CAMPUS FICTION – A CRITICAL STUDY THESIS Submitted to GOA UNIVERSITY for the award of the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHIOLOSOPHY IN ENGLISH by M.SHANTHI Guide PROF. K. S. BHAT (Department of English, Goa University) GOA UNIVERSITY MAY 2017 DECLARATION I, M. Shanthi, hereby declare that this thesis entitled CAMPUS FICTION – A CRITICAL STUDY, is the outcome of my own research undertaken under the guidance of Prof. K. S. Bhat, Department of English, Goa University. All the sources used in the course of this work have been duly acknowledged in the thesis. This work has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or certificate of this or any other University. (M. Shanthi) Date: Candidate i CERTIFICATE I, hereby certify that the thesis entitled CAMPUS FICTION – A CRITICAL STUDY, submitted by M. Shanthi for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English, has been completed under my guidance. The thesis is a record of the research work conducted by the candidate during the period of her study and has not previously formed the basis for the award of any degree, diploma or certificate of this or any other University. Prof. K. S. Bhat Research Guide Department of English Date: Goa University ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Impressed by the wit and humour and the literariness of campus novels, I ventured upon this research work. I was motivated by the writings of British campus writers like David Lodge and Malcolm Bradbury and Indian writers like Rita Joshi, Ranga Rao, Prema Nandakumar, Gita Hariharan, Srividhya Natarajan and Chetan Bhagat. I got completely immersed in their sensitive portrayal of campus life and my admiration for them manifolded as I started understanding their critical thinking. I thank my guide Prof. K. S. Bhat, for lending a strong support and inspiring enough confidence in me to proceed with the thesis. His constant guidance and constructive criticism encouraged me to complete my thesis. I am obliged to Dr. Rafael Fernandes for his constant queries and keen interest he showed in completing my thesis. I thank Dr Kiran Budkuley for raising queries and for giving appropriate suggestions. My gratitude is due to Dr. Nina Caldeira, Head, Department of English, Goa University, for her timely suggestions. I thank Faculty Research Committee (FRC) for critical suggestions. I thank Ms Deepa Prajit, Head, Department of English, Government College, Quepem for taking personal interest in my thesis and helping me in every possible way she could. I thank her for going through every chapter and for giving valuable advice to me, for which I am grateful to her. Ms. Akshata Bhat, Dhempe College, Miramar and Ms. Lizella Gonsalves, DM's College, Mapusa and Mr. Gnana Bharati, Research scholar, BITS, Goa helped me by giving a clear idea in my pursuit of getting the sources, for which I am much obliged to them. I thank Ms Prashanti Talpankar for her encouragement and support. I am indebted to Dr. P. G. Sridevi, Department of English, Karnatak University for helping me to procure primary and secondary sources. I thank my principal Dr. D. B. Arolkar for giving me the opportunity to pursue my Ph.D., degree. A special thanks to Prof. Koshy Tharakan, Department of Philosophy, Goa University for introducing me to some of the Indian campus novels. The Chennai University library, The British Council library, Central library, Panaji, Goa University library and DM's College library were resourceful in printed books and journals that were of great help to me. I should not overlook my family and friends who were beside me all through and extended their help in every possible way. I thank Mr Sameer Patil who urged me to finalise my thesis within given time. I am grateful to my husband Dr. M. K. Janarthanam for his inspiration during my difficult days, without his help I would not have completed my thesis. A special thanks to my mother, Mrs. G. S. Saraswathy and my daughter Dr. Sindhu Malapati for their support and encouragement. I owe my sincere thanks to my son, Mr. Vishal Malapati, who let me work undisturbed, putting up with many inconveniences. M. Shanthi iii CONTENTS CHAPTER I : Introduction 1-44 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Campus Fiction 3 1.3 Features of the Campus Fiction 5 1.4 Aims and Objectives 6 1.5 Hypothesis 7 1.6 Methodology 8 1.7 Selected Texts 11 1.7.1 David Lodge and his Campus Fiction 11 1.7.2 Malcolm Bradbury and his Campus Novels 21 1.7.3 Indian Campus Fiction 26 1.8 Literature survey 41 1.9 Delimitations of the Study 43 1.10 Scope for Further Study 43 1.11 Conclusion 44 CHAPTER II: Dynamics of Power Game in Campus Novels 45-117 2.1 Introduction 45 2.2 Power – Resistance Dynamics and the Campus 46 2.3 Why Foucault? 48 2.4 The Campus Novels and Power Play 52 2.4.1 The Awakening – a novella in Rhyme as Nepotism 52 2.4.2 Atom and the Serpent: Power as Sycophancy 56 2.4.3 No Onions nor Garlic: Caste as Politics 61 2.4.4 Five Point Someone: Grades as Power 66 2.4.5 In Times of Siege: Ideological Hijacking as Power 72 2.4.6 The Drunk Tantra: Corruption as Power 81 2.4.7 British Writers of Campus Fiction 88 2.4.8 Academic Kerfuffle as Power 89 2.4.9 The History Man: Social Change as Power 98 2.5 Conclusion 115 CHAPTER III: Matrix of Interpersonal Communication and 118-192 its Impact in Academic Campus 3.1 Importance of Interpersonal Communication 118 3.2 Purpose of Communication 119 3.3 Theoretical Framework of Interpersonal Communication 120 3.4 Communication and Power 122 3.5 Three stages of Communication 123 3.6 Interpersonal Communication in Academic Novels 124 3.6.1 Five Point Someone 125 3.6.2 The Awakening-A Novella in Rhyme 135 3.6.3 No Onions nor Garlic 149 3.6.4 Eating People is Wrong 162 3.6.5 The History Man 171 3.6.6 Changing Places 177 3.7 Conclusion 189 iv CHAPTER IV: Quest for Knowledge in Academic Campus 193-270 4.1 Introduction 193 4.2 Knowledge in Classical Literature 194 4.3 New Concepts about Knowledge 195 4.4 Importance of Research 197 4.5 Seminars and Conferences 198 4.6 Academic Teaching 199 4.7 British and Indian Campus Fiction 202 4.8 Conclusion 266 CHAPTER V: Conclusion 271-302 5.1 Introduction 271 5.2 Narrative Techniques 273 5.3 Power Play 275 5.4 Power as Hierarchy 281 5.5 Power through Interpersonal Communication 284 5.6 Favouritism as Power Ploy 288 5.7 Gender Discrimination as Power Play 290 5.8 Sex as Power Ploy 291 5.9 Activism as Response to Power Ploy 292 5.10 Quest for Knowledge 293 5.11 Seminars and Conferences as Power Ploys 294 5.12 Question of Professional Ethics 296 5.13 Conclusion 298 BIBLIOGRAPHY 303 v CHAPTER I Introduction A university should be a place of light, of liberty and of learning - Benjamin Disraeli 1.1 Introduction With the explosion of the publishing industry in the twentieth century, there has been a glut of newer fictional narratives. The canonical and the popular can no longer be separated into water tight compartments but have each carved a space for themselves as legitimate areas of study. With the proliferation of professions there has been a consequent rise in further splitting of genres. To illustrate, the mystery novel or detective fiction today branches further into medical thrillers, legal thrillers and the like. The twentieth century witnessed innumerable social and economical changes which created a new form of characters and events. The political and social events induced the novelists to write on the current issues. John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath brought the entire American Dream and Depression before everyone's eye. Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin highlighted the effects of slavery and Upton Sinclair's The Jungle narrated the poor condition of the immigrants and their working environs. The novelists experimented with the new fictional narratives and slowly moved out from the role of an author who controls the action of the plot. The new techniques of cinema, flash back technique and imitating the art of symbolists were experimented. Physical action in the narration was sidelined and the inner mind of the characters was foregrounded. It was termed as stream of consciousness technique. In the modern novel, one of the most dominant synthesizing elements is realism. It is realism that holds history, romance and allegory together in a precarious synthesis, bridging the gap between the world of concrete facts and the world of art and imagination. Vladimir Nabokov in his novel Pale Fire uses different devices like puns, 1 jokes, life of the butterflies, game of chess, cross word puzzles, various types of games and parodies of other novels. Modern novels resist all non-realistic literary modes. Consequent to this, there was a rise of new novel which was termed as anti-novel, where the conventional frame work of a novel and its characteristic features were deleted completely. The novelists experimented with subject matter, form, style, fantasy, mixed the light and the serious without any distinction between the two. Modern novels written by James Joyce, Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence threatened to break the established form. Their topical nature and the current idiom used in telling these tales made them immensely popular. The writers used their own experiences in specialized fields to invoke areas of interest hitherto considered taboo e.g.