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@article{190963,
        author = {Dr. Rekha B. Raveendran},
        title = {Engineering the Imperial Mind: Environmentalism and Psychological Trauma in the Formative Years of William Conway},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {8},
        pages = {6061-6067},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=190963},
        abstract = {The paper examines Paul Scott’s 1962 novel, The Birds of Paradise, as a profound psychological autopsy of the British imperial project and its subsequent collapse. By tracing the development of the protagonist, William "Piscine" Conway, from his formative years in the princely state of Gopalkand to his post-colonial return in 1961, the study explores how the colonial apparatus utilized behavioral conditioning and John Locke’s "environmentalism" to engineer a "colonial master" identity. The narrative illustrates the "epistemological difficulty" of reconciling the romanticized myths of the Raj with the stark, fragmented realities of a post-independence India. Central to this analysis is the "Birds of Paradise" metaphor, representing the static, artificial existence of both British officers and Indian princes caught in the "Maya" (illusion) of imperial permanency. Through a lens of eco-psychology and Lacanian theory, the paper highlights Conway’s transition from a state of colonial anxiety and "lack" to one of empathy and psychological restoration. Ultimately, the work concludes that true healing for the colonial subject—both occupier and occupied—requires the dismantling of racial mythology and a face-to-face encounter with the authentic, non-romanticized history of the nation.},
        keywords = {Colonial Discourse, Behavioral Conditioning, Princely States, Racial Mythology.},
        month = {January},
        }