SOME INCHES OF IVORY: THE INFLUENCE OF THE BRITISH LITERARY TRADITION ON THE NOVELS OF BINA SHAH

Abstract

This essay examines the influence of canonical British literature, such as
Regency era and nineteenth-century novels on fundamental stylistic (and
related thematic) aspects of Pakistani author Bina Shah’s three most recent
novels—The 786Cybercafé, Slum Child, and A Season for Martyrs. Shah’s
work, like that of her noted forerunner Bapsi Sidhwa, was partly born out of
an extensive study of canonical English classics as well as from the literary
tradition that has impacted the pedagogical development and reading
tastes of many South Asian writers. These influences have persisted in
creative writing long after the departure of the British from the
subcontinent. By highlighting these specific aspects of Shah’s endeavours
and noting how recent critical assessments would have been considerably
enhanced by an examination of them, the author’s central arguments
implicitly help to demonstrate that the long-term survival of postmodern
Commonwealth literature depends to a considerable extent on
acknowledging the literary heritage that contributes towards shaping it.
Dictated by political as opposed to intellectual and aesthetic concerns,
postcolonial criticism has often failed to take into account this aspect of
style; however, using Bina Shah’s work as a point of focus this essay
attempts to underscore the importance of stylistic analysis when it comes
to addressing the general position of Commonwealth literature relative to
the canon.