PREFACE In the curricular structure introduced by this University for students of Post Graduate degree programme, the opportunity to pursue Post Graduate course in Subjects introduced by this University is equally available to all learners. Instead of being guided by any presumption about ability level, it would perhaps stand to reason if receptivity of a learner is judged in the course of the learning process. That would be entirely in keeping with the objectives of open education which does not believe in artificial differentiation. Keeping this in view, study materials of the Post Graduate level in different subjects are being prepared on the basis of a well laid-out syllabus. The course structure combines the best elements in the approved syllabi of Central and State Universities in respective subjects. It has been so designed as to be upgradable with the addition of new information as well as results of fresh thinking and analysis. The accepted methodology of distance education has been followed in the preparation of these study materials. Cooperation in every form of experienced scholars is indispensable for a work of this kind. We, therefore, owe an enormous debt of gratitude to everyone whose tireless efforts went into the writing, editing and devising of a proper lay-out of the materials. Practically speaking, their role amounts to an involvement in ‘invisible teaching’. For, whoever makes use of these study materials would virtually derive the benefit of learning under their collective care without each being seen by the other. The more a learner would seriously pursue these study materials the easier it will be for him or her to reach out to larger horizons of a subject. Care has also been taken to make the language lucid and presentation attractive so that they may be rated as quality self-learning materials. If anything remains still obscure or difficult to follow, arrangements are there to come to terms with them through the counselling sessions regularly available at the network of study centres set up by the University. Needless to add, a great deal of these efforts is still experimental—in fact, pioneering in certain areas. Naturally, there is every possibility of some lapse or deficiency here and there. However, these do admit of rectification and further improvement in due course. On the whole, therefore, these study materials are expected to evoke wider appreciation the more they receive serious attention of all concerned. Professor (Dr.) Subha Sankar Sarkar Vice-Chancellor Seventh Reprint : December, 2017 Printed in accordance with the regulations of the Distance Education Bureau of the University Grants Commission. POST-GRADUATE : ENGLISH [PG : ENG.] Paper – VII Module - 1 Course Writing Editing Unit 1 Professor Sandhya Sen Professor Dipak Kumar Das Unit 2 Professor Arun Ghosh Professor Amitava Banerjee Unit 3 Professor Arun Ghosh Professor Amiya Chowdhury Module - 2 Unit 1 Professor Nandini Das Professor S. Mahalanobish Unit 2 Professor Nandini Das Professor S. Mahalanobish Unit 3 Professor Nandini Bhattacharya Professor D. K. Das Unit 4 Professor Sreemati Mukherjee Professor S. Mahalanobish Module - 3 Unit 1 Professor Sucheta Mukherjee Professor Tirthankar Chatterjee Unit 2 Professor Dipannita Dutta Professor Dipak Kumar Das Unit 3 Professor Dipannita Dutta Professor Tirthankar Chatterjee Unit 4 Professor Sandhya Sen Professor Dipak Kumar Das Unit 5 Professor Kaberi Chatterjee Professor Shanta Mahalanobish Module - 4 Unit 1 Professor Abhijit Sen Professor Amitava Roy Unit 2 Professor Sudeshna Kar Barue Professor Shanta Mahalanobish Unit 3 Professor Abhijit Sen Professor Subir Dhar Unit 4 Professor Subir Dhar Professor Amitava Roy Notification All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from Netaji Subhas Open University. Mohan Kumar Chottopadhaya Registrar NETAJI SUBHAS Post Graduate Course in English OPEN UNIVERSITY PG : Eng. 7 Module 1 Unit 1 ❐ Rabindranath Tagore : Crisis in Civilization 7-25 Unit 2 ❐ Subhas Chandra Bose : An Indian Pilgrim 26-35 Unit 3 ❐ Jawaharlal Nehru : The Discovery of India 36-58 (Ch—3, 4, 6) Module 2 Unit 1 ❐ Untouchable : Mulk Raj Anand 59-68 Unit 2 ❐ The Guide : R. K. Narayan 69-75 Unit 3 ❐ Raja Rao’s Kanthapura 76-99 Unit 4 ❐ Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day 100-120 Module 3 Unit 1 ❐ Henry Louis Vivian Derozio 121-129 Unit 2 ❐ Sarojini Naidu 130-178 Unit 3 ❐ Toru Dutt : Poems 179-217 Unit 4 ❐ Nissim Ezekiel’s Poetry 218-241 Unit 5 ❐ Kamala Das 242-254 Module 4 Unit 1 ❐ Red Oleanders : Rabindranath Tagore 255-275 Unit 2 ❐ Silence! The Court is in Session : Vijay Tendulkar 276-296 Unit 3 ❐ Girish Karnad : Tughlaq 297-311 Unit 4 ❐ Mahesh Dattani : Final Solutions 312-318 Unit – 1 Rabindranath Tagore : Crisis in civilization Structure 1.0 Objectives 1.1 Introduction : English prose writings by Indians 1.2 Indians writing in English : The Second Phase 1.3 Rabindranath’s writings in English 1.4 Writing in English : the Colonial Dilemma 1.5 Crisis in Civilization : Initial information 1.6 A survey of the East-West Encounter – India under Colonial Rule 1.7 The Enchantment of English Literature versus the Rude Reality of India 1.8 Industrialism : Tagore’s attitude to the Machine Age 1.9 The Communal Problem 1.10 China and Spain – European Liberalism questioned 1.11 A World is Turmoil 1.12 Disenchantment with the West 1.0 Objectives This unit introduces you to an essay of Tagore. Although this essay was not originally written in English, the translation was authorized by and looked over by Tagore. As such, it is included within the body of Tagore’s English writings. Before we look in details at the essay itself you have been provided with an introduction which discusses the historical context of Indian writing in English during the early phase of colonization of India. The introduction would also give you information about the intellectual and cultural influence of the west, which Tagore speaks about in his essay. 1.1 Introduction : English prose writings by Indians : The first phase The large body of literature in English, produced by writers of Indian origin, and given the name ‘‘Indian English Literature’ has been the outcome of a historical factor — the colonization of India by the English. As a result of this historical encounter the English language became, here in India, as in other British colonies across the world, the preferred language of communication among different language communities. Even more important, English was the 7 language through which Indians pursued their acquaintance with western culture — western science, technology, political and social concepts. No educated Indian, even in the high heat of India’s struggle for freedom, talked of discarding English altogether. Even Gandhi, holding strong antipathetic views against most aspects of western civilization, conceded that English constituted India’s window on the world. By an irony of history, a language taught by a conquering people in order to control the conquered, was adopted and assimitated by the colonised, to become a powerful medium of self-expression and helped the modern Indian to structure his identity. Makarand Paraniape has said, ‘‘Study of Indian English literature, its inception, growth and its status of paramountcy is the study of historical, cultural and social forces which have shaped our destiny’’. Indians began to pick up English initially for the purposes of trade and commerce. Calcutta was the centre of British commercial activities. Gradually, first by putting a puppet ruler on the throne of Murshidabad and then by directly taking up the reins of governance, the East India company turned Calcutta into the centre of political power as well. We shall discuss here only the early beginnings of Indian English prose writings. Other kinds of writings had also begun and you will read about them, especially poetry, in the relevant units. It was from the Bengali elite that the first significant writers of English prose emerged. Raja Rammohan Roy’s essay, A Defence of Hindu Theism (1817) is considered the first original composition in expository prose. Rammohan Ray (1772-1833), a polymath as well as a great social reformer, was one of the pioneers who facilitated the inception of a western education through the medium of English. He also initiated the long tradition of admiration for Western civilization that was Tagore’s heritage. In Rammohan Roy's view, the spread of an English education was essential to drag the contemporary moribund Bengal society out of quagmire of ignorance, superstition and lethargy. He was a close friend of Dwarkanath Tagore, Rabindranth’s grandfather, and, along with his many activities of social reform, also a founder of the Brahmo Samaj. Tagore continued to hold him in great respect and admiration all his life. Rammohan Roy himself masterd a style of powerful English prose, as we can see from the following extract from his ‘‘Letter on English Education’’ (1823), addressed to the Governor General Lord Amherst. ‘‘The Sangscrit (sic) language, so difficult that almost a lifetime is necessery for its perfect acquisition, is well known to have been for ages a lamentable check on the diffusion of knowledge .... If it had been intended to keep the British nation in ignorance of real knowledge, the Baconian philosophy would not have been allowed to displace the system of the schoolmen, which was the best calculated to perpetuate ignorance. In the same manner, the Sangskrit system of education would be best calculated to keep this country in darkness, if, such had been the policy of the British legislature.’’ 1.2 Indians writing in English : The second phase As western education spread, many Indians began to write different kinds of creative prose. The early forays into fiction were not very successful, but in non-fictional prose of 8 various sorts we notice distinctive achievements.