On Suitable Boy and Vikram Seth
@ Wednesday, 14. May, 2008 - 11:01:15 pmEnglish is an interesting language, in the sense that no language has been so active in begetting new dialects and regional varieties as English. At least in the modern period of known history this feature of a global language remains unique. English was thought to be singular once and many cultures were thought to adapt themselves to the world language. But this concept has become archaic and English is seen to be adapting itself to various cultures and ethno domains. Actually English is thought of as a plural language, again unique in this kind. For no language adapts itself so thoroughly to the receptor-culture. There are very many good examples to vindicate this point. Aurobindo's works in English are an instant to the point. Sri Aurobindo relaid the cultural fibre of Indian English and made the English muse sophisticated enough to resonate the Eastern nodes.
Of course that was mainly in and through poetry. In prose also he did a lot. But to make English a facile patois to voice all sorts of domestic din and banal tunes of the whole cultural spread of India in extent and depth is a remarkable feat. One way of measuring it is to say such a venture is Mahabharathean in its enormity. Such a feat of our times is The Suitable Boy of Vikram Seth. More I will write on the book in the following days.
Trackback address for this post:
Comments, Trackbacks:
Leave a comment :
Recent Posts
-
Thoughts on Nation and Culture
on Monday, 07. Apr, 2008 -
The style of Bharathi's english
on Tuesday, 26. Feb, 2008 -
Epical delvings
on Wednesday, 05. Dec, 2007 -
Teasing the fire, a literary touch from the Rig Veda
on Monday, 17. Apr, 2006 -
Shakespeare on stage
on Friday, 03. Mar, 2006 -
Topo-mythology of a place, sanctified
on Saturday, 18. Feb, 2006 -
Trumpetting into self
on Saturday, 18. Feb, 2006 -
Who is inside, here?
on Saturday, 18. Feb, 2006 -
Translating Aristotle into Tamil
on Saturday, 18. Feb, 2006 -
THOUGHTS ON SHAKESPEARE'S SONNETS
on Tuesday, 27. Dec, 2005

No Comments/Trackbacks for this post yet...