GOVERNING THROUGH FICTION: POLICY MAKING AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IN ENGLISH LITERATURE NOVELS

Abstract

This article examines the relationships among public policy, administrative practices, and English literary fiction. Although policy studies typically depend on legal frameworks, economic assessments, and institutional theories, literature offers an alternative epistemology that reflects the human impacts of government. Novels serve as archives of administrative criticism and as creative realms where alternative governing models are conceived.
This study analyses the works of Charles Dickens, Anthony Trollope, George Orwell, E.M. Forster, and Arundhati Roy to illustrate how literature portrays bureaucratic inefficiency, surveillance, justice, and ethical difficulties in administration. Dickens's Bleak House reveals the stagnation of legal bureaucracy, whereas Oliver Twist analyses the Poor Law and welfare administration. Trollope's The Warden examines the ethical quandaries faced by administrators in reconciling institutional regulations with moral obligations. Orwell's 1984 presents a stark depiction of authoritarian rule, highlighting the repercussions of unrestrained governmental surveillance. Forster's A Passage to India examines colonial governance and its racially biassed legal system, whereas Arundhati Roy's The Ministry of Utmost Happiness highlights the perspectives of marginalised individuals who contest the discriminatory practices of the contemporary state.

This research utilises the Narrative Policy Framework (NPF) and ethical theories of public administration to examine these writings. It contends that literature offers insights into governance that transcend mere efficiency and effectiveness, emphasising equity, justice, and accountability. The analysis includes comparative tables, graphs, and conceptual diagrams to depict the progression of governance themes in literature from the Victorian era to the postcolonial present. Research indicates that novels both critique current policies and foresee future reforms, positioning literature as an essential collaborator in policy innovation.

This study asserts that English literature can enhance public administration scholarship by providing narrative critiques, ethical insights, and humanised perspectives on governance. The use of literature into policy education fosters empathy, critical awareness, and reflexivity among administrators and policymakers.