LITR 5831 Colonial &
Postcolonial Literature
Lecture Notes
Conclude Train to Pakistan
1. (Obj. 2) Continue to
discuss
the
novel
as the defining
genre
of
modernity,
both for colonial and postcolonial cultures. How does
Train to Pakistan
make you care about a historical event that many of us never heard of before?
2. Our course's texts abound in outrages and
atrocities. Reading a text like Train to
Pakistan, what do we learn about how historical
horrors occur? What opportunities are seen to counter them?
3 What is the novelistic and historical purpose or
outcome of Nooran & Jugga's love? Compare / contrast with Iqbal, Partition. (Nigeria)
4. Why the confusion over Iqbal's identity and ethnic heritage? > extend to
Jugga and Nooran + child. What distinct roles do Jugga and Iqbal play?
5. Hukum Chand isn't a pleasant character but he may be enigmatically heroic--is
he?
6. Look for references to America (obj.
3). pp. 2, 18, 35, 142, 148. If America is
the "hypermodern" nation, what significance to American presence in a newly
independent British colony?
Big question:
Is it possible to think beyond the
nation-state as a defining identity? (For most Americans, no, but until
recent centuries most human beings rarely thought of themselfs as members of a
nation.) Compare "empire" and local community? tribe? region? religion?
1. (Obj. 2) Continue to
discuss
the
novel
as the defining
genre
of
modernity,
both for colonial and postcolonial cultures. How does
Train to Pakistan
make you care about a historical event that many of us never heard of before?
question: mixed parentage?
some theories note how postcolonial literature describes the colonial and postcolonial process as
dismemberment / division
and re-integration
dismemberment / division as break from past and traditional culture
or as partition, disruption of homeland through nation-building, etc.
One possible motif for re-integration
child of two nations or two factions
cf. "tragic mulatto," "Creole," or "new American" in American literature / culture
6. Look for references to America (obj.
3). pp. 2, 18, 35, 142, 148. If America is
the "hypermodern" nation, what significance to American presence in a newly
independent British colony?
"America" in Train to Pakistan
2 American missionaries > sweepers
18 large gray American car
35 other social workers? > American padres
142 new American engines
148 cf. American cowboy
What conclusions regarding American "empire"? Model of American culture?
How is the Indian Cowboy "modern?"
Big question:
Is it possible to think beyond the
nation-state as a defining identity? (For most Americans, no, but until
recent centuries most human beings rarely thought of themselfs as members of a
nation.) Compare "empire" and local community? tribe? region? religion?
7 [bandits' prayer; ritualized culture]
35 where from? > ancestors, not himself
40 Kalyug—the dark age < robbing neighbors’ houses
they never robbed their village folk
41 code of morals < true to friends and fellow villagers
41 projection of rural society, relation and loyalty to village the supreme test
41 crime in his blood
42 criminals not born but made . . . pet theories
43 Uncle Imam Baksh, mullah
68 karma
73 I am not a Muslim—not that that matters
80-1 [traditional culture] young man > elder
101 my mother, her mother a singer
126 What have we to do with Pakistan? . . . ancestors > children and grandchildren
127 our fathers and grandfathers
130 What relation are you to us?
Muslim + Sikh!
131 Jugga’s child
132 Life, they said, would be as it had always been.
147 eunuchs—leader: boy in teens
148 cf. American cowboy
148 educated city-dweller, no regard for age or status
166 the England-returned
166 Your parents must have been unorthodox . . . uneasy conscience
Overall, in traditional cultures there is continuity from generation to generation. In modern cultures, breaks or divisions.
declarations
16 no one can harm you while I live
66 They cannot escape from God. No one can escape from God
Kristine Vermillion
Oct. 21st, 2013
Khushwant Singh’s
Train to Pakistan.
Look at “Modernism” link – “Modernization replaces or
transforms traditions, collective identities, and past-orientations with
revolutionary activities such as doubt, inquiry, individualism, and
future-orientation.”
This novel happens at a specific point of “modernization” in a
specific place. Here the placid traditional way of life of the community of Mano
Majra clashes with the grand-scale movements of change being wrought elsewhere.
The events are almost entirely out of their control. (In this case it is a very
realistic novel, for individuals have very little control concerning the “big
events” that affect their everyday lives.)
By setting the action at this specific point in time Singh
provides a powerfully realistic look into the jagged edges of traditionalism and
modernism as they meet. Neither position (period) is problem free, and both
positive and negative characteristics are brought to light on both sides.
**Powerful traditional dialogue given: p. 122, “Group loyalty
was above reason.” Hospitality, loyalty, BEWILDERMENT, refer to them as tenants,
they’ll die for them, rape their enemy’s women for them, cry and sob at the
thought of separation, but then …“but seeing the sort of time we live in, I
would advise you to go.” (126)
Crying, tears . . . then resignation. “This is life.” The idea that “to
everything there is a time and purpose under heaven.”
(122-128)
·
Traditional mindset, more
inter-racial, ecumenical, holistic
Nooran and Jugga’s mother (p. 129-132)
·
The Bechdel Test:
1. It has to have at least two women in it,
2. who talk to each other,
3. about something besides a man.
*
doesn’t really pass test, because about Jugga
and the baby, and Nooran’s father’s response, so very dependent upon
relationship and dealings with men, but the last full paragraph on p. 131
indicates that something distinctly feminine happened between the two women that
is not dependent upon what the men are going to do.
***Modern changes bring in religious and racial division, and
hate. p. 151. What positives, if any, does this event bring to the nation?
*** motor vehicles bring visitors (146-) young leader, Sikh,
dressed in army clothes, educated city-dweller, carrying a revolver, looks: “He
looked like his mother had dressed him up like an American cowboy.” speaking
poison and hate, Vigilante type, “Government won’t do anything, we must act
ourselves. Retribution on any and all Muslims indiscriminately. (149)
“I don’t know who the Muslims on the train are; I do not care. It is
enough for me to know that they are Muslims. They will not cross this river
alive.” (151)
(Educated, city-dwellers are not painted in a positive light.)
Meet Singh’s response – “What have the Muslims here done to
us for us to kill them in revenge for what Muslims in Pakistan are doing? Only
people who have committed crimes should be punished.” (149)
Idea of bad Muslims and good Muslims, bad Sikhs and good Sikhs.
Juggut Singh? represents the traditional.
·
No articulated fear of
death? Juggut? Reminds me Greek war heroes,
·
p. 164 (bottom)
·
p. 173 – wants the Guru’s
word read to him, 175 went out, where?
Negative Traits: irrational, violent, faith in
tradition but no content
Imam Baksh?
Meet Singh’s response: p. 168
·
“Who listens to an old bahi?
These are bad times, Iqbal Singhji, very bad times. There is no faith or
religion. All one can do is to crouch in a safe corner till the storm blows
over.”
·
“I have done all I could. My
duty is to tell people what is right and what is not. If they insist on doing
evil, I ask God to forgive them. I can only pray; the rest is for the police and
the magistrates. And for you.” (to Iqbal, p. 168)
·
Abnegation of responsibility
to act in cloak of faith?
Iqbal Singhji – modern, educated
·
Educated people viewed
badly: p. 119
·
Carries international
supplies: air mattress, biscuits, tin of sardines, Australian butter;
·
Q. of his identity and
ethnic heritage? (In the end, he sees there’s primal value to his identic name
to help keep him alive, p. 166 vs. p. 35)
·
P. 169 – “you can only talk
back with guns and spears”
·
169-171 – his view of his
country; he’s moved to drink and inaction. Desires recognition, to be a big part
– “a supreme act of sacrifice” to be seen, “Utter waste of life!” to risk his in
order to save others. “Self-preservation is the supreme duty.” “God; He was
irrelevant.” (p. 170)
·
“It is not enough that a
thing is intrinsically good: it must be known to be good.” (p. 170) Can’t waste
the act.
·
In-active, drowns himself in
liquor.
·
His commentary on India!
172-73 His philosophy on life,
despair – all is meaningless.
Hukum
Chand? –represents? The in-between?
·
Arrives in a “large gray
American car (p. 18) What, if anything do we make of this?
·
Hukum Chand: p. 87 on death,
p. 100 – pragmatism, utilitarian,
·
Description p. 155, feigned
disregard for life, subinspector’s knowledge of “real” Chand,
·
159-60 – keen insight into
what was going on
·
Hukum Chand acutely surmises
the flaw in his plan, p. 175. Did he read Iqbal and Juggut correctly? Iqbal =
armchair variety leftist socialist. Juggut – daredevil, would only do something
to get revenge against Malli. Never took risks for women. Wouldn’t fight for
Nooran. (Is his absence from the final scene indicative of this?)
·
Was it enough to get others
to do the work for him? Thinks of horrible deaths (trysts with destiny) of Prem
Singh, Sundari, and Sunder Singh’s family . . . . Why? Begins to pray when he
comes to the conclusion that it is probably his turn to meet his own gruesome
death. (p. 179) (At this
point refuses liquor)
·
Hukum Chand isn’t a pleasant character but he may be
enigmatically heroic—is he?
3. The question of Juggat and Nooran’s love? How does their
story end? What’s the purpose of their story? The love between two separate
peoples?
4. The engines of the train are American. “These new American
engines wail like someone being murdered.” (p. 142)
Along with all the other mentions of American in the questionable
characters: Iqbal, Chand, the young visitor and the Train – what are we to make
of America’s involvement? (I do not know the history, but there is some
critique.) The educated, the government, the trains, the young to do … all are
influenced by, and none (but Chand) are very worthy.