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Sunlight On A Broken Column Summary

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SEARCH FOR IDENTITY: A FREEDOM STRUGGLE THROUGH LAILA’S EYES IN ATTIA HOSAIN’S SUNLIGHT ON A BROKEN COLUMN Attia Hosain’s novel Sunlight on a Broken Column deals with the conflicting thoughts of its protagonist Laila, who on one hand has to follow the traditions and culture of her community but on the other hand finds it difficult to keep up with the western culture. The novel is inspired from Hosain’s personal life to the extent that it can be considered semi- autobiographical. Attia Hosain was born and brought up in Lucknow, India. Her father studied at Cambridge and became well known in the political sphere with Motilal Nehru being one of his closest friend. Hosain’s mother was intellectual lady, educated in Old Persian and Urdu tradition. Attia Hosain was given western education along with lessons in Persian and Arabic. She attended elite institutions like La Martiniere School, Lucknow and the Isabella …show more content…

Asad perhaps was the trope of rebellion and freedom for which Laila yearned for. The unfulfilled desire to be with Asad was a metaphor for the freedom she longed for as in the end of the novel she says: “I have been waiting for you Asad. I am ready to leave now.” (Hosain, 319) It is only in her old age does she realize that she was her own prison and that even though people around her especially her family influenced her to a great extent, she never acted on her instincts and rather resorted to submission. Laila is a realist who accepts the religiously diversity of her country and although people from different religious background came together for celebrations, they still maintained some boundaries to certain extent like when she recounts the meetings of her grandfather and his ‘Hindu’ friend and how he didn’t eat with the

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