Re-Inventing National Literary Histories: Ghosts and Cultural Memory in Padma Viswanathan’s House of Sacred Cows and Velina Hasu Houston’s Kokoro
Re-Inventing National Literary Histories: Ghosts and Cultural Memory in Padma Viswanathan’s House of Sacred Cows and Velina Hasu Houston’s Kokoro

Summary/Abstract: The idea that human identity and theatrical performance are closely interrelated is not new. Rachel Crothers’ arguments in the quote opening this paper are in line with William Shakespeare’s. Indeed, as Hamlet explains, the purpose of theater is “to hold as ‘twere the mirror up to nature” (1982: 288). Throughout history, the power of the theater to be lifelike has often played a role beyond mere entertainment. From Greek and Roman tragedies, to plays staged at royal courts, to contemporary experimental works, theater has mirrored the histories of society and the cultural values of its people.

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