Keep politics away from fiction

Classics are a different niche than most book genres. How so? They offer more than a moral lesson or two. Pride and Prejudice urges women to be strong and independent in their choices, Oliver Twist teaches children that there is contentment and ease, even after a life of hardships; while Shakespeare instilled the virtues of loyalty, undeterred love, ambition and courage in the wake of adversity in most of his works. Secondly, classics are universal. The lessons taught are applicable to the generation of today, tomorrow and beyond. Thirdly, they appeal to all demographics. No holds barred as Ray Bradbury, Jane Austen, Shakespeare, Mark Twain and many other authors are read, and enjoyed by readers of all age groups, drawn from different ethnic backgrounds.

The sudden boom in the number of Asian writers was a breath of fresh air for most readers. Works of Jhumpa Lahiri, Khalid Hussaini, Mohsin Hamid and Anita Desai, to name a few, were picked off the shelves with high expectations. Why? Because deep down, we are an ethnic group dominated by foreign literature, we have no one to pen down our traditions, our social norms and values. While these writers gladly filled that gap, what is lacking in most Asian literature is universality. All books appear to have similar themes, which mostly focus on social injustices, with an Asian narrative almost central to the plot. Furthermore, the works appeal to only a particular audience, the Asians only. Surely Western readers do not want to sympathise with a boy, whose name (Asian) makes him an outcast in his school in America (The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri), neither does highlighting oppression of women, so much so that Asian women have become the world’s stereotypical victims of male-domination, ignorance and hide-bound religious belief (Khalid Hussaini’s Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, Sold by Zana Muhsen, Daughters of Arabia, as narrated by a Saudi princess to Jean P Sasson).

Hence the point that Asian writers appeal more to empathy by the readers, rather than wowing their audience with the genius of a catching storyline. Asian writers have won international awards, for writing about Asia ONLY! This begs the next question: will readers ever get to read a modern Asian classic? And what would it be like? A narrative could be set in the times of British India, or even in Bangladesh post-1971. The people in the story would be well-versed not only in English but also in their local languages. Women have always been central to the plot, but they could run the reigns of the narrator’s household for a change. The novel could include proses of famous poets, and would focus more on social morals of Asian culture, such as hospitality, courage and loyalties to our blood ties. The work should target the global audience, and highlight our heritage and diversity, which have mystified Western audiences all these years.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2015.