Cultural Imperialism and the Indo-English Novel

Cultural Imperialism and the Indo-English Novel, Volume 1, examines the intricate relationship between genre and ideology within postcolonial literature. Fawzia Afzal-Khan analyzes the works of R.K. Narayan, Anita Desai, Kamala Markandaya, and Salman Rushdie to investigate how these authors navigate the tensions of postindependence trauma. This academic study explores whether specific generic strategies allow writers to challenge the containment strategies often found in Western Orientalist texts.

This work of literary criticism focuses on Indic fiction and the historical impact of imperialism in literature. The text argues that these authors utilize genre as a strategy of liberation to resist hegemonic cultural pressures. By examining the formal choices of these influential figures, the book provides a deep look into literature and society. It offers a scholarly rebuttal to the denigration of non-Western cultures through a rigorous analysis of English-language Indic fiction.