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.