Perspectives

This part of the study guide will give you a few extra points to help you put the short story “English Babu” by Vijay Medtia in a broader perspective. We will look at current issues, literary period, and similar works.

Current issues

The short story “English Babu” by Vijay Medtia explores aspects related to the challenges of immigration and integrating into a new country by following an Indian narrator who moved to England and observing what happens to his family. While in the story the narrator moves to England in the 1960s, the challenges he encounters are similar to what most immigrants also face today. Like Ramesh, many immigrants usually struggle to make a living in the first years when they arrive in a Western country. Sometimes, even though they have higher education, they can only find low-paying jobs. At the same time, some immigrants still have to face racism and discrimination and to struggle with ...