Middle Class's Literary Circle: A Critique of Bangladeshi Literature

Bangladeshi literature, particularly prose, is deeply influenced by the middle class, which emerged through education and intellectual pursuits. Over half a century after 1971, this class has solidified its position, evolving from passive consumers of media to active cultural and social inquirers. However, their intellectual curiosity often remains confined to a narrow scope, with a significant majority of post-2000 essay collections focusing on themes like literature, culture, values, and tradition. While individual writers may differ in style, their thematic choices exhibit a striking uniformity.

Historically, the European Renaissance fostered free thought and generosity among Bengalis, with the middle class taking a particular interest in tradition, literature, and culture. The impoverished masses are largely disengaged from these pursuits, while the affluent view arts and literature primarily as entertainment, focusing instead on economics and politics. Wealthier, educated individuals may acquire books for status rather than reading. Literature's primary audience is the middle class, whose limited financial means and lifestyle make reading a convenient pastime, unlike the affluent with more leisure options or the poor with different forms of recreation.

True literary innovation requires breaking free from established confines and fostering a connection between creative life and public life. However, contemporary writers often depict the lives of ordinary people from a detached perspective, observing them from the windows of affluent homes. While the middle class has gained comfort and even luxury since the 1971 independence, their travels abroad reveal an awareness of prosperity, freedom, and order, yet a striking obliviousness to their own country's issues. This selective perception stems from a fear of descending from their elevated social standing, a fear rooted in their past struggles with poverty.

The middle class often finds itself trapped in a self-imposed circle, hesitant to venture beyond it due to a lack of courage. They tend to engage with societal movements only when they gain momentum, participating only when it aligns with their convenience, thus revealing a opportunistic mindset. Exceptional writers like Hasan Azizul Haque and Akhtaruzzaman Elias are noted exceptions, having immersed themselves in life to understand and portray it authentically, requiring extensive fieldwork and dedication, as exemplified by Elias's research for 'Khoabnama'.

The middle class also seeks heroes, often elevating powerful figures like Humayun Ahmed, whose popular novels have resonated with readers for years, demonstrating a unique ability to connect with an audience. Historically, individuals from rural backgrounds who became poets or artists often had to relocate to cities for higher education and cultural exposure, forming the foundation for their creative careers, even if they later returned to rural settings. Cities remain crucial for aspiring modern writers and artists in Bangladesh due to the lack of alternatives for higher education and cultural immersion.

While the middle class's interest in education and modernity is positive, their tendency to choose subservient employment over entrepreneurship, despite having the means, and their desire to settle in cities for perceived advantages, highlight a weakness. Furthermore, a pervasive envy and a self-centered mentality—where personal well-being is prioritized over the welfare of others—remain prevalent, hindering the emergence of truly magnanimous individuals. This leads to a scarcity of great personalities within the middle class. Despite these limitations, the middle class has been instrumental in advancing Bangladeshi literature and understanding modernity, holding the potential to open new literary horizons.

General readers often prefer straightforward narratives that reflect societal realities, a preference met by many middle-class writers. However, reader preference often narrows to a few authors, not due to a lack of confidence or ideals in others, but because their language fails to resonate. The concept of a distinct 'prose language' is debated, with acceptance hinging on whether the language feels appropriate to the subject matter. Modernity is closely tied to urbanity, and most modern poets and fiction writers reside in cities, raising questions about the definition of urbanity in contemporary literary creation.