Vikram Seth is one of the most fascinating and versatile writers in Indian English literature. Seth made remarkable contribution to Indian English literature by writing not only novels but also books of poetry, travelogue, biographies and memoires. He embellished his novels by using different styles like verse, epic and music. He has applied different themes in his novels from various social and cultural landscapes. Seth’s A Suitable Boy (1993) is one of the longest novels in a single volume. Seth sets up religious intolerance, love and marriage as a central theme of this present novel. This novel depicts Indian culture of racial caste and arranged marriage. This novel brings the theme of conflict between an arranged marriage and a marriage escaped on romantic love. In Indian culture it is a system of marriage that not only the boy must be the same religion as the girl but also the boy and the girl should be of same caste. The present novel shows the social realism of post- independent India. It illustrates the social implications of the Zamindari system. It has the story of four families to find out a suitable boy for their unmarried daughters. Religious boundaries become the main hindrance of love marriage between Lata (a Hindu girl) and Kabir (a Muslim boy). They have only one way to get married to elope without their parents’ permission. This essay attempts to study the thematic and religious intolerance and social contrast in Seth’s A Suitable Boy.
Post Graduate Teacher, Shivnagar, Darbhanga
