Ayaz on Modernity, Mimicry, and Moksha: A Postcolonial Study of R. K. Narayan's The Guide and V. S. Naipaul's A House For Mr. Biswas

Amreen Ayaz, University of Aberdeen, has published Modernity, Mimicry, and Moksha: A Postcolonial Study of R. K. Narayan's The Guide and V. S. Naipaul's A House for Mr Biswas. Here is the abstract.

This research examined the concepts of modernity, mimicry, and moksha, their applications in postcolonial literature, and their altered meanings in the modern world. It studied modernity through various dimensions like colonialism, Nanni’s exploration of colonisation through time and religion, intergenerational variations in its impact, the redefined meaning of success through tools like life and career planning, and the makings of a modern man. The concept of mimicry was analysed through the works of scholars like Bhabha, Uytanlet, Harold, Chakrabarti, Alvarez, Phukan, Mandal, Sultana, and others. It looked at themes like the need for mimicry, its dual aspects, intra-national mimicry, masculinised mimicry, and gaps in postcolonial studies. The work also delved into the idea of mimicry by drawing on theories from other disciplines, like Hegel’s dialectics, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, evolutionary biology, performance theory, systems theory, and cultural hegemony theory, while drawing historical examples from India’s freedom struggle. The research aimed to explore the identity conflict in the present youth of the erstwhile colonial nations, which are experiencing massive changes in culture through globalisation and the fast-paced import of ideas. It endeavoured to bring out a synthesis between conflicting values of tradition and modernity, and highlight the possibility of evolved ways of living that the selected works of postcolonial writers were attempting to convey to their readers. For the purpose, the traditional framework of moksha was woven in with the literary theories of modernity and mimicry, explaining its meaning through religion, philosophy and socio-cultural perspectives. Manu’s Dharma Shastra was focused upon to trace the process of achievement of moksha; its modernised version was explored through the different paths taken by the characters of Naipaul and Narayan, ultimately answering the question of how to achieve moksha in a hybridised environment. Through the journeys of Raju and Mohun Biswas, the conclusion was reached that in the modern world, moksha is found not in a return to tradition, but in the courage to embrace one’s true identity amidst change.

Download the article from SSRN at the link.