Religion and Nationalism - Essay Example

Religion and Nationalism in 3 of Amitav Ghosh's writings Amitav Ghosh is a contemporary Indian with many renowned works to his credit. These include, 'The Circle of Reason', 'The Shadow Lines', and 'In an Antique Land'. A common thread that runs through all these texts is the discussion of religion and nationalism. This is the theme that I propose to analyse by comparing and contrasting these three works. The dissertation will have the following broad outline:- Part I. Introducing the relationship between religion and nationalism in 3 of Amitav Ghosh writings. Part II. Critique / analysis of 'The Circle of Reason'. Part III. Critique / analysis of 'The Shadow Lines'. Part IV. Critique / analysis of 'In an Antique Land'. Part V. Summary of possible conclusions / research aims. Part I - Introducing the Relationship between Religion and Nationalism Religion is considered to be an important factor in the politics and cultures of South Asia. The biggest country there is India. Although India is a secular state according to its constitution, religious tensions and undertones are always close to the surface, subconsciously affecting various facets of day-to-day life. Writers and authors try to portray the relationship between religion and nationalism in different ways. Historically, there have been religious and national conflicts in South Asian countries. In this study I will focus on how Amitav Ghosh interprets the relationship between religion and nationalism in India, Pakistan, Bengal and Egypt in his writings. He talks about many themes such as the separation between India and Pakistan in 1947, the relationship between Hindus and Muslims, the alienation of a Hindu person in a Muslim country, and the 'crises of belonging' that seems to afflict many of his characters. The way that Ghosh characterizes people of different religions and races, the fairness of his characterization, the attitudes and the changes in them, the description of his characters as being similar or different, and the way he regards religions, nations, and countries, will all be analysed. To what extent Amitav Ghosh gives priority to religion over nationalism, the role religion plays in the lives of his fictional characters and the honesty of narration, and the elements of friction or cohabitation in his three novels will all be subject to scrutiny in this study. The overall theme of this dissertation will be the relationship between religion and nationalism, a rising issue in postcolonial discourse. In the following chapters I will illustrate how in these three texts Ghosh signals the religious and national aspects and their interrelations when he describes people in his writings. Part II - Critique / Analysis of The Circle of Reason In this part, I will discuss the importance of religion in the lives of some of the characters in The Circle of Reason and how Ghosh constantly gives hints to make this point clear. Initially, I will concentrate on the beginning of the novel and the notions Ghosh keeps pointing to at such as immigration, the separation of India and Pakistan and then of Pakistan and Bangladesh. I will also address issues like the armed insurrection in Bengal against the British; the divide between religious and national motivations; the Hindu portrayal of God and how that has changed throughout history. I will then consider whether the characters in the novel consider religion as a myth or an overarching force, and how does religious extremism spread across the border after the partition To move to other points: do some characters think of religion as a myth How do the Indians treat the missionary's Bibles and why How does the independence of a nation create instability in the frontier regions Why does Ghosh mention the Middle East while dealing with terrorists groups Does it mean that he sees Islam as a contributing factor What are the perceptions and biases in respect to marriages between Hindus and a Muslims And how is religion corrupted by myths / traditions which do not relate to the true religion How the Indians characters (as part of a different nation) live in Algeria And how do they look at the Algerians How do Indians remember their history and culture especially after the partition with Pakistan What are the differences between a true follower of a specific religion and someone who is trying to be more practical How possible is the application of someone's beliefs in a different country with another religion And what are the difference between Hindus and Muslims in their beliefs as they are portrayed in the text Part III - Critique / Analysis of 'The Shadow Lines' Before moving into my discussion of the cultural differences between nations in The Shadow Lines I will address the language and style of the author. This is an important part of the characterisation of the people in the novel and how they are treated. Also, in this chapter, moving from an overview of the subject, I will get down to a more contextualised discussion of the novel. There will be a focus on Indians and their comments on, responses to and interaction with white people in Britain. The focus will then shift to the fact that Ila's life in Britain has distanced her from the customs and traditions of her Indian motherland. I will examine how the geographical location of the characters makes an impact on their beliefs and thoughts, and whether the Westernizing influence is enough to make Ila forget her origin as an Indian, raising the dilemma of choosing how she wishes to be portrayed - as English or Indian, and the manner in which unity, nationhood and religion are portrayed in western society The way that Ghosh describes the relationship between Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs is articulated in the novel through the effects of partition on the psyche of the people and how it affects the relationship between the communities, including their feelings for each other post-partition. The sense of sorrow and loss over the creation of an independent Pakistan and the imposition of artificial borders between the two countries which used to be one in the past will also be examined. Part IV. Critique / Analysis of In an Antique Land The content of this part will more or less evolve from the growing divide between religions and the feelings of alienation, but here the focus will be on the geographical place. The concept of the cultural shock is mentioned at the beginning of the novel. I will pay particular attention to the Egyptian Muslims' attitude toward the religion of the Indian (Ghosh) and the attitudes of Egyptians Muslims towards the policies of the Indian Prime Minister against Indian Muslims. From this focus on the novel and its content, I will examine how the Egyptians see their religion as the only true religion and their attempts to convert Ghosh to Islam. This section of my dissertation will also address the way in which historically Jews and Muslims lived in harmony in the Middle East. E.g.: Ghosh shows how the government in Egypt criticises 'religious' Muslims and in consequence they are treated differently. This thesis asks why and seeks to explain the difference between religion and myth when talking about Islam. The text asks its readers to evaluate how we can legitimately make judgments based on faith. Part V - Summary of Possible Conclusions / Research Aims Amitav Ghosh has experienced first-hand most of the incidents described and he places them in a thematic context and his writing is informed by this specifically Indian perspective. In doing so, Ghosh reacts to and attempts to provide an understanding towards the issues raised about nationalism, religion, and national borders. This project attempts to shed light on the overall relationship between religion and nationalism in the South Asian context of three of Ghosh's texts, The Circle of Reason', 'The Shadow Lines', and 'In an Antique Land'. In my discussion of the role of religion in the texts, I hope to show how religion and nationalism are closely intertwined, and how religion will continue to play a pivotal role in the evolution of the sub-continent. Bibliography Anderson, Benedict. Imagined Communities. NewYork: Verso, 1991. Asad, Talal. Genealogies of Religion: Discipline and reasons of Power in Christianity and Islam. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1993. Belliappa, K C. "Amitav Ghosh in An Antique Land: An Excursion into Time Past and Time Present". The Postmodern Indian English Novel: Interrogating the 1980's and 1990's. Ed.Viney Kirpal. Bombay: Allied Publishers Limited, 1996. Bhabha, Homi K (ed). Nation and Narration. New York: Routledge, 1990. Bose, S, and A Jalal. Modern South Asia. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1998. Chew, Shirley. "Texts and Worlds in Amitav Ghosh's In An Antique Land". Reconstructing the Book Literary Texts in transmission. Ed. Maureen Bell. 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