An Anglo-Indian Perspective of India: A Critical Study of The Room on the Roof and The Great Train Journey by Ruskin Bond

Abstract

Indian English writing traces its history back to the nineteenth century. The beginning phase includes the writings of reformers like Rajaram Mohan Roy and others. Later, it was the trio -R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand and Raja Rao- who made Indian novels internationally recognizable. Indian English Writing consists of not only the writers of Indian descent but those European, born and brought up in India. Some of them, after Indian Independence, instead of moving to England, decided to be Indian citizens for the rest of their lives. One of such is Ruskin Bond. His writings are enriched with the Indian ethos. His heart and soul thrive for India. In him, one can find a beautiful blend of the East and the West. He chooses to write in English, not about the English, but about India and Indians. The content of his stories and novels is deeply rooted in the Indian scenario and sensibility. He is not interested in the big historical events, but like R.K. Narayan, in the mundane events in which he finds magic. He writes about that world which one sees through the window. His writings explore the sentiments and emotions of daily happenings. He himself says: “I go by heart in my writings”. His career as a writer span over 70 years. He has written more than 500 stories and several novels. But the current paper aims to critically analyze his novel The Room on the Roof and his collection of stories The Great Train Journey from an Anglo-Indian perspective.