Tragedy of Ananta due to a Cultural Paradox in Anand's The Big Heart.

Abstract

The present research work is a cultural study. It mainly focuses upon the cultural conflict caused by the clash between traditional and progressive impulses of culture which are inherent within the fictional universe of the novel. It analyses how people like the thathiar brotherhood are guided by traditional impulse of culture to assert native tradition and convention as their way of life while simultaneously resisting change. But people like Ananta, guided by the progressive impulse, strive for reformation and change. This conflict in the name of culture creates contradiction and confusion about the meaning of the term culture itself, leading to a cultural paradox. This very conflict or cultural paradox is the main reason that leads to the death of Ananta, the main protagonist of the novel. He is killed not because of anything else but because of thathiar brotherhood's resistance to change and development that he strives for.