论印度英语文学的起点

对于印度英语文学的起点,学界普遍采用血统定位法,即从当地出生的第一位作者算起。由于没有充分考虑当时的政治现实所造成的局限,这种方法未能说明这种文学的本质特征,既未能确定其真正的起点,又给今天的研究造成了混乱。文章首先分析印度一词在历史上的不同含义,指出英属印度与独立印度的区别;然后从大一统的印度入手,揭示社会需要英语和英语文学的原因;最后从20世纪30年代的几个代表人物,推导出印度英语文学的本质特征,从而解决了其起点问题。

On the Origin of Indian English Literature

With regard to Indian English Literature,the academic circles generally follow the approach of extraction positioning,namely,counting from the first locally-born writer.Without taking into full consideration of the limitation caused by then political reality,this kind of approach can not illuminate the essential features of the said literature.It fails to determine the actual starting-point of the literature and,as a result,has thrown today＇s research into confusion.This paper,after firstly making analysis of various implications of India the term in history,points out the difference of British India and independent India,and then,from the perspective of a unified India,explores the reasons why the Indian society needs English and English literature.Moreover,this author discusses three great representative writers,sums up the essential features of the Indian English literature,and asserts that the origin of this literature should only be dated back to 1930s.