Description
“The book entitled Politics of Life Writing: A Study of Gandhi’s Select English Biographies, examines the politics of narration in biography, a genre characterized by ideological clashes and contestations with both hegemonic and counter- hegemonic discourses opposing against each other. However, it becomes even more significant when versions of a single life circulate in society and Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi as a subject is analyzed to identify some ideologically – motivated narrative techniques.
Thrust is given to the politics of narration and this book argues that biography is a privileging genre with profound ideological leanings. A two-fold classification of Gandhi’s English biographies is made as a starting point – ‘making’ and ‘unmaking’ of the subject. In the case of the ‘making’ type of biographies, biographers’ agenda is to create a positive image of the subject and it may range from glorification to icon – making. On the other hand, the ‘unmaking’ biographers try to blast the image and it varies from vilification to outright debunking.”
About the Author
“Dr. Rajesh V. Nair is Assistant Professor of English at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam Kerala. His areas of interest include life writing, cultural studies and translation.”
