In terms of fiction, intercultural competence refers to the novelist’s sound sociocultural
knowledge of the target readership and his ability to write in English in a linguistically,
socio-linguistically, and pragmatically suitable way so that the novels evoke ready resonance
beyond their cultural, linguistic, and geographical contexts and strike a responsive chord
in the hearts of the readers everywhere in the world.
It is not easy to convey the cultural and social experience of a nation such as India, full
of glaring contradictions, to a foreign readership. It would be difficult, for instance, to
convey the social significance of caste and untouchability and the cultural importance of Kathakali dance performances to foreign readers unless they have already gained a
measure of understanding of Indian culture. For this purpose, the novelist should begin
with what is familiar to them and then imperceptibly lead them into unfamiliar cultural and
social terrains such as caste, untouchability, and the social prejudices occasioned by them.
Arundhati Roy does just that by putting her intercultural competence to the best use in
The God of Small Things. She effortlessly universalizes what is a parochial and provincial
story, primarily dealing with a set of rural characters, because of her intercultural
competence and cosmopolitanism. Not surprisingly, readers of many different cultural,
social, and linguistic backgrounds readily forge a creative relationship with the novel and
embrace the world it evokes.
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