Colonialism, Modernity, and Literature: A View from India (Future of Minority Studies)

Mohanty has assembled an innovative volume of essays situated at the intersection of at least three multi-disciplinary fields: postcolonial and subaltern theory; comparative literary analysis, especially with a South Asian and transnational focus; and the study of “alternative” and “indigenous” modernities. This definitive new work grounds the political insights of postcolonial and subaltern theory in close textual analysis and challenges readers to think in new ways about global modernity and local cultures. Mohanty Has Assembled An Innovative Volume Of Essays Situated At The Intersection Of At Least Three Multi-disciplinary Fields: Postcolonial And Subaltern Theory; Comparative Literary Analysis, Especially With A South Asian And Transnational Focus; And The Study Of Alternative And Indigenous Modernities. Contributors Emphasize The Strategies Of Resistance That Are Encoded In Third World Literary Texts; Comparative Literary Analysis, Across Cultures And Regions - Both Within The Global South And Beyond; The Forms Of Indigenous Modernity That Preceded The Colonial Encounter, And Thus Provide Alternatives To The Modernity That Was Imposed Through The Colonial Encounter With Europe; Feminist Perspectives In Traditional And Contemporary Literature; And Realist Theoretical Analyses Of The Epistemic Implications Of Literary Forms. This Definitive New Work Grounds The Political Insights Of Postcolonial And Subaltern Theory In Close Textual Analysis, And Rather Than Make General Pronouncements About Alternative Modernities, It Looks At Their Specifically Textual (literary And Cultural) Manifestations-- Introduction: Viewing Colonialism And Modernity Through Indian Literature ---- I. Views From Below: Comparing Literary Perspectives. 1. Critical Realisms In The Global South: Narrative Transculturation In Senapari's --- 2. Views From Above And Below: George Eliot And Fakir Mohan Senapati --- 3. Two Classic Tales Of Village India: The Realist Epistemology Of Chha Mana Atha Guntha --- 4. The Emergence Of The Modern Subject In Oriya And Assamese Literatures: Fakir Mohan Senapati And Hemchandra Barua --- 5. The Indigenous Modernity Of Gurajada Apparao And Fakir Mohan Senapati --- 6. Why Don't You Speak?: The Narrative Politics Of Silence In Senapati, Premchand, And Monica Ali ---- Ii. The Many Contexts Of Six Acres And A Third. 7. The Representation Of Women And Gender Relations In Six Acres And A Third --- 8. Rediscovering Ramachandra Mangaraj And Historicizing Senapati's Critique Of Colonialism --- 9. The Tradition-modernity Dialectic In Six Acres And A Third ---- Appendix: Fair Without, Foul Within: Bahire Rongsong Bhitare Kowabhaturi. Edited And With An Introduction By Satya P. Mohanty. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Cover......Page 1 Title Page......Page 4 Copyright......Page 5 Dedication......Page 6 Contents......Page 8 Introduction: Viewing Colonialism and Modernity through Indian Literature......Page 10 I Views from Below: Comparing Literary Perspectives......Page 32 1 Critical Realisms in the Global South: Narrative Transculturation in Senapati’s Six Acres and a Third and García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude......Page 34 2 Views from Above and Below: George Eliot and Fakir Mohan Senapati......Page 64 3 Two Classic Tales of Village India: The Realist Epistemology of Chha Mana Atha Guntha and Godaan......Page 100 4 The Emergence of the Modern Subject in Oriya and Assamese Literatures: Fakir Mohan Senapati and Hemchandra Barua......Page 122 5 The Indigenous Modernity of Gurajada Apparao and Fakir Mohan Senapati......Page 144 6 “Why Don’t You Speak?”: The Narrative Politics of Silence in Senapati, Premchand, and Monica Ali......Page 162 II The Many Contexts of Six Acres and a Third......Page 180 7 The Representation of Women and Gender Relations in Six Acres and a Third......Page 182 8 Rediscovering Ramachandra Mangaraj and Historicizing Senapati’s Critique of Colonialism......Page 196 9 The Tradition-Modernity Dialectic in Six Acres and a Third......Page 216 Appendix: Fair Without, Foul Within: Bahire Rongsong Bhitare Kowabhaturi......Page 238 List of Contributors......Page 266 Index......Page 268 "Mohanty has assembled an innovative volume of essays situated at the intersection of at least three multi-disciplinary fields: postcolonial and subaltern theory; comparative literary analysis, especially with a South Asian and transnational focus; and the study of "alternative" and "indigenous" modernities. Contributors emphasize the strategies of resistance that are encoded in third world literary texts; comparative literary analysis, across cultures and regions - both within the "Global South" and beyond; the forms of indigenous modernity that preceded the colonial encounter, and thus provide alternatives to the modernity that was imposed through the colonial encounter with Europe; feminist perspectives in traditional and contemporary literature; and "realist" theoretical analyses of the epistemic implications of literary forms. This definitive new work grounds the political insights of postcolonial and subaltern theory in close textual analysis, and rather than make general pronouncements about "alternative modernities," it looks at their specifically textual (literary and cultural) manifestations"-- Provided by publisher The product of years of cross-border and cross-disciplinary collaboration, this is an innovative volume of essays situated at the intersection of multi-disciplinary fields: postcolonial/subaltern theory; comparative literary analysis, especially with a South Asian and transnational focus; the study of 'alternative' and 'indigenous' modernities