Re-Orientalism and Indian Writing in English

At its most basic, re-Orientalism is defined as forms of Orientalism practiced and manifested by Orientals in representing the Orient. This book looks at the application and discourse of re-Orientalism in contemporary Indian and South Asian writing in English, particularly social realism fiction.

This book examines the developing roles and practices of re-Orientalism in contemporary Indian writing in English. Re-Orientalism theory has grown exponentially in the 21st century, and developed a discourse of its own, as well as novel, strategic processes and practices. It takes a leaf out of Orientalism as practiced by the West, but builds upon Orientalist frameworks and narrative devices. This study focuses on different and novel forms of re-Orientalism strategies currently being deployed in social realism fiction, such as the increasing use of unreliable narrator, reverse Orientalism, and the role of whimsy, as well as re-Orientalism in the depiction of urban India. This book also looks at the commodification enabled by re-Orientalism within the publishing industry, in India and in the West, and how the deployment of such impacts upon the representation and understanding of contemporary Indian identity, culture, and literature.