In the poem To the Welsh Critic Who Does Not Find Me Identifiable Indian, Arundhathi Subramaniam explores the politics of language and how it affects the identity of Indian immigrants in England. It asks questions about where and to whom the language belongs and suggests that it is up to the English to judge. Subramaniam also comments on the way Indian identity is decided by the British and this is reflected rather bitterly in the poem. English expectations of Indian authenticity are highlighted by Subramaniam as incorrect and slightly ridiculous. This analysis of Subramaniam's position on “this language thing” will explore these ideas further. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Language plays a significant role in identity (Joseph, 2004). Language and identity have a dynamic relationship. Language creates a sense of group identity, be it national or ethnic. And the need for identity through expression continually shapes language. Identity itself influences how one interprets what is said. The language we speak identifies to others the place we come from and will subsequently label us as outsiders or insiders. This also applies to the way a language is spoken. Speaking a language with a different accent still alerts people to the fact that it is not the same as them. Because language has such an effect on identity, it can be used to control certain groups of people. In the poem To the Welsh Critic Who Does Not Find Me Identifiable Indian, Arundhathi Subramaniam talks about the English classifying Indians on the basis of language and how an Indian behaves as an "Indian". The poem's title refers to a critic from Wales. Wales has a history of fighting for country autonomy as it is part of the United Kingdom. They managed to establish their own government, but the United Kingdom still has supreme power. There is a concern among some Welsh people that their culture will be absorbed into English culture and therefore it is very relevant that the poem is addressed to a Welsh citizen. The Welsh would be quick to criticize anyone they think is giving up their culture, particularly submission to English culture. They themselves are determined to maintain their culture and identity in the face of a more powerful nation. Subramaniam uses the title of the poem to address the Welsh critic but perhaps also to give a message to anyone who feels the duty to determine the identity of another. Using first-person point of view for the speaker creates a better sense of how a person in a foreign country might feel about the difficulties of adopting that language. Subramaniam begins by commenting on how the British believe their culture and language are elite and assume it is a goal India wants to achieve. “You think you know me” (Subramaniam 1). The word 'believe' indicates that in reality the English don't really know the speaker and the sense of cultural arrogance is highlighted. “You imagine you have shattered / my deepest fantasy” (Subramaniam 7-8). Subramaniam mentions Dharma (Subramaniam 10), which means having a cosmic order or purpose. This comment has a rather sardonic tone and could imply that the speaker believes that English people think that Indians aim at English life in an almost spiritual way and perhaps finds this offensive, or conversely ridiculous. But then the speaker creates space for a possible argument in the third stanza when he says, “You may be right” (Subramaniam 13). The speaker admits that he does not know much about what is supposedly Indian, namely cricket and speakingfluent in Tamil. He also indicates that he agrees with some first world concepts and would appreciate some first world luxuries such as things “odorless, / bottled in Switzerland, / money back guaranteed” (Subramaniam 19-21). But on the contrary, “You you may be right” (Subramaniam 13), means that it is simply something to consider and not the absolute truth These few things that the speaker admits to not being very familiar with cannot determine or declare to be false an Indian identity.In the global village that the world has become, cultural characteristics have become more of a stereotype of what actually happens in society. The aspects of European culture that the speaker claims to appreciate do not mean that she has rejected her own culture. It is simply a new mixture and combination of cultures, it seems, from the comments in the poem, “Smear my consonants / with cow dung, turmeric and godhuli” (Subramaniam 48-49), which the English expect. exoticism and that Indian culture is completely opposite to English culture. You could say that the British are trying to create a new Indian identity based on a lack of understanding of Indian culture and what you might call the tourist idea of ​​India. The reference to “rustic” (Subramaniam 38) implies that the English expect India to be rural. This misunderstanding probably stems from cultural arrogance on the English side; perhaps the lack of desire to adequately learn about Indians. But in the poem, Subramaniam questions this expectation because, as the title of the poem indicates To the Welsh Critic Who Does Not Find Me Identifiable as Indian, the English are deciding that Indians are not Indian enough if they do not meet these false expectations. expectations. In line 22 “This matter of language” (Subramaniam), the speaker raises the question of language and proceeds to ask who it belongs to, where it comes from, and what it represents. Subramaniam uses parallelism by starting eight lines with “how much” (Subramaniam 23-30) and three lines with “as I say” (Subramaniam 31-33). This repetition suggests the complexity of this matter of language and the number of different aspects that should be considered when talking about it. There are so many different questions that need to be asked. There is also the suggestion of the importance of point of view in "as I say". Written language may be objective, but verbal language is subjective in how it is received. The shift occurs in line 34 when the speaker delivers the question to the person he is addressing: “It is all yours to measure” (Subramaniam 34). She herself doesn't answer. It can be argued that the English are the owners of the language they speak and have the right to judge how it is spoken and perhaps the speaker is implying that in a foreign land it is not her place to answer the question. The question is both rhetorical and requires an answer. Perhaps the speaker would like to respond but believes that his or her point of view would not be considered valid. In the first four stanzas, each stanza is a sentence. The mood changes after the transition to line 34 and becomes a little bitter. The stanzas become longer and are divided into sentences. Short sentences create the feeling that the speaker has become irritable. The image becomes unpleasant. Words like “Pathology” (Subramaniam 35) and halitosis (Subramaniam 36) are used which are both associated and create an image of illness. This might suggest that the speaker expects to be judged rather negatively when his speech is evaluated by the English. The speaker refers to English as the “Arbiter of Identity” (Subramaniam 40). There is a slight sardonic tone in this speech but at the same time there is perhaps an acknowledgment of the power that someone has over him