Post Colonialism

Sunlight on a Broken Column

by: Attia Hosain

Synopsis

Laila, a young girl who has lost both her parents, lives in the household of her grandfather, along with her father’s sisters Abida and Majida and, Majida’s seventeen-year-old daughter Zahra. She is brought up by her orthodox but principled Aunt Abida. Though Laila, according to the wishes of her father, had the benefit of western education, she too keeps purdah like her aunts. However death of her grandfather makes Uncle Hamid, her father’s elder brother, head of the family and her new guardian. Uncle Hamid, a man of “liberal’ ideas, is nevertheless an autocratic guardian, allowing very little freedom to those who live under his rule.

No longer in purdah Laila starts attending college. Her university friends as well as her distant cousin Asad become involved in anti-government protests. Surrounded by people who are either pro-British or against, she, however, is unable to take sides. She is enmeshed in the struggle for her own personal freedom. Once when asked by her uncle to opine about the agitation going on in the university, she refuses to do so. On being asked whether she had no freedom of thought she answers that she has no freedom of action. Her rebellion against the hypocrisy visible in the so-called liberal views of her Uncle and his wife remains limited to her mind until she falls in love with Ameer. Ameer, a poor relative of their family friends, would never be approved by her family. She goes against their wishes to marry him, and wins her freedom from their authority.

 Criticism

A novel of Attia Hosain, inspired by the independence movements in India. It reflects  post-colonialism effect because the feudal order of the country was broken up into new political ideas of  pre and post Indian independence. In the story, Laila who is the narrator of some part, was surrounded by pro or anti-British people in their university. Chose to take her personal independence although her freedom of action was not at present. The novel  tackled the political, economic and psychological 

oppression during those times through Laila's characterization in the story where his uncle despised her political ideologies. And Laila's victory over the manipulation of her foster family to her personal choices in life.