NAIPAUL – INDIANNESS/ENGLISHNESS
NAIPAUL – INDIANNESS/ENGLISHNESS

Summary/Abstract: V.S. Naipaul, the main subject of this paper, is a British writer of Indian origin. His literary activity is a vast one covering different areas of interest. In 2001, he received the Nobel Prize for Literature and, in 1990, he was named Knight of the British Crown. The main themes presented in his novels are hybridity, nationalism, the lost/regain of the Indian identity, the effects of colonialism on the Indian people and post-colonialism. VS Naipaul’s novels are, in the same time, autobiographical and travelogues. They present us a close and personal insight of both his country of adoption – England and of his birthplace – India. This paper intends to present the co-existence of Indianness and Englishness in Naipaul’s literary activity and life. I structured my paper into three parts: the first part presents the close relation between Naipaul’s autobiographical writing, his knowledge of India’s past and the field of travel writing. The second part is concentrated on the co-existence of Indianness and Englishness in VS Naipaul’s books and travelogues. The third part will focus on the writer’s Indian trilogy where both these notions can be found. The paper will end with the Conclusions which underline, once again, the perfect combination between the Indian and British literature found in his books and the idea that, although Naipaul’s has Indian descent, he is a fine representative of the British, contemporary literature.

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