Postcolonial Indian city-literature : policy, politics and evolution

Author(s)

    • Ray, Dibyakusum

Bibliographic Information

Postcolonial Indian city-literature : policy, politics and evolution

Dibyakusum Ray

(Routledge research in postcolonial literatures)

Routledge, 2022

  • : hbk

Available at  / 2 libraries

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Note

Includes bibliographical references (p. [155]-167) and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

How is the city represented through literature from the post-colonies? This book searches for an answer to this question, by keeping its focus on India-from after Independence to the millennia. How does the urban space and the literature depicting it form a dialogue within? How have Indian cities grown in the past six decades, as well as the literature focused on it? How does the city-lit depart from organic realism to dissonant themes of "reclamation"? Most importantly-who does the city (and its narratives) belong to? Through the juxtaposition of critical theories, sociological data, urban studies and variant literary works by a wide range of Indian authors, this book is divided into four temporal phases: the nation-building of the 50-60s, the dictatorial 70s, the neoliberalization of the 80-90s and the early 2000s. Each section covers the dominant socio-political thematics of the time and its effect on urbanism along with historical data from various resources, followed by an analysis of contemporaneously significant literary works-novel, short stories, plays, poetry and graphic novel. Each chapter comments on how literature, perceived as a historical phenomenon, frames real and imagined constructs and experiences of cities. To give the reader a more expansive idea of the complex nature of city-lit, the literary examples abound not only "Indian Writings in English," but vernacular, cult-works as well with suitable translations. With its focus on philosophy, urban studies and a unique canon of literature, this book offers elements of critical discussion to researchers, emergent university disciplines and curious readers alike.

Table of Contents

Introduction Chapter I - The Rejecting: Emergence of the Urban Literature during the 1930-40s Chapter II-The Realist: Nation Building, Social Realism and the Urban Grind of the 1950-60 Chapter III-The Belligerent: Emergency, Rebellion and the 1970s Chapter IV-The Neoliberal: Commercial City, Diaspora and the (G)local, 1980-90 Chapter V-The Resistive: Millennial Urban and Resisting the Capital Conclusion

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