Historical Context

Syal: Anita and Me

In this course, Dr Devon Campbell-Hall (Solent University) unpacks Meera Syal’s novel Anita and Me (1996). We begin with an introduction to the historical context of the novel, looking at both the Black Country, where the novel is set, and the centuries-long relationship between Britain and India. In the second module, we think about Meera Syal herself, thinking especially about her influences as a writer. In the third, we consider how Syal frames the narrative: she writes from the perspective of a nine year old girl, with the benefit and hindsight of her adult knowledge. In the fourth, we look at how Syal sets up our understanding of Anita’s cultural hybridity. In the fifth, we follow the moments of tension in the novel. Finally, in the sixth module, we consider the possibility of social mobility within the world of the novel.

Historical Context

In this module, we explore the historical context for the novel, focusing especially on: (i) the Industrial Revolution in the Black Country, and the population shift from rural to urban areas, (ii) how the closure of the mines in the 1960s led to a social shift as women went to work in factories and men lost their jobs, (iii) the impact of infrastructure development like the M6 on community cohesion, (iv) Britain's interest in England since the 1600s and their formal rule from 1858 to 1947, (v) the partition of India and Pakistan in 1947, marked by violence and mass migration, and (vi) British policies related to citizenship and the choices faced by Indians and Pakistanis in terms of their national identity.