Nationalism a Boon or a Bane in Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines

Abstract

Nationalism is the love, the dedication, the zeal for one’s country. Thamma a strong nationalist is critical of Tridib for she feels that he wastes his time. She is critical of Ila as she cannot tolerate that Ila should feel at home in London. She believes in national borders that motivate her to bring her old uncle Jethamoshai to India from Dhaka but unfortunately he is killed by a violent mob. Ila’s sense of nationalism derives from the personal freedom that a nation can give her. She does not like the weight of national culture and tradition. On the contrary the narrator believes in nation and national borders, the security that a nation offers. Robi and May seek for psychological freedom. They do not believe in defining themselves by the parameter of nationality rather see themselves as a global one. Tridib’s notion of nationalism is also transnational. Through a union with May he wants to wipe all borderlines. Thus The Shadow Lines presents a study of nationalism from the various points of view suggesting that the notions of nationalism can be very difficult to define.