The Gendered Nation: Contemporary Writings from South Asia

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This book narrativises contemporary history by examining literary texts in the background of nation-building and the anti-colonial struggle in India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The representation of nation in literary writings from these countries reflects certain shared phenomena of an exploitative ruling elite, communal violence based on linguistic, ethnic and/or religious differentials, and the formation of ethno-religious identities. The female body becomes a terrain on which nationalist distinctions are made visible. The mind/body dualism and its wide-ranging institutional and cultural expressions get reflected in nationalist discourse and literature. The image of the Nation as a female body or mother earth functions in one of two ways-either as a `pure' maternal body, spiritual, inviolable and in tact or, as bruised, ravaged, raped and violated by invaders. Both these representations are contingent upon the input of a male actor, who deifies, defends and resolves them. The author examines the critical moments in the history of contemporary South Asia as represented in literary and political culture. Four stages within nation-formation are identified in the book. Each chapter explores a different stage of this process in a specific historical moment in four nations through literary representations. These moments are explored through the notion of `gendering'.