A Study on Perplexity in Sociocultural and Sociopolitical Terms: Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s Heat and Dust

Abstract

During monarchy, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala held state administration, governance, and procedural posts in India. The author skillfully depicted her own experiences in India in all of her writing. In "Heat and Dust," the author depicts transformation and harmony throughout time and space. The book Heat and Dust sequentially covers colonial and modern India. The protagonist's journal entries successfully weave two narratives from separate historical periods. The protagonist travels to India to learn about Olivia, her grandfather's first wife, and create a complete tale.  Both tales end between February and September, creating a symmetrical parallel. As a vital part of human experience, literature addresses both the physical and metaphysical components of the mind. This article examines the colonizer-individual relationship in India pre- and post-independence. Instead of being monarchical, the colonist is separated and enslaved, resulting to unrestricted self-comfort.