Analyse Sunlight on a Broken Column as a partition novel told through the eyes of a child narrator. Does the type of narrator make a difference to the way in which events are perceived?
Answers
UNIT 29 THEMES AND CHARACTERIZATION
Structure
29.0 Objectives
29.1 Introduction
29.2 Themes
29.2.1 Partition
29.2.2 Social Change
29.2.3 Personal fulfilment vs. family loyalty
29.3 Characterization
29.3~1 Laila
. 29.1.2. Zahra
29.3.3 Aunt Abida
29.3.4 Kemal & Saleem
29.3.5 Sita
29.3.6 Asad
29.4 Let Us Sum Up-
29.5 Answers to Exercises.
29.0 OBJECTIVES
over the merits of their respective decisions,
and at the same time try to keep the family from splitting up, we see what an enigma the
partition was. How was it that one suddenly became an alien in one's own birth place?
What was more important to an individual -- family ties or country? To whom did one
owe loyalty? And was loyalty divisible? Such questions were further compounded by the
fact that no one really knew what the relationship between the two countries would be in
the future. Saleem and his wife leave for Pakistan and Laila tells us that "'it was easier for
them thereafter to visit the whole wide world than the home which had once been theirs".
Sunlight on a Broken Column depicts the ugly scenes of communal violence. It shows how
the fight of the Indians against the British rule turned into a fight among themselves. It
also tries to diagnose the malady of the partition and its consequences. In fact Attia Hosain
offers an impartial study of the whole situation. The intelligent novelist discerns the
British game of divide and rule in the unfortunate developments. Asad makes it very clear
in the fnst part of the novel that the British encouraged and helped the communal and
sectarian riots. Asad makes it explicitly clear that the British had given us the message :
"Hate each other --love us"+ (Part 1 Ch.6) Asad observed that the British endeavoured to
stress that their presence was vital in order to maintain peace in India. When Zahid
expressed his fears that there might be a riot that year during Muharram, Asad said ;
"May be because there haven't been any foi too long, not even Hindu-Muslim ones.
Something must be done to prove that the British are here to enforce law and order, and
stop us killing each other." (Part 1 Ch.6)
However, even though the novelist shows that the British had a hand in dividing the
Indians, there is an indication that they were not solely responsible for it. The Indian
freedom movement suffered a setback the moment religion entered politics.
Saleem gives vent to the Muslim fears that in India the Hindu majority would rule the
Muslims. But Uncle Hamid did not share these fears. He stated that he saw no difference
between the Hindus and Muslims and said "I always found it was possible for Hindus and
Muslims to work together on a political level and live together in personal friendship."
(Part 3, Ch.12). Saleem thought that the views of his father were irrelevant in the context
of changed times; "Your political experience is of a time that is running out." (Part 3,
Ch. 12).