English Literature

Water is an intrinsic part of most spiritual beliefs and religious traditions. Its uses and symbolism in religion are many and varied; its spiritual and healing properties are seen in rites and rituals; and its representations are as numerous as they are  diverse. These different religious and cultural aspects of water reflect the vast array of civilizations that have made water the central element in their practices. The act of providing drinking water is seen by many cultures and religions to be one of the most charitable human acts.  Water is considered a purifier in most religions. Major faiths that incorporate ritual washing (ablution) include Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Immersion of a person in water is a central sacrament of Christianity. It is called baptism. It is also a part of the practice of other religions, including Islam, Judaism and Sikhism. In addition, a ritual bath in pure water is performed for the dead in many religions including Islam and Judaism...

Rohinton Mistry has emerged as a formidable writer on world literary scene. It is he who has enjoyed acclaim from critics both at home and abroad. Many put him on a par with Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Anita Desai, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Joyce, Thomas Hardy and Chekhov.  Nandini Bhautoo- Dewnarain says, ‘Rohinton Mistry is a writer with great honesty of imagination. He does not attempt to follow fades and fashions. His writing suggests sensitivity to the beauty and the fragmentations, the failings and the cruelties of his world. Much of Mistry’s fiction works with the humanistic premise that the universal lies in the ordinary. This is the trajectory he has chalked out for himself in the course of his brief but meteoric literary career’.  Mistry transcends the boundary of his geography when he writes. He is cited almost everywhere as a Canadian writer but Canada hardly finds expression in his writing. He draws his major source of material from the observed life in Ind...

‘And have faith, in the road. The endless road, no shrine for us. No God for us, but the road. The endless road.’ Dramatist Badal Sircar, who died on 13 May at Kolkata, wrote these lines for his play Evam Indrajit. Sircar, a pioneer and a multifaceted cultural personality, is an influential Indian dramatist and theatre director. He is popular for his anti-establishment plays. He prolifically wrote scripts for his Aanganmanch performances. Critics compare him with Vijay Tendulkar, Mohan Rakesh and Girish Karnad. Badal Sircar was born in Calcutta, India. His real name was Sudhindra Sarkar . He was initially schooled at the Scottish Church Collegiate School. He studied civil engineering and after that he finished his Master of Arts degree in comparative literature from the  Jadavpur University  in Calcutta.While working as a town planner in India, England and Nigeria, he entered theatre as an actor. Soon he moved to direction and ver...

Drama in India has a grand old history. Its origin can be traced back to the Vedic Period. It is considered as the fifth Veda . In early post independence, Indian English drama made genuine progress. Asif Currimbhoy made significant contribution in uplifting it. He laid the foundation of Indian drama liberating it from the static tradition of Tagore and Aurobindo.           Currimbhoy’s father was an industrialist and his mother was a social worker. He was acquainted with English language from his childhood. This acquaintance helped him in attaining mastery over this language. He pursued his higher education from the Wisconsin University . His love for Shakespearean drama has influenced his body of work.           Currimbhoy is one of t he most prolific playwrights of the Post-Independence period. He is India 's first authentic voice in the theatre. He is one modern Indian playwright who...

Introduction: Anita Desai is a very popular Indian novelist. She is known as the Mother of the Indian psychological novel genre. Her meticulous depictions of modern Indian life have secured her a place of honor in the pantheon of Indian authors. Winner of the Sahitya Academy Award, Desai has authored as many as sixteen works of fiction. Her distinct style of writing, her original characters and her realistic subject-line is what made her writings so endearing. Over the years, Desai won many awards and recognition for her work and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize thrice. Apart from writing, Anita has been actively involved in teaching as well. She continues to be an inspiration for many young aspiring writers today.   Cry, the Peacock:           Her maiden novel Cry, the Peacock has been written through the stream of consciousness method with very little conventional episodes. It  was published in...