Re-assertion of self in Jawaharlal Nehru's toward freedom: An autobiography

Abstract

This research paper examines Jawaharlal Nehru’s Towards Freedom: An Autobiography as an assertion of political self while investigating the causes of ambivalence and growing conflict in Nehru’s political self. It also scrutinizes the way his individual selfhood is discovered, created and asserted. An attribute of autobiography is to convey self and selfhood rather coherently but this autobiography at most instances fails to do so. Thus, this paper claims that Nehru’s assertion of political self on the foundation of autobiographical enactment of selfhood goes through the process of self-effacement because of his shifting infatuation with different school of thoughts or political standpoint. So, this research paper deploys theory of "Identity Change" by Peter Burke and theory of "Derivative Discourse and Authentic Discourse" by Vinny Jain to examine his political self. Similarly, this paper applies Homi K Bhabha’s and Robert Young’s concept of Identity, hybridity, and ambivalence as a theoretical tool. Therefore, this paper helps the readers to understand the shifting and ambivalent political standpoint of a political figure implied in the autobiography contrary to the general function of autobiography to convey a sense of self.