A Subaltern Study of Amitav Ghosh’s The Glass Palace

Abstract

This research work focuses on Amitav Ghosh'sThe Glass Palace to examine the depiction of the predicament and struggle of subaltern mass through the family saga of poor orphaned boy, Rajkumar's three generation during the colonial period in Burma, India and Malaya. Rajkumar, who is named after the prince, is the epitome of subaltern consciousness as he moves ahead in his life struggling against the British hegemonic power. He is very much conscious of the situation he is thrown into. Despite all odds in the face of direct rule of Britain, Rajkumar sticks to the typical Indian cultural practices even though he grows materially rich. His sons Neel and Dinu also act in line with their father's beliefs as Neel is involved in film-making and Dinu is involved in photography. He records many photographs of historical, cultural and political significance. Neel's daughter, Jaya fulfills the unfulfilled job of Dinu as she does doctorate in photography. She brings to the fore the intricacies of the colonial period through her photography. In this way,The Glass Palacedepicts thehistory of subaltern mass.