The Dual Images Of Indian Scenes And Indian People:Orientalism In Heat And Dust

As a prolific novelist and screenwriter,Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is well-known for her witty and insightful portrayals of contemporary Indian lives.Her position as both an insider and detached observer allows her a unique perspective when describing Indian family life and the clash between Eastern and Western ideas.Heat and Dust was published in 1975 and won the Booker Prize in the same year.The novel is composed of two parallel stories: one focuses on the relationships among Olivia Douglas,and Nawab;the other centers on what the narrator has seen and thought.Experts and scholars have interpreted Heat and Dust from many perspectives,but there is still much room to probe into the dual images of Indian scenes and Indian people and analyze the reasons why Jhabvala describes this way.The thesis firstly introduces Jhabvala and her representative work Heat and Dust,combs the relevant literature review at home and abroad and points out the argument,research methods and writing significance of this thesis.Then,with the guidance of Orientalism theory,Chapter Two and Chapter Three discuss the dual images of Indian scenes and Indians from two opposing aspects.In the novel,Indian natural scene is hot,dusty but fresh,harmonious and tranquil.In terms of the non-natural scene,Jhabvala outlines the brilliant Indian architecture and exquisite interior layout,but also shows its decadence and exotic pictures appearing in decorations.As for Indians,regardless of their class or gender,Jhabvala depicts their dual images,too: positive and negative characters coexist;the merits together with drawbacks of one person are all exhibited.Lastly,this thesis explores the reasons for this dual images: on the one hand,due to Jhabvala's emotional affinity to India and the charm of Indian culture,she conveys her affection to India between the lines;on the other hand,her superior western identity as well as the need of western readers result in her depicting some negative Indian images,which demonstrates her prejudice.How to deal with two different cultures becomes her dilemma.Although her idea transcends the limitation of her era to some extent,she is still impeded by Orientalism.With the rapid development of globalization,how to tackle different cultures is not only a question for the author but also for each of us to think about.