It’s obvious that India Interlude is about India. It seems, then, that an image of the Taj Mahal is required, so here’s the obligatory photo. But the novel argues that this one building isn’t really a good illustration of the country. Here’s a brief excerpt from the book, the thoughts of Suzanne, one of the younger characters, who has accidentally ingested some psychedelics, and is now standing behind this famous building, considering this very question:
There’s no need to describe the Taj itself, since there are about a zillion photos of it, appearing any time someone needs a visual representation of India. The funny thing is that, to me, it doesn’t represent India at all. It’s a one-of-a-kind monument, a building supremely elegant in its architecture, with a very long reflecting pool in front that mirrors its majesty. When it was first built, the Taj was inlaid with precious gems; later they were stolen by the British and others. But, especially in my drugged state of mind, I liked the simplicity of the plain white, with nothing to distract the eye. I kept asking myself what object I would choose to represent the life of the country as a whole. A sacred cow? Chai in an unglazed clay cup? A woman wearing a lovely sari? There were too many everyday images I had already seen that could serve as a national symbol. This one building was too unique to represent the entire country.
I’m not sure what I would suggest to respond to Suzanne’s dilemma. Any ideas? What is a good visual symbol to capture the intricacies of such a complex country?