Feature

Star Campus Coffee World Literary Adda

Imrana Yasmin

Photos: Ishtiaque Bin Quashem

BY now, the regular readers of Star Campus have got a fairly good idea about the 'Star Campus Coffee World Literary Adda'. Our guest speaker at this session was Fakrul Alam, professor of English Department, University of Dhaka and he started the discussion introducing his occupational background. In the beginning of our literary adda, he gave a brief idea about the author Amitav Ghosh, who is an Indian writer, and about his second book 'The Shadow Line' to a bunch of students from different universities in the city. He stated that he had chosen the book since its partial setting is in Dhaka.

The remarkable piece of literature explored through introducing the protagonist Tridib's character. Prof Alam explained how the unnamed narrator of the story travels around the world through his eyes of imagination, which is taught by his uncle Tridib. Sadly, Tridib dies in a riot that took place in Dhaka during the partition of India. Basically, the book is based on the setting of riots in Dhaka and post-partition Dhaka in the 60's, in London in the 60's and in London during the Second World War. The narrator tends to explore the truth behind the impact of the imaginary 'line', caused by the partition of India on different characters through Tridib's life as he has an unusual fascination for Tridip. Thus the book's title is 'The Shadow Line'.

The title talks about an invisible line that has divided the people of India and put its impact on the minds of the people living in India. In the story, the partition makes the 'tha-ma' (the grandmother) stick to her home, Dhaka and her family shifts to Calcutta. Conversely, Illa, Tridib's cousin stays in London to have the freedom of her own life as she thinks there is no right to lead life in her own way being a woman. The story talks about the dilemma of rootlessness, which is caused by the imaginary line that creates a mental border. What we need to do is cut out the border to embrace common humanity that would remove the dilemmas in our mind. In the end, the narrator dramatically falls in love with the beloved of Tridip, May Price in London after Tridip's death.

The narrator's interpretation is not limited to time and place since he keeps going back to the past and suddenly returning in the present and from Calcutta to London or Dhaka. All the students agreed that the book is very confusing to read as the narrator moves back and forth. One needs to read the book for the second time and think about the flow of the story. At the end of the discussion, Dr Alam expressed the view that it is a wise story with great philosophy.

The adda ended with the feedback and comments of the students about the book. Almost every student liked the book and agreed with the guest speaker that it is a book full of wisdom. The characters of the story are very common people. But the writer came up with the unique points of view by looking at it differently. Lastly, Dr Alam commented that the story is aimed at 'Rooted cosmopolitanism'.