The Novels of Bapsi Sidhwa: A Critical Evaluation

is an attempt to discover and analyze Bapsi Sidhwa's concern with the subjective truth of human personality as it finds adequate expression in her novels. Sidhwa's novels present socio-cultural aspects of a minority community, i.e., Parsees, struggling hard for self-equalization in an absurd or oppressive world. This work is an indispensable source book for students, researchers, and teachers of Indian English and Commonwealth literature in general and fiction of Bapsi Sidhwa.

The Crow Eaters (1978) is a novel about an endearing family which provides a vibrant window onto life and social as well as cultural milieu in India under the British colonial rule and a nation on the threshold of historical transformation. Sidhwa's assessment of the plight of women is quite prescient and provocative.

The Pakistani Bride (1963) is full of socio-cultural realism. Ice-Candy-Man (1981) narrates exodus of Parsees from Pakistan to India during pre-partition era. An American Brat (1992) is a charming love story. The novels assign her a respectable place in the world of literature.

Contents

Introduction

The Crow Eaters: A Real Reflection of Parsi Culture and Tradition

The Pakistani Bride: A Tale of Orphan Girl

Ice-Candy-Man: A Tale of Partition & Its Repercussions

An American Brat: A Saga of Cultural and Religious Conflicts

Bapsi Sidhwa: Language and Style

Conclusion