Language Appropriation and Abrogation in Mulk Raj Anand’s Private Life of an Indian Prince

Abstract

The standard English of colonizers is increasingly challenged by the indigenization of English, particularly through post-colonial literature. Mulk Raj Anand exemplifies this shift in his novel, Private Life of an Indian Prince, where he develops a unique style that infuses Indian elements. His techniques include glossing, un-translated words, code-switching, syntactic fusion, neologism, and translation equivalence, which collectively enrich the text and resist the dominance of standard English. The study employs a qualitative close reading and utilizes Ashcroft et al.’s model of appropriation and abrogation of English. Anand primarily uses intra-sentential and emphatic code-switching, with limited inter-sentential switching. His methods of appropriating English through glossing and translation highlight the blending of Indian and standard English while only occasionally rejecting colonial language norms. This approach reflects India’s active engagement with colonial legacies, as it deconstructs and adapts Western influences to align with local customs and traditions.