Volume II Special Issue I January 2022

Name of Author : Dr. Asha Madhavi Pagadala

Title of the paper : Naipauls vision of India in An Area of Darkness- A Critical Analysis

Abstract: My paper aims to reexamine the indecisive nature of V. S. Naipauls first Indian travelogue An Area of Darkness describing Naipauls trip through India in the early sixties. It has all criticism for India and the writer seems to have a pre-determined conviction of speaking all against India. He admires Gandhijis vision, which was critical of India on seeing the beggars and the shameless pandits, and even condemns the insanitary habits of doctors, lawyers, and journalists. On the contrary, he sarcastically ridicules Nehruji by saying that he had a romantic feeling for India, and that is why his writings cannot easily be recognized by others. Naipaul calls India as a country of callousness, inefficiency, and a hopelessly divided country, which weakens to the foreign rule. Thus it results in harsh commentary on socio-political life of Indian society. This paper throws light on these harsh realities and experiences that he had in his visit to India and attempts to analyse its forceful narrative techniques that made it leave a powerful impact.

Keywords : Travelogue, Postcolonial Metropole, Brahmanism, Karma, Dharma, Moksha, Westernization, Anglicization

DOI :

Page Number : 20-23