The Influence Of Western Culture In India Research Paper

4460 words - 18 pages

The influence of Western culture in India as represented through the Anglophiles in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things

Abstract: After I read the God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, I was completely taken by the story and the realistic characters illustrated in the novel. I had a hard time analyzing and comprehending the depth that this novel entails, and even a harder time in developing an essay that would be pertinent, but not as intricate as the novel itself.

Thus, the novel's social concept of "Anglophiles" stood out as a major conducting thread in all the characters, and furthermore in most of the colonized nations. Consequently, the effect of the British Empire and the Western influence on India could be easily traced in the characters created by Roy.

All of the characters in the Ipe Family are clear constructs of the Western world's influence on India and the constant need to feel accepted by disguising or becoming Anglophiles. The family of Anglophiles begins with the great-grandfather of the protagonists, Estha and Rahel. Pappachi represents the gravest example of a frustrated man, who wishes to be British because only in doing so he feels acknowledged. Pappachi's sister and his son follow in Pappachi's footsteps as they all alter themselves in order to fit the westernize standards in order to feel accepted. In addition, Pappachi's grandchildren also adopt a Westernize lifestyle, not only fitting in with the Ipe family, but with the rest of the Westernize world, they are expected to develop.
Hence, through the study of the characters, one can notice the influence of British colonization and Western ideals on the cultural Indian standards presented in the novel.

Introduction: Perhaps the least known aspect of the colonial legacy is the early British attitude towards India's pre-colonial traditions and customs, which were vastly disrupted by the Westernize influence. Instead, there is a pervasive myth of the British as an unbiased 'protector of the nation's historical legacy.' Britain was merely a "mother figure" to the weak, feminized India, which could only live and develop through the aid of Western methods.

In Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things, many of the Indian social standards and faults are criticized. More importantly, the impact of the colonial British rule is intricately illustrated as Roy weaves the complexity of an Indian Family, in their obsession of appearing British, therefore, losing grasp on the reality of their own country and culture. In the novel, the history of colonization is not greatly discussed. However, the historical past affects the characters directly and indirectly. The epoch of colonization in India is often perceived as a period of great hardship, but, as an epoch that had to be endured in order to progress. Like Bengaline historian Romesh Chunder many other historians are firmly convinced of the fact that in India the British colonization had more positive effects t...

More like The Influence Of Western Culture In India Research Paper

The Influence Of Japanese Technology In American Culture - English 100 - Reasearch Paper

862 words - 4 pages ... Munoz Jose Munoz Professor Fujimoto English 100: Essay #1 02/27/2019 Technology in Japan & US Technology in the past 20 years has had an increased impact on modern society. It has shaped a universal expectation amongst the youth and social status. Without the rapid growth and advancements in technology, we wouldn’t have many of the amenities we take for granted for today. Technology has had a positive influence in both Japan and the US. It has ...

Brutality Of War In Remarque’s All Quiet On The Western Front - Miami Dade College ENC 1102 - Research Paper

1166 words - 5 pages ... Brutality of War in Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front The battleground is stained with blood. Tommies are firing, bombs are dropping left and right, and people all around are dying. Young men, who were once eager to join the war for God and country, are now contemplating why they were so quick in making the ultimate sacrifice, just to defend their country. After many hard and cruel months of death, famine, and life in the shadows, even ...

Influence Of Stress On Stereotypes - Research Methods 325 - Research Paper

2143 words - 9 pages ... significant result. Keywords: Stereotype Threat, Stress Induced, Stress Reduced, Interaction, Influence of Stress on the Effects of Stereotype Threat Successful Performance in the realm of academia is paramount for a plethora of reasons in any individual’s life. For that reason we believe that it is important to understand the effects of stereotype threat and how it may impact students under different conditions. For example, if a student is in a ...

Erasmus And The Reformation: A Pyramid Of Influence - 298UWM - Research Paper

3511 words - 15 pages ... further lack trust in the Catholic Church, which was already in need of church reform. The Western Schism was another succession crisis that caused Erasmus’s theological thoughts to influence Henry VIII so much. The Hundred Years War, fought between 1337 and 1453 between two claimants of the French throne. The English based House of Plantagenet and the French based House of Valois warred for over a century before the French victory after the ...

The Influence Of Early Gregorian Plainchant On Liturgical Music - Music History II - Research Paper

2297 words - 10 pages ... was the original music of the Christian Church in western Europe.”2 Early Gregorian Plainchant led to the emergence of many church hymns, which also had a major influence on future choral compositions. Plainchant can be defined as “a single line of melody with a flexible rhythm sung to Latin words by unaccompanied male voices. Manuscripts date from ninth century and used a 1. Gregorian Chant (Encyclopædia Britannica, 2014), 1. 2. Robert Fowells, A ...

Benefits Of The Mediterranean Diet - Western Kentucky University And College Writing - Research Paper

1663 words - 7 pages ... % reduction in cardiovascular disease for high-risk participants. A precise review of clinical research found that people who did the Mediterranean Diet see improvement in blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol, all of which are cardiovascular risk factors (d’Almeida). Also, this review found that Mediterranean Diet adherence resulted in risk reduction for people with history of heart attacks and type-2 diabetes. In conclusion, there is no denying ...

Arabic Architecture And Influence - University Of Colorado Boulder - Research Paper

2482 words - 10 pages ... number of instruments that became part of Western music had their origin in the Islamic culture. An example of such is the lute that was developed from the al’ud, the theorbo that was fashioned from the tarab, the racket that descended from iraqya, and the bass drum that was borrowed from al-tabl. Other examples include the violin, cannon, harp, gaita, dulzaina, xelami, sonajas de azofar, castanet, guitar, and atambal. The ubiquity of these musical ...

Global Culture And The Politics Of Poverty - Sociology 101 - Research Paper

996 words - 4 pages ... subculture. Although it could be perceived as a counter culture with their unusual and seemingly violent practices, once you break it down, one can then see that there is no harm to any person involved, and in fact, a community has emerged. The purpose in this essay is to expose the elements that make up this subculture. The best way to begin the explanation of the idea of body modification is to acknowledge that like many things, it is on a ...

THE Issues Of Educating English Language Learners Students - UNF Cross-culture Class - Research Paper

1164 words - 5 pages ... 1 RUNNING HEAD: Quotes 5 Quotes THE Issues of Educating English Language Learners Students’© America is a wonderful country to live in, however, it has its advantages and disadvantages. The United States continues to be one of the greatest countries in the world because of people like myself and others from many different countries who gave up their livelihood to become a US citizen by running after the American dream. There are so many quotes ...

Examine The Presentation Of Aziz And Fielding In Part I Of "A Passage To India"

1244 words - 5 pages ... " for liking to associate with Indians emphasises it is not a view many others share and therefore not an easy one to stand by. He is constantly presented as something of an outsider who is somewhat detached from all the other prejudices of India, having "no racial feeling" and one of the few characters in the novel with whom the "herd instinct does not flourish".Fielding is also often used to express Forster's own views; for example, when ...

THE RELIGION OF HEALTHY-MINDEDNESS - Western Connecticut - Research Analysis

1236 words - 5 pages ... THE RELIGION OF HEALTHY-MINDEDNESS ASSIGNMENT ONE As a religion major, I have always found myself in a position of learning religious experiences such as optimism and pessimism. Despite the fact that pessimism is also part and parcel of life, I have always put a lot of emphasis on the complex optimism because it is something I work hard to earn. I am not in the category of the simple optimistic people who don't struggle to achieve optimism ...

Ideology In Pop Culture - Paper

459 words - 2 pages ... Individuality: The quality or character of a person or thing distinguishes them from others of the same kind, especially when strongly marked. The title track of Michael Jackson's posthumous Xscape album was collected from the 2001 sessions for the King of Pop's Invincible album. The singer, Rodney Jerkins, wrote the song. It is the only tune on the record to have been modernized by the man who wrote it in the first place. The track starts with ...

Western Literature Research Paper - Engl-221 - Research Paper

1873 words - 8 pages ... Moss 1 Kala Moss Dr. Eric Lee Western Literature 22 November 2015 Goblin Market: Decoding Adult Themes within a Children’s Tale Although Christina Rosetti’s “Goblin Market” was originally published as a children’s poem in 1862, a close reading and critical research suggests more complex adult themes throughout the poem. Many interpretations have claimed that Goblin’s Market is simply another form of the well-known Adam and Eve story of Creation ...

Food In Japan - Culture, Daily Life And Habits - Food - Research Paper

418 words - 2 pages ... Japan Many famous landmarks in Japan include: Mount Fuji, Shibuya crossing, Itsukushima shrine, Dotonbori, Himeji castle, Nara park and the Tokyo tower. Rice is the most abundant crop grown in Japan, other crops grown in Japan include: soy beans, barley, wheat and a large variety of fruits and vegetables. Popular fruits and vegetables grown in Japan include: Fuji apples, satsuma mandarins, nashi pears, Japanese persimmons and honey melons ...

Art Of Influence: To Modify The Human Genome Or Not To - English 1302 - Research

897 words - 4 pages ... modifications of the human genome. Although some scientists believe in banishing human disease with technology, others believe it is unethical. The first time scientists edited DNA in human embryos was in May of 2015. In this attempt, Chinese researchers edited the gene that causes a blood disorder, beta thalassemia. This reduces the production of hemoglobin that can then lead to a lack of oxygen in many parts of the body. At the time this research ...