Resonant Narratives: The Intersection of Mythology and Modernity in Indian English Fiction

Abstract

The Indian English fictions are found to be interwoven with mythology and modernity and this review focuses on how the contemporary authors resort to traditional narratives to reflect and criticize the society as modern. Through intricate myths in their stories, writers of indelible cultural identities, such as Salman Rushdie and Arundhati Roy, deter globalization and urbanization's ever accelerating metamorphoses. The analysis reveals that these authors utilize myth as a narrative frame to make their stories both interesting to Indian and international audiences, while dealing with contemporary concerns. Moreover, myth and modernity intersect to allow for the reconfiguration of national identity that challenges readers to reconsider the values which correlate with the modern as a response to modern challenges. But maneuvering the slippery line between ancient myths and modern times can be hard to master, and if you are rooted to a specific culture, you've got to be extra careful so that you aren't culturally insensitive. The review also indicates that future research can investigate lesser known authors and texts which constitute this discourse to further extend the definition of the genre. In the end, the constant dialogue between the mythology and modernity reveals not only the tangled society of India at the same time reminding the ever current qualities of these narratives as an influence on the present literature. This study adds to the wider discussion of postcolonial literature by providing an insight into how mythology is still used to create and inspire new interpretations in contemporary literature.