Trans-nationalism and Border Crossing

From the time of childhood, the world becomes full of imaginary lines. From property borders to adult spaces, people quickly learn that certain spaces denote special uses. This extends to the idea of nationalism in which people who exist in certain spaces are loyal to that space and believe they possess qualities unique from people in other spaces. Nationalism is especially important in post-partition India in which citizens attempted to draw cultural lines between themselves and the West. This can be seen in Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines in which the Grandma represents cultural nationalism which conflicts with Tridib’s representation of border crossing. This can also be seen in other texts such as Gandhi’s Autobiography and Natyantara Saghal’s Rich Like Us. Both texts examine the relationship between India, the West, and social class while attempting to simultaneously exist in that tension.

First, in Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines the character of the Grandma works to represent the idea of cultural nationalism. The Grandma is deathly afraid of laziness and insists that everyone in her household be in constant motion, never idling or resting. She believes that this is linked to poverty and poverty is the reason that the British can oppress India. This is a representation of cultural nationalism because the Grandma wants India to triumph over their oppressors. This falls in line with Gandhi’s texts in which he confesses he started eating meat in order to grow strong and conquer the British. The idea was that the British can only win as long as they continue to be strong through eating meat which is similar to the Grandma’s idea that the British could overcome India through wealth and hard work. The Grandma also supports Dh...

... middle of paper ...

...e food, clothing, and people are strange. He views the West as pushy and wasteful. This view also coincides with Rich Like Us where the West is dirty and unwanted. All things West are elite but a threat to Indian culture as well as the movement of India forward toward a new culture.

In conclusion, cultural nationalism is demonstrated through the Grandma in The Shadow Lines but opposed by the character of Tridib and his idealization of Western culture. Also, Gandhi’s autobiography works to add another viewpoint on the struggle between India and the West. His attempts to reconcile the Western world in which he lives with the India that he loves is a tension that all Indians face in this time period. In addition, Rich Like Us contributes its take on the power struggle between the West and India in addition to examining the role of the poor within this reform.