CONTEMPORARY TRAVEL LITERATURE: A POSTCOLONIAL READING OF FLÂNEUR IN MONISHA RAJESH’S AROUND INDIA IN 80 TRAINS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhgyan.v1.i1.2023.4Keywords:
Contemporary Travel Literature, Postcolonialism, Postcolonial Flâneur, Monisha Rajesh, Indian RailwaysAbstract [English]
In the postmodern period, there has been a visible theorization of travel writing in the literary domain as the genre gains constant recognition for its close relation to issues such as colonialism, postcolonialism, globalization and multiculturalism. In fact, early travel writing and its involvement in European expansion has been noticeably reshaped with less exploitative practices of dehumanizing spaces and culture in the contemporary travel narrative. With the socio-political changes that are taking place in the new century, the genre’s establishment in the postcolonial scene has given an impetus to travel literature. This contribution has also given birth to the concept of the postcolonial flâneur, who is often referred to as a modern spectator immersed in observation and overwhelming experiences of the postcolonial society. In connection with this, the paper shall attempt to study the author, Monisha Rajesh as a postcolonial flâneur in her travel book, Around India in 80 Trains (2012). Further analysis shall focus on cultural diversity and paradox, language, religion, capitalism, and the after-effects of imperialism in India through the lens of the postcolonial flâneur.
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