Arun Joshi: A Literary Artist of Existential Writing

Abstract

Existentialism, a very important literary movement of the twentieth century, occupies a very important place in the world literature. The major proponents of this theory are Soren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jean Paul Sartre, Albert Camus and others.  The key features associated with the existential literature are the depiction of sense of alienation, detachment, loneliness, aloofness, anxiety among the denizens of the modern world. Although, to begin with it was a European phenomenon, it soon spread to other parts of the world and impacted the writers all over the world. India also came under its influence. Many Indian writers exhibited existential traits in their works. Arun Joshi was the most prominent of them. His works, especially all novels, very beautifully incorporates existential elements. The present paper intends to study and exhibit the existential traits in the novels of Arun Joshi.