EXPLORING THE COLONIAL IMPACT ON POSTCOLONIAL INDIAN SOCIETY: A STUDY OF KIRAN DESAI’S NOVEL, THE IN

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InternationalJournalofLinguistics andLiterature(IJLL)

ISSN(P):2319-3956;ISSN(E):2319-3964 Vol.11,Issue2,Jul–Dec2022;27–32 ©IASET

EXPLORINGTHECOLONIALIMPACTONPOSTCOLONIALINDIANSOCIETY:A

STUDYOFKIRANDESAI’SNOVEL,THEINHERITANCEOFLOSS

AssistantProfessor,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

28 Dr.SrinivasSorupaka

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)

ExploringtheColonialImpactonPostcolonialIndianSociety:AStudyofKiranDesai’sNovel,TheInheritanceofLoss 29 ImpactFactor(JCC):7.4987 NAASRating2.67

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

30 Dr.SrinivasSorupaka
ImpactFactor(JCC):7.4987 NAASRating2.67

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.

REFERENCES

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3.Bhabha,HomiK.TheLocationofCulture.London:Routledge,1994.Print.

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5.Spivak,GayatriChakravorty.ACritiqueofPostcolonialReason:TowardaHistoryoftheVanishingpresent. HarvardUniversityPress,1999.Print.

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ImpactFactor(JCC):7.4987 NAASRating2.67

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