Abstract
This article probes the allegorical potential of Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day (1980) and Irina Liebmann’s Die freien Frauen (2004), two family narratives which are set in the contexts of Indian/Pakistani and East/West German partition respectively. By appropriating Frederic Jameson’s contested concept of the ‘national allegory’ as a tool that is useful beyond his limited notion of its exclusive applicability to ‘Third World Literature’, I argue that both the Indian and the German text complicate a clear demarcation of private and public spheres. An examination of three themes shared by both novels – the breakdown of communication, the significance assigned to space, and the interplay of personal and collective memory – reveals the intensely political subtext of two narratives that have mostly been considered subjective, gendered explorations of familial past. Situated in this comparative approach, Clear Light of Day and Die freien Frauen mutually highlight the ways in which each text resists a generalising, official version of history and prove their relevance within the discussion of partition literature.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.