Alice Perrin
Alice Perrin was a British writer born in India in 1867, hailing from a wealthy background. She was the daughter of Major General John Innes and Bertha Biederman Robinson. After receiving her education in England, Perrin returned to India following her marriage to engineer Charles Perrin in 1886. Her writing often explored the complex interactions between British and Indian characters, frequently blending themes of the supernatural with social commentary. Notable works include her short story "Caulfield's Crime," where an Indian fakir's ghostly revenge plays a pivotal role, and her novel The Stronger Claim, which delves into personal and cultural identity upon its protagonist’s return to India.
Perrin's storytelling was characterized by rich descriptions and vivid characterizations, earning her comparisons to Rudyard Kipling. While she enjoyed popularity during her lifetime, particularly among readers intrigued by the British colonial experience in India, her works have faced criticism for perpetuating stereotypes and romanticizing imperialism. Over time, her portrayal of Indian life has been reevaluated, leading to a decline in her literary reputation. Alice Perrin passed away in 1934 in Vevey, Switzerland, leaving behind a complex legacy within Anglo-Indian literature.
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Alice Perrin
Writer
- Born: July 1, 1867
- Birthplace: India
- Died: February 13, 1934
- Place of death: Vevey, Switzerland
Biography
Alice Perrin was born in India in 1867 into a wealthy British family. Her father was Major General John Innes, the son of a baronet, and her mother was Bertha Biederman Robinson. Perrin was educated in England and returned to India after marrying Charles Perrin, an engineer for the Indian public works department, in 1886. The couple left India in 1900.
While in India, Perrin began writing stories that focused on the interactions of British and Indian characters, a theme that was to remain central to all of her writing. Her first short stories deal with antagonisms between Indian and English characters and often tend towards the supernatural, with the physical and spiritual worlds overlapping. In her first story, “Caulfield’s Crime,” an Indian fakir is murdered but returns as a jackal and haunts his murderer until he dies. Similarly, in “In the Next Room,” voices overheard in the next room ultimately save a woman from murder.
Perrin is well regarded for her accurate portrayal of Indian life, keenly descriptive abilities, and varied, incisive characters. Her tales have been compared to the popular British writer Rudyard Kipling’s Plain Tales from the Hills (1888), which also are about India.
In her popular novel, The Stronger Claim, the English protagonist finds himself uncannily drawn to India. Upon his arrival, he discovers family secrets, and he eventually learns that he has Hindu ancestry. In Idolatry, Perrin’s protagonist, raised in England, goes to India to visit her missionary stepfather and hopefully to reunite with a former lover who has recently gained a good deal of money. In India, however, she meets a selfless young missionary who impresses her with his spirituality. The novel was praised for its accurate portrayal of life in India.
Perrin is remembered for her Anglo-Indian fiction that focuses on British colonizers in India. She was very popular in her day, when the British public was greatly interested in India and Anglo-Indian writers who offered insights into India as an exotic locale were in high demand. As critics pointed out, these writers also highlighted and celebrated British imperialism, and Perrin’s work, filled with stereotypes, danger and romance, is no different in that regard. In time, Perrin’s novels and stories about India fell out of favor, and in the late twentieth century she was criticized for exploiting India as a place of mystery and horror which, in fairness, is characteristic of Anglo-Indian fiction.
Perrin died in 1934 in Vevey, Switzerland.