Theme of Nationalism of Sunlight on a Broken Column (Book Review Sample)

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course Number
Date
Discuss the Theme of Nationalism of Sunlight on a Broken Column.
Sunlight on a Broken Column, by Attia Hosain, is the story of Rumi and Rahima, two Indian Muslims. The book explores their reactions to the partition of India in 1947, as well as their experiences living in the resulting Hindu-dominated nation of India and Muslim-dominated nation of Pakistan, respectively. While Rumi remains in India and becomes involved with Indian nationalism, Rahima chooses to move to Pakistan. In addition to these two main characters and their children, there are several secondary characters, such as Anwar, who represent other people’s reactions to the changing world around them.
In her novel, Attia Hosain also presents the idea of nationalism to its readers through the eyes of Farha, one of the main characters in the book. In this piece, Hosain uses Farha's journey from India to Pakistan to portray her protagonist's struggle to accept her new identity and the many changes in her life that occur as she adjusts to her new home. After reading this novel, it becomes apparent that Hosain intends to impress upon her readers the importance of preserving national heritage in countries undergoing political turmoil or experiencing large-scale migration and displacement.
Nationalism is an ideology that holds that all members of each nation should act to promote its interests, unity, and identity. A sense of patriotism or national pride often accompanies views that see nationalism as a positive force, while opposing views tend to see nationalism as detrimental