Comparative Literature: A Case of Shaw and Bharatendu

The onset of twentieth century has seen the flourishing of comparative literature worldwide–particularly in countries with multilingual base. And India being a multilingual third world country has to explore it on two fronts–national and international. The book dilates on the sum and substance of comparative literature in the first four sections and then seeks to correlate the literary ethos governing the writings of G.B. Shaw, the pioneer of Fabian Socialism in England and Bharatendu Harishchandra, the champion of social and political independence struggle of India, in the later four sections. An attempt has, hence, been made a to open a refreshingly new vista of English and Hindi drama in the perspective of comparative literature as an international genre of writing. Professor Sanjukta Dasgupta holds that the author has very successfully brought together two representative dramatists of the west and the east, Shaw and Bharatendu, thereby constructing a much needed bridge of cultural understanding. Cultural negotiation is the soul of the academic discipline of comparative literature and in all sections of her book, Dr. Jahan has carefully researched and critiqued the contribution of both dramatists. . .with remarkable insight.