Out of India: Image of the West in Hindi Literature

Out of India is the thoroughly revised and extended version of a doctoral dissertation the author had the privilege to see at a comparatively early stage. For several reasons, some of them personal, it gave him much satisfaction to be invited by the Oriental Institute of Warsaw University to participate in the promotion of an academic effort which has resulted in the present publication.

Dr. Stasik's study is based on twenty-two Hindi sources (novels, short stories, a poem), in which she subjects to a close sociological reading, without, however, losing sight of the fact that they are meant to be read, first of all, as literary works of art. Her approach is supported by a solid theoretical foundation.

What gives Out of India its special significance in a situation where Indian culture seems to be wavering between traditionalism and what is conveniently called 'globalization' (as it the two could not, and should not, coexist), is the ample proof it provides of the fact that the literary topos of Indians abroad, along with the ensuing encounters (and clashes) of culture, is not a prerogative of Indo-English writing but can be taken up, with even greater conviction and authenticity, by literatures in Indian Languages as well.