Sociolinguistic Perspective of Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day

Abstract

Sociolinguistics recognizes that people use language and language is a part of society. It considers the relationship between a person’s language and their social identity. Although Anita Desai works on the limited Canvas of middle class, Civil Lines, Delhi, she is able to bring into her work the larger political theme of the day; Partition, Hindu-Muslim riots, independence and the new India. The present paper throws light on the socio-political and cultural issues in Anita Desai’s Clear Light of Day and corresponding language variation. It also highlights the various codes applied in the novel through Code-Mixing.