A Study of Cultural Metaphoricity in Anita Desai’s Novel ‘In Custody’

Abstract

Texts are loaded with diversity of meanings: literal, metaphorical, allegorical and analogical to name a few. As such languages embed in them identity, culture and ideology of the people it is penned down about. Linked to religious identity of Muslims pre- and post-partition Urdu saw its rise in religious and Sufi writings. But with the rise of Hindu nationalism and decline of Muslim rule in the sub-continent it suffered pangs of estrangement. Anita Desai’s ‘In Custody’ pen-pictures Urdu which is metaphorically destined to death in India. Publication year of the book coincides with the death of a renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz which metaphorically reinforces death of Urdu. Deven who interviews Nur, famous poet of Urdu so that shreds of the language can be preserved. Her novel artistically and beautifully blends realistic elements rooted in history and sham narrative elements. The present paper investigates cultural metaphoricity of Urdu in Desai’s novel ‘In Custody’ in the light of theories put forwarded by Norman Fairclough and Van Dijk concerning language, identity, and ideology.