Asia’s Europes: Anti-colonial attitudes in the novels of Ondaatje and Shamsie

Abstract

This article examines the significance of a network of references in the novels The English Patient by Canadian Sri Lankan writer Michael Ondaatje, and Burnt Shadows and A God in Every Stone by British Pakistani writer Kamila Shamsie. Ondaatje’s and Shamsie’s novels explore anti-European Asian sentiment in the early to mid-20th century, with a particular shared focus upon the colonization of northern India and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Both writers draw upon the works of ancient Greek historian Herodotus, allowing a comparison of the imperialism of the ancient and modern worlds. This study was inspired by rereading Ondaatje’s The English Patient within the framework of subaltern theories by Pankaj Mishra and Dipesh Chakrabarty. Ultimately, the novels propose that an understanding of the role of historicity in imperial thinking helps to explain how historical events such as the bombing of Japan and 9/11 are linked.

Keywords:

• historicity
• subaltern
• world war
• Michael Ondaatje
• Kamila Shamsie

Notes

1. Herodotus wrote The Histories during the 5th century BC, creating an account of the wars between the two great empires and protagonists of his time and region: the Greeks led by Alexander and the Persians led by Darius, then by Xerxes. The wars lasted almost 50 years and saw the Persians gain power over Athens, holding it under its imperial power for nearly 30 further years. Herodotus’ The Histories present not only the wars of his century, but also incidental stories of those who played little part in the imperial struggles. His The Histories are still studied by critics such as Ward (2008), Skinner (2012) and Thomas (2000), who debate Herodotus’ attitude towards colonial expansion.

2. The name Kim Burton carries association with the Irish-Indian character Kim from Kipling’s eponymous novel set in the North West Frontier region, as well as reminding us of Richard Burton, the 19th-century orientalist explorer, and translator of The Arabian Nights.

Additional information

Funding

This article is the result of research funded by the Strategic Research Fund of the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Portsmouth. It has developed from a symposium funded by that university’s Centre for Studies in Literature.