Theme of Anti-essentialism in Tom Stoppard'sIndian Ink
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Department of English
Abstract
This present work is an analysis of Tom Stoppard'sIndian Inkthrough the perspective
of anti-essential cultural identities. This work basically focuses on the representation
of British and Indian characters inthe play and concentrates on the changing or
shifting nature of their cultural identities in different time and contexts. Hence, the
study analyses the changes in the articulation of these identities and relationships both
in colonial and post-colonial periods.The observation of the development of these
characters from the first scene to the last scene of the play gives the audience a vital
significance that they cannot be defined in the particular features or qualities that we
ascribe to a particular cultural identity. The present study, thus, attempts to argue that
the playIndian Inkis based on the theme of anti-essentialism by putting question
mark on the essentialist aspect of cultural identity of the characters presented in the
play.