Gita Mehta: Writing Home / Creating Homeland

Book Details

• Author: Usha Bande

• Publisher: Rawat Publications

• Language: English

• Edition: 2009

• ISBN: 8131602052

• Pages: 220

• Cover: Hardcover

• Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches

About the Book

This study places Indian writer Gita Mehta's works—fiction and non-fiction—within the framework of diasporic studies. It explores how Mehta responds to the Indian realities through her Western experience. For Mehta, India is "home", a safe place where one doesn't need to justify oneself. However, as a member of the diaspora, her position needs to be redefined. The fact that Mehta feels the need to explicate and explain herself to the West acknowledges the cultural differences that are deeply felt by the diasporic consciousness.

The book highlights that even though Mehta views her country with the bemused gaze of an outsider, her strong urge to reconnect with the lost essence of her culture and return to her roots is strikingly evident. While her works are set in India, they often move in and out of the two cultures, blending subjective experience, observations, and imagination to recreate both the India that was and the India that is.

Through an in-depth analysis of Mehta’s works, the book delves into a territory spanning genre fiction, non-fiction, and prose. It uncovers Mehta's faith in her culture and traditions, yet also reveals her disappointment with the fast-deteriorating values and the rise of materialism. Despite her disillusionment, Mehta masks it with her flamboyant optimism and keen sarcasm, offering readers a complex view of India’s changing cultural landscape.

Contents
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About the Author

Usha Bande is a former Fellow at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla, and has held various academic positions, including the role of Principal at Government College, Arki. She has contributed extensively to literature studies, with research on authors like Anita Desai and has worked in Women’s Studies at the Indian Institute of Advanced Study. Dr. Bande has published numerous research papers and over a dozen books, making significant contributions to the academic field.