Critiquing Colonialism and Middle-Class Dominance – A Postcolonial Study of Six Acres and a third

Abstract

The intervention of colonial laws and administration in the indigenous society of Odisha caused a lot of upheavals in the native’s life. Along with the colonizers, the middle-class people also took advantage of the laws to exploit the innocent and illiterate lower class Odias. Fakir Mohan Senapati’s path-breaking novel Six Acres and a Third skilfully mirrors this impact of Colonial intervention in Odia society. By giving a vivid picture of Colonialism and middle class dominance and oppression, Senapati exposes the system of his day and presents it in a satiric manner as an act of resistance. The novel, providing a micro picture of Colonialism and oppression of natives by the middle class people like Zamindars and Lawyers, depicts a number of social issues and implicitly critiques the whole system.