Enumerative national literature categories derive their unity from geography, not composition

Evidence

The other, relatively more sober versipn of an ‘Indian Literature’ is the one that is in fact composed of discrete language-literature traditions, so that the word ‘Indian’ is superimposed upon diverse texts drawn, say, from the various periods of the development of Dogri and Bengali and Marathi, much as anything written in any corner of Africa is immediately slotted into something called ‘African Literature’ In the routine manifestations of this latter version, the unity of the object called ‘Indian Literature’ appears to be an effect of geography and the nation-state. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 1150

Categorization

• XREF: Relates to Ahmad’s materialist critique of discourse-first moves — the nation-as-category problem parallels strategic essentialism’s reliance on an asserted identity unit. — connects to: European-style national-literature categories distort India’s actual interlingual literary relations — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 1095; Aggregating discrete literatures into ‘Indian’ is a qualitative, not additive shift — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 1150; Indian literature’s unity is an effect of geography and the nation-state — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 512 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Indian literature’s unity is an effect of geography and the nation-state #corroborates (0.95) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 512
• East and West categories have never been primarily geographical #contradicts (0.85)
• East and West are analytical distinctions, not literal geographic categories #contradicts (0.85)
• Literature and culture are not coterminous with language and state boundaries #expands (0.80) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 487
• National consciousness forms through language and literature, not only through shared ancestry #qualifies (0.72)