiceffectsinthepostcolonialsocietythroughthenovel.Moreover,thisstudy pavesthewayandbroadensthescopeforfurtherresearchinthefieldofPostcolonialstudies.Inthisstudythelingering effectsofcolonialcultureorconsciousnessmaybeevidentastwofacets;first,itsacceptanceofanimperialmodelandthe other,itssimplisticrejection.WewillhavetocomeoutofthiscolonialCocoonandtakeacriticallookatourowncultural roots,withwhichwecanidentifyourselves,inourownmirrorswithourowneyesasweare-goodorbad;measure ourselvesnotbyimportedyardsticksorideologies,butbyourownindigenousnorms.
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