Cultural Collisions in Literature Story aired: Monday, August 11, 2003
When cultures collide the result can be catastrophic. In many books, however, it can cause the creation of a compelling piece of literature.
E.M. Forster's "A Passage to India," is a perfect example. Forster's 1924 novel, set during the height of British rule, chronicles the complex friendship between an Indian doctor and an English teacher.
Graham Greene's classic, "The Quiet American," describes an intricate love triangle between a Brit, an American and Vietnamese women during the French-Indochina war.
Steve Almond joins Here and Now to discuss cultural collisions in literature, and covers these examples:
1. "A Russian Journal" by John Steinbeck
2. "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" by Anne Fadamin
3. "Le Divorse" by Diane Johnson
4. "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" by Azar Nafisi
