Madhusmita Pattanaik,

School of Management, Centurion University of Technology and Management, Bhubaneswar, India

DoI: CJBES/ Vol.2.1/ June-2025…

Abstract:        

Indian-ness in English literature encapsulates the socio-cultural and historical ethos of India as articulated through the medium of English. The works of Indian authors writing in English serve as a connecting link between traditional Indian narratives and Western literary forms, enabling a unique fusion of indigenous themes and global perspectives. Writers such as R.K. Narayan, Anita Desai, Salman Rushdie, Arundhati Roy, and Jhumpa Lahiri have been instrumental in portraying the very essence of “Indian-ness,” bringing to light the complexities of identity, colonial legacy, and the negotiation between tradition and modernity. Indianness is manifested in various ways, from the portrayal of Indian societal norms, caste structures, and religious practices to the psychological and emotional depth of characters navigating a rapidly globalizing world. This literary concept also encompasses the diverse languages, rituals, and landscapes of India, juxtaposed against the English language’s colonial history. For instance, Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children captures post-colonial India’s chaos and multiculturalism, while Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things highlights regional culture and political tensions at their very best.

This paper aims to outline the lineage of postcolonial ecofeminism and Indian English literature, a study of Arundhati Roy’s novels, which broadly foreground the link between women and nature. This paper tries to portray the development of women writers in India in an age of globalized technological development. In addition to this paper also tries to highlight and the emerging writers of India in the field of ecofeminism. The argument further reveals the dualism of nature and culture, yet straddling the grey area between the two binaries. This is particularly highlighted by Arundhati Roy in her novels The God of small Things and The Ministry of Utmost Happiness.

Keywords:

Indianness, English literature, post-colonialism, identity, hybridity, tradition, modernity, cultural ethos, postcolonialism.