Urbanscapes and National Visions in Post-Millennial Indian English Fiction: Identities Renegotiated

Abstract

The contemporary writers not only explore the rural setting of Indian suburbs but also experiment with new narrative techniques to capture the multifaceted realities of life in 21st-century India. In Reading New India, E. Dawson Varughese considers the role literature plays in shaping cultural understandings and representations of India both domestically and internationally. Taking into account issues such as globalization, modernity, identity, gender, class, and cultural hybridization, she also examines how Indian authors navigate and respond to them in contemporary Indian society. Through in-depth analysis of key works, these provide an insight into Indian English Fiction that reflects and shapes national consciousness, navigating complex issues of history, politics, and societal change. This article examines a rich exploration of the protagonists and representations of urban landscapes contributing to the construction and negotiation of national visions in contemporary Indian English Fiction. Furthermore, writers like Adiga, Chandra, and Roy use the urban setting to explore themes of globalization, westernization, consumerism, class divides, gender dynamics, and identity struggles faced by urban youth. Additionally, the chaos and alienation of city life is contrasted against nostalgic visions of peaceful rural life. Cities become symbolic spaces where age-old Indian values and customs collide with western ideas and lifestyles. The article explores how Indian fiction has moved beyond the notions of ‘postcolonial’ writing to reflect increasingly confident and diverse cultures by exploring the work of Aravind Adiga, Vikram Chandra, and Arundhuti Roy reflecting the changing face of Indian cities and how urbanization reflects and shapes the national identity.