Tracks of Transformation: Railways and the Modern Malayalam Literary Landscape

Abstract

In the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the modern prose literature of Malayalam arose, conjoining with the emergence of a new civil society in Kerala. This epochal shift was propelled by the global enlightenment of English education, which bequeathed the province with the ideals of colonial liberalism. The literary artefacts of this period mirrored the tides of urbanization and the mechanization of existence, heralding the dawn of capitalism from the waning of feudal order. The advent of the railways, telegraphs, courts, and urban migrations became enduring motifs within these narratives, encapsulating the novel and short story as primary vehicles of modern thought.

By the 19th century, modern education had spawned a literate multitude, birthing a burgeoning middle class amidst industrial advancements and mechanization. This middle class, formed by students, teachers, and diverse professionals, embraced modernity, epitomized by railways—a potent emblem of colonial innovation. Yet, literature oft portrayed the railway not solely as a marvel but as a crucible for cultural and societal transformation, where tradition and modernity converged. The railway, as a public sphere, wove disparate threads of society into a singular narrative of modernity, rendering opportunities for leisure, reform, and equality. Stories like ‘Narayanikkutti’ (2006) and ‘Bodham Vanna Bhootham’ (2006) depicted its transformative ethos, revealing both the allure and disquietude of mechanized progress. Compartmentalization within train classes, however, mirrored economic and social stratifications, a tacit reflection of society’s inherent inequalities.

In this wise, the tales of the era rendered the railway as a symbol of colonial ambivalence—an emblem of progress yet a critique of mechanized capitalism. It fostered a modern consciousness, both critiquing and embracing colonial modernity, thus revealing the manifold contradictions within the emerging neo-literate society of Kerala. Through the train’s journey across narratives, the early Malayalam prose unveiled the cultural psyche of a transitioning society, ever poised betwixt reform and tradition