Whenever I see the debates of same sex attraction being a product of colonization, history and literature stand as a testimony to prove otherwise. Ruth Vanita’s A Slight Angle is a relishing periodical fiction on the presence of same sex affection and attraction in 1920’s India. Blurring the lines of fiction, Ruth borrows authors Ugra and Mahadevi from the time period to drive the point home, that contexts of queer lives and instincts have always existed. Set in an India that has begun to taste a unified revolution, the lives of a bunch of young folks from parts of Delhi, Mumbai, Banaras, and Calcutta intertwine. We follow the story of Sheela, Sharad, Kanta, Abhik, Robin and Hemlata. Busy following their own set of ideologies and tweaking it as they go to make sense of the unruly times, we see a point-of-view narration for each of the characters involved. Spanning from the years 1923 to 1934, these youngsters go through a rollercoaster of changes, learning and unlearning about themselves and the society continuously shifting with the introduction of a modern set of values. A journey from stumbling upon the feeling of freedom, and loss and suppression of naive innocence.
Point of Views
Told from multiple points of view of the characters, we stumble upon an interesting Rashomon effect type of storytelling. We get a better understanding of all the folks of the story. With characters from different sexualities, both traditional and not-so-traditional, this Rashomon effect proves to be very effective and drives home the stark difference of privilege and exemption that heterosexual folks have always had. This storytelling also helps the reader recognize each character’s voice and writing, which helps identify the nameless letters that get attached at the end of every chapter with no addressee or a signoff.
Unconventional lives of cis het folks in the system
Queer lives and desires have always existed and yet historically have been intentionally or unintentionally categorized as ‘forbidden’. The book also highlights the unconventional relationship choices that characters in heteronormative relationships make but get away with due to a sort of ‘passing’ privilege. When we asked Ruth about the interesting portrayal of this unconventionality, she said, “I am interested in the multi-faceted emotional reality of each character, and the ways in which even those who are somewhat unconventional, sometimes cannot accept the unconventionality of others.”
Instinct over ideology
It’s also interesting to note that many of the characters who start with staunch principles and ideologies to cope with the revolution their way, end up tweaking them instinctively, maybe living and loving authentically triumphs over ideals.
Chosen joy, chosen families
While Sharad and Sheela figure out this complicated entanglement of familial relationship, the theme of chosen family emerges. In an attempt to shield their primary families from the sudden developments in their lives, the young adults manage their matters amongst themselves. Connection born from adversity turns into a secretive nod to queerness, a safety net to facilitate conversations that otherwise become restricted to an inner monologue. Throughout the book, we see like-minded people being able to find each other, discreetly and sometimes not so discreetly.
Queer timelines
It is very common for the lives of those in LGBTQ+ community to not follow your traditional timelines of adulthood i.e. courtship, marriage, reproduction and so on. Challenging the linearity of time, Sharad, Sheela, Abhik and Rita’s lives progress despite the many barriers. Anonymous letters are used as a great tool to make sense of this timeline. Tying their contexts by introducing the non-fictional characters such as Ugra and Mahadevi help in providing proof of concept of resistance to challenging the orthodox and living truthfully.
From textbooks to archives
As a Gen Z queer woman who has largely consumed queer media catered towards Western young adults (guilty!), this book felt like a warm hug from history. To me it felt that amidst The Battle of Plassey and civil disobedience acts that I had been rote learning as a young kid, there were Sharads and Sheelas of urban India who were shaping their lives along with their identity that I had wished I’d gotten to see in my history textbooks. It’s one thing to hear that the LGBTQ+ community has always existed, and another thing to see it in writing, documented and archived in a tangible book.
A slight angle revealing the angles that have always been in front of us, some hiding meekly, while some outright in the open. While Ruth Vanita continues to translate, document and produce more same sex love narratives in her capacity, we need more of our TBR’s filled with these books. Maybe give a break to your usual yaoi and give this one a go!
