Saleem Speaks, the Nation Listens: A Historical and Literary Exploration of Child Narrators in Indo-Anglian Fiction

ABSTRACT

While the use of child narrators or child focalization in Indian English adult fiction has slowly gained prominence since the publication of Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, it remains an understudied and relatively under-theorized trope. This research paper seeks to trace the history and development of this motif, from its roots in ancient Indian literature to its contemporary manifestations. It examines how child-focalized adult novels offer a unique perspective on India’s cultural and political identity during and after independence, providing a valuable space to revisit and reexamine history. By examining key works and authors, including R.K. Narayan, Mulk Raj Anand, Salman Rushdie, and Arundhati Roy among others this study addresses the central question of how the child’s voice emerged as a powerful narrative force in Indo-Anglian novel. In doing so, it argues that the presence and centrality of the child narrator in Indian English adult fiction is a significant and innovative contribution to the genre.

KEYWORDS:

• Child narrator
• child focalization
• Indo-Anglian fiction
• cultural and political identity
• history and development

Acknowledgments

The author gratefully acknowledges the support of Indian Institute of Technology, Jammu funded Prestigious Fellowship 2020–24.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).