A Cognitive Linguistic Analysis of Twilight in Delhi through Prototype Theory

Abstract

This study applies Prototype Theory, a central model in cognitive linguistics, to interpret the characters, symbols, and themes in Ahmed Ali’s Twilight in Delhi (1940). By analyzing cognitive-linguistic dimensions such as category gradience, centrality, and experience-based meaning, the paper uncovers how key figures (e.g., Mir Nihal), motifs (e.g., palm tree, pigeons), and colonial symbols (e.g., English boots) function as cultural prototypes. Through close textual analysis, the research demonstrates how these prototypes anchor the narrative and reflect cultural and psychological decline. The findings suggest that the erosion of these cognitive prototypes mirrors colonial disruption, identity fragmentation, and cultural decay in Indo-Muslim Delhi. This analysis supports the value of Prototype Theory as a literary-critical tool, particularly in postcolonial contexts where shifting categories and hybrid identities dominate the narrative terrain.

Keywords: Prototype Theory, Cognitive Linguistics, Twilight in Delhi, Symbolism, Cultural Decline, Postcolonial Identity