Memory And Nostalgia Imbued In The Shadow Lines By Amitav Ghosh
Dr Khushboo
, Fayezah Iqbal
Memories, Nostalgia, India
Abstract
Memory and Nostalgia Imbued in Shadow Lines by Amitav Ghosh
The collective memories and nostalgia of the past are decisive tools that form the basis of the power and political dynamics of the present. The novel The Shadow Lines (1988) by Amitav Ghosh encapsulates this phenomenon by dissecting socio-cum-political vagaries and the entangled identities in India from 1965-1971 through the trajectory of memory and nostalgia. The paper aims to shed light on the constant struggle of these characters to fit into their status quo against the inertia of overwhelming nostalgia associated with their times and individual lives. The theme of nostalgia and remembrance in the novel can be studied along 3 subdivisions:
• Different sets of memories and their impact on the psyche of characters- This deals with the convoluted pathways of memories etched on the psyche of the Indians, who survived and witnessed political upheavals, right from the freedom struggle to the creation of East Bangladesh in 1971 as depicted in the novel. Each character derives their identity and recognition from the memories of their cultural, social and political exposure, inclinations and conditioning.
• Cultural and sociological repercussions of strong attachment to the memories: Tracing the divergent sociological repercussions and cultural adaption of the characters to their status quo. Characters like Thamma living with the memories of India’s independence find their entire being rooted in their traditional and cultural inception, while Tridib and the narrator seek to transcend boundaries and don’t cling to the fixed notions of nationalism, culture, and identity.
• Continuing resonance of individual tribulations in The Shadow Lines in present times: Themes and experiences of the characters in the novel can be studied in the context of the present happenings through research and government reports. These include a collaborated report of Grant Thornton's South Asia Business Group, FICCI and the High Commission of India, the London report on the lives and experiences of the Indian diaspora living in the UK and the UDISE report by the Ministry of Education report.
If certain socio-political memories of the past distinctly shape the characters, then the collective memories of the loss, partition and war, make the characters disillusioned with the concept of borders and boundaries. Nostalgia thus manifests in multiple forms in the novel and embodies the popular conscience, desire for newness, and strong attachments to one’s roots.
"Memory And Nostalgia Imbued In The Shadow Lines By Amitav Ghosh", TIJER - TIJER - INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH JOURNAL (www.TIJER.org), ISSN:2349-9249, Vol.10, Issue 2, page no.555-562, February-2023, Available :https://tijer.org/TIJER/papers/TIJER2302064.pdf
Volume 10
Issue 2,
February-2023
Pages : 555-562
Paper Reg. ID: TIJER_100637
Published Paper Id: TIJER2302064
Downloads: 000314
Research Area: Medical Science All
Country: Patna, Bihar, India
ISSN: 2349-9249 | IMPACT FACTOR: 8.57 Calculated By Google Scholar | ESTD YEAR: 2014
An International Scholarly Open Access Journal, Peer-Reviewed, Refereed Journal Impact Factor 8.57 Calculate by Google Scholar and Semantic Scholar | AI-Powered Research Tool, Multidisciplinary, Monthly, Multilanguage Journal Indexing in All Major Database & Metadata, Citation Generator
Publisher: TIJER (IJ Publication) Janvi Wave
