TWILIGHT IN DELHI: A DISCOURSE IN COLONIALIST AND ANTI-COLONIALIST IDEOLOGIES

Author(s) : Dr. Muhammad Ayub Jajja

Abstract:

Cultures that come into being, in response to colonial domination by foreign powers, produce literatures that deal with the experience of colonialism. A piece of literature, if written by the colonialist writer, tends to project the colonialist ideology of superiority espoused by colonialists. However, if the writer belongs to the subject race, it either resists or reinforces the ideology of the superiority of the dominant race and culture. The present study is intended to investigate the portrayal of the impact of colonialist culture upon the native culture and identity, in the form of mimicry, hybridity and the ultimate rejection of the colonialist ideology was and culture by the subject race .The study also wanted to show that Ahmad Ali in Twilight in Delhi has portrayed the British as oppressors and has shown that the Indians resisted the colonialist ideology of superiority of the British. The study based upon the analysis of the text in the light of Postcolonial critical theory. The study found that Ali presented the resistance of the Indians to the colonialist ideology of superiority and he also portrayed the anti-colonialist ideology of the Indians and celebrated the ancient Indian civilization and culture. The study found that colonialism leaves its residual impact upon the culture and identity of the subject race.