The Idea of Indian Literature Volume 41: Gender, Genre, and Comparative Method

Preetha Mani's book "The Idea of Indian Literature" challenges the notion of Indian literature as a collection of texts or literary concepts from India. She argues that it is a provocation that seeks to resolve the relationship between language and literature, written in and against English. Mani examines canonical Hindi and Tamil short stories from the decades surrounding decolonization and demonstrates that these literatures were coconstitutive of one another and of the idea of Indian literature itself. The book offers a view of the Indian literary landscape as a field for comparative literature, tracing representations of gender and the uses of genre in the shifting thematic and aesthetic practices of short vernacular prose writing.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 288 pages
Publication date: 15 August 2022
Publisher: Northwestern University Press

Indian literature, as argued by Preetha Mani, transcends the mere compilation of texts or literary concepts originating from India. Instead, it emerges as a provocative exploration aimed at unraveling the intricate relationship between language and literature. This literary discourse is written in and against English, reflecting the diverse dynamics between local, regional, national, and global readerships.

In her book, The Idea of Indian Literature, Mani delves into the paradoxical notion that a single canon can be composed in multiple languages, each with its unique evolving relationships to one another and to English. Conventionally, Hindi, representing national aspirations, and Tamil, emblematic of the secessionist tendencies of the region, are perceived as the poles of the multilingual continuum within Indian literature. However, Mani reveals that these literatures were mutually constitutive and coalesced to form the very concept of Indian literature itself during the twentieth century.

The writers examined in this book, ranging from the pioneering short-story forefathers Premchand and Pudumaippittan to the trailblazing women authors Mannu Bhandari and R. Chudamani, envisioned a pan-Indian literature grounded in literary rather than linguistic norms. While their goals were deeply influenced by discussions of regional identity, they also sought to transcend linguistic boundaries and forge a shared literary heritage.

Through a meticulous analysis of representations of gender and the diverse uses of genre in the shifting thematic and aesthetic practices of short vernacular prose writing, The Idea of Indian Literature offers a comprehensive view of the Indian literary landscape as a fertile ground for comparative literature. By examining the interplay between language, literature, and regional identity, Mani sheds light on the complex tapestry of Indian literature and its enduring relevance in the global literary sphere.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780810144996