Themes, symbolism and imagery in Anita Desai's Clear light of day

Abstract

In this thesis I explore the use of symbolism and imagery in Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day (1980), as well as the themes of politics and of women’s situation in India. The novel deals with the political situation in India before, during, and after Independence in 1947, and how the partition in turn affected both India as a country, and individuals on a personal level. Through the characters in the novel we are given an insight into how everyday Indians dealt with the crisis, and how their lives have been in the aftermath of the partition. Desai’s focus is mainly on the women of the Das family, and through the various female characters we get to see the different choices they have in life. I will show how Desai uses imagery and symbolism in order to guide us through an India which stands in between tradition and modernity. The characters of the novel have to find a way to come to terms with themselves on a personal level, and India needs to find its own path in order to move on.