Words on a page translate to sentences that translate into paragraphs that translate into chapters, and finally translate into books keep vibrant cultures alive. No place else in the world is as full of a rich culture as India, the homeland of author Santha Rama Rau. Rau strived to spread her Indian culture on her many journeys around the world. In one interview, the Indian author explained, “Our job-those of us lucky to have lived in these two countries- is to interpret them to one another… If we can make ourselves- the Indians- real people to the Americans, we shall have done more than our politicians are able to do” (qtd.Weber “Santh Rama Rau, Who Wrote”). Few readers have the chance to travel outside of their native country to explore India.
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Her family moved to England for her father’s job, causing Rau to spend her younger years studying in England. Rau later recounts her tales of England through her novel, By Any Other Name. While spending time in England, it became apparent to the young writer-to-be that India needed to be represented as a place where one can have the opportunity to explore their cultural curiosity (Burton). Rau also spent time in South Africa during her teenage years, however, her time was cut short due to the beginning of WWII. According to Making Britain, due to the war, a passage to England was unavailable, causing the Raus to move back home to India (“Santha Rama Rau.”). This voyage home created a theme for Rau to use in her novel Home to India. This story accounts Rau’s culture shock when returning home to India. After returning home to Bombay, now Mumbai, Rau’s grandmother posed the question of marriage. In one interview, Rau explained we grandmother’s disdain that the sixteen year old girl decided against a young marriage due to Western influences (“Santha Rama Rau, Who Wrote”). This cultural conflict showed Rau that few places understood her home culture. In Rau’s mind, India deserved to be explained to the world through first hand accounts. Within all of Rau’s writings, she reflects her experiences with ignorant cultures
Her family moved to England for her father’s job, causing Rau to spend her younger years studying in England. Rau later recounts her tales of England through her novel, By Any Other Name. While spending time in England, it became apparent to the young writer-to-be that India needed to be represented as a place where one can have the opportunity to explore their cultural curiosity (Burton). Rau also spent time in South Africa during her teenage years, however, her time was cut short due to the beginning of WWII. According to Making Britain, due to the war, a passage to England was unavailable, causing the Raus to move back home to India (“Santha Rama Rau.”). This voyage home created a theme for Rau to use in her novel Home to India. This story accounts Rau’s culture shock when returning home to India. After returning home to Bombay, now Mumbai, Rau’s grandmother posed the question of marriage. In one interview, Rau explained we grandmother’s disdain that the sixteen year old girl decided against a young marriage due to Western influences (“Santha Rama Rau, Who Wrote”). This cultural conflict showed Rau that few places understood her home culture. In Rau’s mind, India deserved to be explained to the world through first hand accounts. Within all of Rau’s writings, she reflects her experiences with ignorant cultures