I denne study guide kan du få hjælp til at analysere novellen "Karma" af Khushwant Singh, som optræder i antologien Worlds of English (s. 178). Du kan også finde et summary af teksten samt idéer til fortolkning og perspektivering.
Præsentation af teksten
Titel: “Karma” (1989)
Forfatter: Khushwant Singh
Genre: Short story
Khushwant Singh (1915-2014) var en indisk forfatter, advokat, journalist og politiker. Han blev født i Punjab og læste jura i Delhi, inden han fik arbejde som journalist. Hans journalistiske arbejde inspirerede ham til at begynde sit forfatterskab.
Selvom den oprindeligt blev skrevet i 1950, blev novellen "Karma" først udgivet i 1989 i novellesamlingen The Collected Stories.
Uddrag
Nedenfor kan du se et kort uddrag fra vores study guide til novellen:
Social setting
The story touches upon some aspects of society during the British rule over India, which lasted from 1859 to 1947. During this period, the British discouraged local cultural practices, seeking to civilise Indians by educating them in the British ways. Note, however, that the relationship between the British and the Indians was always strained, as many British-imposed laws and practices were racist and discriminatory, leaving many Indians impoverished and socially divided.
The presence of the British in India influenced and shaped Indian culture, as well as the Indian people’s lifestyle and mindset. This is shown in the story through the character of Mohan Lal, an Indian man from the upper-class, who favours British culture over his own and tries to pass as an English gentleman in society.
