The Dark Phase of Cultural Conflict in The Novel ‘Twilight in Delhi’

Abstract

Twilight in Delhi is a very fine novel crafted by Ahmed Ali presenting the cultural conflict of pre-independence Delhi. Ali captured the very essence of the Old Delhi in the first part of the novel whereas moving to the last part he painfully portrayed the drastic change of the Old Delhi with a noted shift in the culture and tradition. The plot of the novel develops around the central character Mir Nihal and his son Asghar, with their contradicting ethics. Ali’s mastery in creating literary pieces is evident at the point where he changes his characters to powerful symbols to highlight the theme of the novel.  Mir Nihal, an upper-middle class person with his ideologies deep-rooted in the rich Muslim culture seems to pose a challenge to Asghar’s doctrine with its base on Western culture.