This provocative question reframes the concept of a nation as a perpetual debate or ongoing conflict that its citizens must continually confront and adapt to. It highlights the inherent disagreements within any collective identity.
Quote by Sara Suleri: “What is a country but an argument we must learn to live with?”
What is a country but an argument we must learn to live with?
Insight
Historical Context
Suleri wrote from the perspective of a Pakistani expatriate, often reflecting on the political turmoil and ideological divides that shaped her homeland, treating nationhood as a fluid, contested idea.
About the Author
Pakistani-American literary critic and memoirist, born in Lahore in 1953. Her memoir Meatless Days, published in 1989, is widely regarded as one of the finest works of South Asian memoir in English, exploring family, grief, Pakistan, and colonial history with extraordinary prose precision.
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