Table of ContentsIntroductionBodyWorks CitedIntroductionThroughout Karen Desai's novel, The Legacy of Loss, the Westernization of Judge and Indian resentment grew during his studies in England despite confronting both internal and external facets of racism. In postcolonial India, English people were seen as highly educated and wealthy, which appealed to young adults struggling with their placement in the caste system. This was the case for the judge, who excelled at school and was able to study abroad in England. While fueling his ego, his travels further perpetuate his desire to be superior, to be English. This double consciousness alienates him from his family and alienates him from the English, creating friction with his sense of belonging. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Body The judge's animosity toward his own cultural identity goes back well before his life in England. The judge's bitterness towards his father, "...a barely educated man", made him feel defeated by the caste system. There was no possibility of mobility but a Western education could inflate one's importance and reputation. The judge realizes that the more Western he appears, the better he will be treated; thus, cheating the effects of the caste system. The Judge's newly romanticized thoughts about England give him hope and allow him to set goals that would allow him to live in England in the future. However, the longer the judge stays in India, the more his resentment grows because he is not where he wants to be. This puts a strain on his family life and separates him from his father, whom he is embarrassed by because he is not interested in the West. The judge's preconceived notion about England will impact his life and the way he perceives Indian and English culture once he experiences it firsthand. While living in England, the judge's character and thoughts change when he witnesses poverty and experiences discrimination. However, his resentment towards India runs deeper. Once he arrived in England, the judge was “…amazed by the landscapes that welcomed him…” but he “…did not realize that here too, people could be poor and live unsightly lives.” This is an important aspect of this character's thought progression because he says that even though he wasn't impressed, it was still better than India. The judge would rather experience mild racism in England than be comfortable in his native country. After a short time in England, this begins to weigh on the judge and he finds himself without a home, the "...feeling of being caught between two cultures...of not feeling at home even in his own house because one is not at home in itself…” ( Tyson 5). He realizes that he has no place in England, not because he doesn't want to be there, but because he is Indian. Not being accepted as an Indian in England or as a westernized, educated man in India, the judge faces an inner conflict over his cultural identity, because in either case he does not fit in. not. more foreign to himself than to those around him, he found his skin a strange color, his particular accent. He became aware of his own body and how others saw it. In India, people admired him because he was intelligent, but in England he was only seen as a foreigner. Although the judge longs to be in England, his glorification leads to disappointment and a negative view of life in India. Upon his return to India, the judge's new feeling of discomfort and his.