Vol. 7 Special Issue 1 July
, 2019
Impact Factor: 4.110 ISSN
: 2320-2645
One Day National Level Seminar
Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
30
th
July, 2019
Special Issue Editors
Mr. R. Kannadass
Mr. P. Sridharan
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt)
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Contact No: 04346 263201, 9487655338
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Thiru. C. Muthu, Chairman
Kongu Educational Trust
CHAIRMAN MESSAGE
“Savings is an important tool because it can help the poor deal with the ups and
downs of irregular earnings and help them build reserves for a rainy day”
It provides huge pleasure to notice that the Department of English is organizing the
National seminar on 30
th
July 2019 at Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science within
idea of “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” during this conference vast range of
legendary college and professionals would share vital themes of the conference. I assure
that the Department of English can keep it up doing their works as excellent and build our
college to proud and I wish for their future Endeavour’s.
I would like to congratulate the PG & Research Department of English, the
organizers for having chosen the right topic on right time.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Thiru. P. Gandhi, Secretary
Kongu Educational Trust
SECRETARY MESSAGE
I congratulate to the Department of English planning and organizing a one day
National seminar on 30
th
July 2019 at Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science within
idea of “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies”
I wish whole heartedly and bless all the participants to get utmost benefit and utilize
the conference to the maximum possible extent. I wish that this conference will open up to
new vistas of facing business Challenges.
I wish the National conference a great success.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Thiru. T. Anbu, Treasurer
Kongu Educational Trust
TREASURER MESSAGE
“Investors have been too willing to buy stocks with strong reported earning, even
they do not understand how the earnings are produced”
My exuberant desires to the entire department for grand success of the conference.
My delighted appreciation to the Department of English for conducting the National Level
Seminar on the theme “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on 30
th
July 2019
with fully dedication and commitment. I wish the entire team of PG and Research
Department of English for their intensive work towards the conference.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Thiru. S.Theerthagiri, Correspondent
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science
COLLEGE CORRESPONDENT MESSAGE
“Motivation is the desires of underlying force of any human activity and it is the
wishes or desires which initiate the sequence of events know as behavior”
It gives me an immense pleasure to organize a one day National Level seminar on
“Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on 30
th
July 2019. This seminar is to provide
a platform to exchange their innovative ideas that can be constructively imparted to faculty,
research scholars and students to a national forum for the dissemination of original research
results, new ideas and practical experience which concentrate on both theory and empirics.
I wish the Seminar for great Success.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Thiru. T. Chokkalingam, Correspondent
Kongu Mat. Hr. Sec. School & CBSE, Morappur
SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT MESSAGE
I am very glad to hear that the PG & research Department of English is organizing
National Level Seminar on “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on 30
th
July
2019. I would hearty congratulate to the seminar would certainly platform for academicians,
research scholars and students to exchange their experience, knowledge and ideas and also
with help everyone to have the latest updates. It will definitely pave a way to contribute
more to the field of English.
The Seminar will provide an excellent platform for developing new ideas and
technologies. I am confident that the seminar will be definitely useful for the participant.
I wish all success in this Endeavour.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Dr. N. Gunasekaran, M.Com., M.Phil., MBA., MA., B.Ed., PGDCA., Ph.D.,
Principal, Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
I am glad to note that the PG & Research Department of English is organizing a One
Day National Level Seminar on “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on 30
th
July
2019. In our Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science.
“Success will never lower its standard to accommodate someone: one has to raise
one’s standard to achieve it”
I am sure that the seminar will be very apt and beneficial. I congratulate the PG &
Research Department of English and wise Organizers to make the seminar a success.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Dr. K. Srinivasan, M.Com.,M.Phil.,Ph.D.,
Vice-Principal, Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
VICE- PRINCIPAL MESSAGE
I am happy to note that the PG & Research Department of English of our college is
organizing a National Level Seminar on “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on
30
th
July 2019. I would like to express my appreciation for the great success of National
Level Seminar Conducted by the PG & Research Department of English.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Mr. R. Kannadass, M.A.,M.Phil., B,Ed.,
Head of the Department, PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT MESSAGE
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science is the place which continuously tries
to change of an individual into reality that is how we stand out from among the crowd.
Department has a blend of experience and faculty members making all efforts to engage
with the experience on real information and enriching class room learning.
I really thank my department faculty members for meticulously planning and
organizing a one – day National Level Seminar on “Contemporary Discourses in English
Studies” on 30
th
July 2019. In our Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science.
I am sure that this Seminar will enlighten academicians, young researchers and
students share their thoughts and expertise which will enrich the knowledge and offer much
needed visibility on the future of Innovative English studies.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Mrs. R. Sreelatha, M.A.,M.Phil.,SLET.,
Department of English, Christ Deemed to be University, Bangaluru
CHIEF GUEST MESSAGE
I extend my gleeful, wishes to the Department of English for organizing the National
seminar on the “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on 30
th
July 2019, with full
dedication and commitment the conference will help many scholars and students, I hope
that conference will witness with strong output related to the topics “Contemporary
Discourses in English Studies”.
I extend my best wishes to the entire team of the Department of English for their
magical effort to make this Conference a successful one.
MORAPPUR KONGU COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCE
(Affiliated to Periyar University, Salem-11)
Kongu Nagar, Krishnagiri Main Road, Morappur-635 305, Dharmapuri (Dt).
Phone: 04346 263201, 9487655338
Web: www.morappurkonguarts.com
Dr. M. Vijayakumar, M.A.,M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Research Department of English, VIT, Deemed University, Vellore
CHIEF GUEST MESSAGE
My whole heart desires to the entire department for grand success of the conference
my elated appreciation to the Department of English for conducting the National Level
seminar on the theme “Contemporary Discourses in English Studies” on 30
th
July 2019,
with full dedication. The conference will help many scholars and students, I hope that
conference will witness with strong output related to the topic “Contemporary Discourses in
English Studies”.
I wish the entire team of the Department of English for their concentrated work
towards the Conference.
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
CO-ORDINATORS
Mr. G. Balu, M.A ., M.Phil., M.Ed .,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
Mr. V. Sivakumar, M.A., B.Ed.,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
Mr. P. Sridharan, M.A., M.Phil., (Ph.D).,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
Mr. T. Gnanasekar, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed.,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
Mr. P. Saravanakumar, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed.,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
Miss. N. Lavanya, M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil.,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
Mr. V. Govindraj, M.A.,M.A.,M.Phil.,B.Ed.,
Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Morappur Kongu College of Arts & Science
CONTENT
S.No.
Title
1
Gender Bias in Vijay Tendulkar’s Kamala
Mrs.A.Kali
2
Women’s Attainment of Self- Conservation from the Societal Clenches in
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s Novel Sister of My Heart
B.Shiyamala
3
The Diasporic Perspectiveness of Beast and Man’s Fatal Agony in Yann
Martel’s Life of PI
Dr.V.Kannan
4
Anti-woman Religions and Woman-centric Paganism
S.Sreevidhya
5
Position of Women in India- Pre and Post Independence
M.Kavitha
6
Feminism Confltcis with Migrant Students and Workers
R.Shobana
7
Family and Social Relationship in Arthur Miller’s Play “The Price”
R.Karthik & Dr.Suma Aleya John
8
Gender Based Marginality: Suppression and Oppression in Arthur Miller’s
Broken Glass
Dr.K.M.Kamalakkannan
9
The Dramatic Technique - Symbolism in Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq
Dr.R.Rajeswari & Mrs.E.Geethapriya
10
Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon Delineated Brutality and Genesiology
Dr.R.Rajeswari & Ms.M.Jothimani
11
Gender-Based Marginality in Toni Morrison’s Beloved
R.Kumaresan & Dr.R.Rajeswari
12
Bama’s Karukku Portrayed an Achievement to be an Identity of Vitality,
Virtuous Venture of Voice and a Cheerful Cleverness of Confidence
S.Rubini
13
The Representation of Existentialism in the Select Novel of Saul Bellow
M.Lavanya & Dr.R.Lissy
14
A Cosmodern Reading of Language in David Mitchell’s Novel Cloud Atlas
Dr.(Mrs).R.Lissy & Ms.M.K.Nandhini
15
Cultural Effects of Individual Versus Society in Aravid Adiga’s Select Novels
M.Suba & Dr.R.Lissy
16
Perception of New Indian Women in the Novels of Nayantara Sahgal
Mr.G.Baskar & Dr.P.Santhi
17
Ecological Discourses in Indian English Fiction
Ms.T.Thenmozhi & Dr.T.S.Geetha
18
Gender Inequality in Arundathi Roy’s The God of Small Things
Ms.K.Anupama
19
Rabindranath Tagore’s Chandalika as a Cognitive Play
Mrs.F.Arul Jeevitha Mary
20
The Portrayal of Women as a Marrionete in Henry Ibsen’s a Doll’s House
M.Banupriya
21
The Pictorial Representation of Social Milieu in Kamala Markandaya’s Nectar
in a Sieve
Mrs.S.Kalaiarasi
22
Deracination in the poem House and Land by Allen Munro Curnow
A.Ramani
23
A Brief Study about Transgender
R.Manju
24
Topsy – Turvy condition of the illegal immigrants in Kiran Desai’s “The
Inheritance of Loss”
Dr.R.Andal
25
Feministic Perspective of Shashi Deshpande in a Matter of Time
Mrs.V.Subha
26
An Atlas of Impossible Longing: A Study from the Green Perspectives
T.Cinthiya
27
An Outlook of Ecoregionalism in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide
S.Bharathi
28
Lack of Familial Gusto in Mahesh Dattani’s Where There’s A Will
C.K.Uma Devi & J.U.Gayathri
29
Lack of Familial Love and Affection in Sashi Deshpande’s The Dark Holds No
Terrors
P.Subashini
30
Subjugation and Suppression of Women in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand
Splendid Suns
R.S.Namirah
31
A Tale of Gender Discrimination in Mahesh Dattain’s Play Tara
J.Jency Amirtha
32
Role of Untouchability and Superstitious Beliefs in U.R. Ananthamurthy’s
“Bharathipura”
K.Rukmani Viji & M.Sinthiya
33
A Critique on Shashi Deshpande’s The Dark Holds No Terrors
T.Anitha & S.Alagu Santhana Mari
34
Critical Analysis Thakazhi Sivasankankara Pillai’s Chemmeen
P.Ezhil Deivalakshmi
35
A Critique on Mahasweta Devi’s Bayen
A.Harrin Ashney & S.Praiselin Milcah
36
The Ecological Impacts in the Select Novels of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
V.Packialakshmi
37
An Ecocritical Reading of William Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey”
Dr.G.Somasundaram
38
The Problem of Identifying One’s Identity and its Explosion in Indian English
Literature
S.Nandhini
39
Empowerment of Women in Chetan Bhagat’s Novel Revolution 2020 and Two
States: The Story of My Marriage
S.Rajaprabu & Dr.G.Keerthi
40
Sufferings of Working Class people in Aravind Adiga’s The White Tiger
Dr.M.Sathyaraj
41
Shakespearian Tragic Traits in Bharathiraja’s Muthal Mariyathai
Mr.K.Gopinath
42
Indian Dalit Literature: Identity to Social Equality
Mr.K.Mariyappan
43
Quest for Woman’s Space Inashapurana Debi’s-“Subarnalata”
G.Elezabeth & D.S.Maragatham
44
Linguistics Impact on Classic and Modern Tamil Films
S.Dinesh kumar
45
A Study on Culture in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
S.Ranjith Kumar
46
One Day National Level Seminar On Contemporary Discourses in English
Studies
R.Sinthu
47
The Craftsmanship As Reflected in the Selecet Novels of Patrick White
Dr.V.N.Manjula & S.Ramesh
48
Gender and Sexuality Oscar Wilde
G.Kaviarasan & Dr.B.Visalakshi
49
The Portrayal of Indian Society in Untouchablity Mulk Raj Anand
M.Vijayakumar
1
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Gender Bias in Vijay Tendulkar’s
Kamala
Mrs.A.Kali
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Wavoo Wajeeha Women’s College of Arts and Science
Tamilnadu
Introduction
Vijay Tendulkar’s Kamala demands and deserves a special
applause from every respect and particularly from the thematic point
of view. The play is an ideal proof of Tendulkar’s dramatic art in a
sense that there is a nice blending and at the same time the balance of
all thematic point in it. Point, counter point, all the thematic concerns
are juxtaposed and compared. For example : Sarita against Kamala,
journalism of Kakasaheb against that of Jaisingh and nally as a
journalist against Jaisingh as a man. In Kamala, Tendulkar makes
use of satire in order to scoff not only at the hypocrisy of the urban
upper middle classes but also at the rampant corruption among the
journalists and the tenuous relationship that exists between a husband
and wife.
In the play Kamala, Tendulkar exposes several thematic concerns.
At the  rst glance. ‘Degradation of women in India’ seems to be the
theme of this play. But intense reading brings to the surface some more
interpretations. Another viewer may consider ‘instant journalism’ as
the main focus of the play. Here he deals with the current issues and
points out the ‘drawbacks of investigative journalism’.
The play Kamala is the story of an unfortunate woman Kamala,
sold away in the esh market and being a victim of sexual slavery in
this male-dominated world. The play deals with the issues of buying
and selling of tribal women. Tendulkar uses the play to dwell on the
characteristic suffering of the Indian middle class woman made to
suffer by sel sh, malicious and hypothetical male chauvinistists.
The play presents a self- seeking journalist, Jaisingh Jadav who
treats the women purchased from the esh market as an object that can
buy him a promotion in his job and reputation in his professional life.
by exposing the tribal woman in the press, he desires only publicity.
he does not have any sympathy for the woman Kamala. Jadav never
thinks what will happen to Kamala after this exposure.Through the
exposure of kamala in the press conference Jaisingh wants to prove
the degradation of moral values in modern world but he does not
know that he himself has become a part of such degradation society.
It is proved by the conversation between Kakasaheb and Jaisingh.
Kakasaheb says Jiasingh ,“you sold a woman to them to do so. …
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kali, A. “Gender Bias
in Vijay Tendulkar’s
Kamala.” Shanlax
Internals Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 1–3.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451726
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
2
You sold a woman – that poor illiterate woman – by doing so” (31).
Sarita, Jadhav’s wife is also an object in Jadhav’s life, an object that provides physical enjoyment,
social companionship and domestic comfort. He talks about freedom and equality of women but
at home he does not follow these principles. She performs the duties of an ideal wife as she notes
down all his phone calls if he is not present, prepares delicious meals for him, etc. She is so docile
that Jaisingh’s friend Jain used to call her.
The play shows that the husband – wife relationship between Jadhav and Sarita has deteriorated
to a disgraceful master – slave relationship. In his blind ight towards success, Jaisingh fails as a
husband also. In fact Jadhav, the successful journalist turns out to be cruel not only towards Kamala
but also towards his own wife Sarita. Kamala to him, is only an object that helps him win instant
fame as a journalist.
Sarita is not aware about her own exploitation but the entry of Kamala in the house awakes her
conscience. After her arrival she comes to know that she is treated in the house only as a useful
object. The entry and the condition of Kamala awakes Sarita, so she says,
I was sleep. I was unconscious even when I was awake. Kamala woke me up. With a shock.
Kamala showed me everything. Because of her, I suddenly saw things clearly. I saw that the man I
thought my partner was the master of a slave. Slaves don’t have rights, do they, Kakasaheb? They
must only slave away. Dance to their master’s whim. Laugh, when he says, laugh. Cry, when he
says, cry. When he says pick up the phone, they must pick it up. When he says, come to party, they
must go. When he says, lie on the bed – they. …(46).
This dialogue truly shows Jaisingh’s slave like treatment towards Sarita inside the house. She
cannot prevent her husband when he sends Kamala to orphanage. But her likes, dislikes and
opinions are never taken into consideration by Jaisingh. So, he sends Kamala to the orphanage.
Sarita argues to her husband that Kamala is going to stay here. But Jaisingh says to her, “It is I who
takes decisions in this house, and no one else. Do you understand?”(42).
Here Tendulkar exposes the male -dominated society in which man dominates the woman
whether she is educated or illiterate. The male dominated society never gives her chance to voice
her feelings in the house. She feels that her role remains within the house is as an ideal housewife
to cook, to rear the children and to be obedient to her husband. The condition and status of women
are like living in a cage like situation at home. We can  nd it through the character of Sarita who
is well -educated, but her husband treats her like a slave within the house.
Through this play, Tendulkar comments on the system of marriage in Indian society. In this
play, character of Sarita is purchased legally through transaction under the system of marriage. The
institution called marriage has given the authority to Jaisingh to dominate Sarita. The play is an
evaluation of the role of an Indian woman within the institution called mirage, which is considered
to be the holiest of all ceremonies in our society, de nitely provides a completely novel point of
view showing that women are still mere slaves to their male owners in Indian society in the later
half of the twentieth century.
Tendulkar introduced three female charcters in Kamala such as Sarita, Kamala and Kamalabai.
These three women characters are in some way or other dominated by the male character Jaisingh
Jadhav. Though this three characters Tendulkar reveals the condition of woman in free India.
Conclusion
Tendulkar never tries to reform the society through his drama, but in this play he performs the
role of reformer by presenting the exploitation of Kamala and Sarita through the revolt of Sarita.
After her awaking she denies to go with Jaisingh in the party which is the rst sign of her revolt.
She feels that she is purchased like Kamala and that too, legally. Her conversation with Kakasaheb
truly reveals that she is awaken against the dominance and hypocrisy of her husband.
3
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
In the climax of the play, Jain announces her that Jaisingh has sacked his job and she get shocked
and unconscious. At this very moment Sarita changes her mind. She decides to give moral support
to her husband Jaisingh. In the end of this play, Tendulkar reveals the common mind-set of Indian
women.
Work Cited
1. Tendulkar, Vijay. Kamala, Five Plays, New Delhi: Oxford India Paperbacks, 1995, Eight
Impression, 2006. Print.
2. Prasad, Amar Nath & Satish Barbuddhe. Ed.The plays of Vijay Tendulkar: Critical Explorations,
New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. 2011. Print.
3. Tendulkar, Vijay. Collected plays in Translation, New Delhi: OUP, 2008. Print.
4. Online Source.
5. Kundu, Tannoy. Exploitation of Woman in Vijay Tendulkar’s Plays, Silence! The Court is in
Session and Kamala.Galaxyimrj.com.web. Mar 2013.
6. Paul, Smita.Vijay Tendulkar’s Kamala: Subjucation of Women in Home and the World.
Languagein india.com/smitapaul/articles.html.web 12 Dec 2013.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
4
Women’s Attainment of Self-
Conservation from the Societal
Clenches in Chitra Banerjee
Divakaruni’s Novel Sister of My Heart
B.Shiyamala
Ph.D. Scholar, Periyar University College of Arts & Sceince
Mettur
Abstract
The position of women in our society lacks the primordial aspect and dictated under
the norms of subordination and ignorance. Men are bestowed to the aristocracy and
succumb to accept women’s interactional ability as they fear of what they might
have to lose. Yet the society is unable to observe the fortunes they may receive in
the future by allowing women to take equal opportunities. If the society wants to
evolve and achieve greater goals, women who occupy half of the humanity should be
acknowledged. Thus women are suffering from superiority issues, traditional roles
and inadequacy of understanding among themselves. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
explains the need of autonomy and their rights of selecting their own happiness in
her novel Sister of my Heart. Chitra Banerjee published this novel in 1999, which
presents the emancipation of two women from their boundaries through their own
ow and ebb. It narrates the journey of Anju and Sudha, who have been raised in
a matriarchal household and left to the patriarchal society after their marriage. As
a result, their deep bonding helps them to prevent stumbling from the disasters and
support each other at the verge of falling apart. The author makes the protagonists to
realise their needs and evolve them out of their stagnation.
In her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Mary
Wollstonecraft says, “let them not be treated like slaves; or, like the
brutes who are dependent on the reason of man, when they associate
with him; but cultivate their minds, give them the salutary, sublime
curb of principle, and let them attain consciousness dignity by
feeling themselves only dependent in God” (48). Chitra Banerjee
Divakaruni’s second novel Sister of my Heart penetrates Solacement
with evident to reciprocal bonding of sisterhood. The author tried to
unearth the longing of women to enhance their role as an individual
and not as a doldrums. Chitra Banerjee makes her protagonists Anjali
and Basudha to dream a world beyond suppression and verdicts by
making them as a new woman, who survives as a rebel rather than
a victim in the hands detestable tradition and patriarchy. The novel
revolves around the two sisters who were born on the same day and
meticulously possess different natures and aspirations towards their
life. But their love for each other mends all difference of opinions
and shoulder each other’s burden and errors. Anju states that, “I could
never hate Sudha. Because she is my other half. The sister of my
heart” (Sister of My Heart 11).
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Shiyamala, B.
“Women’s Attainment
of Self- Conservation
from the Societal
Clenches in Chitra
Banerjee Divakaruni’s
Novel Sister of My
Heart.” Shanlax
International Journal
of English, vol. 7,
no. S1, 2019, pp. 4–6.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451728
5
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
The Chatterjee house is managed by three widowed women yet it is bounded by the patriarchal
rules. Gouri and Pishi who are Anju’s mother and aunt always seek the empowerment of the girls
and insist them to get good education. Even after the death of both men Gopal (a distant relative
and Nalini’s husband) and Bijoy (Gouri’s husband) in a ruby hunting, Gouri Ma determined to take
care of the household and to bring them up to the standards of Chatterjee girls. But Nalini, (Sudha’s
mother) is huddled in the belief of typical Indian woman, whose prime duty is to guide and take
care of her husband and proposes a woman’s highest respect will be earned through marriage. Anju
is the one who struggles and questions the inclined society’s nature and limitations harboured by
a woman whereas Sudha possess a calm nature to ow with the events. Their dreams of future are
evident to observe their nature. When Anju expresses her dream as, “I want to run the bookstore.
It’ll be hard to persuade Mother but I’m sure I can. After all I’m her only child, with no competing
brothers. That’s why I ‘m planning to study literature in college” (SMH 74), Sudha wants to have
a happy married life and a family.
According to Kate Millet, “Patriarchal ideology exaggerates biological differences between men
and women, making certain that men always have the dominant or masculine roles and that women
always have the subordinate or feminine ones” (Feminism: A Paradigm Shift, 159). The author
represents the prevailing case of women through Pishi, who had been secluded from everything
due her widowhood. She says, “But when after three years of being a widow I begged my father to
get me a private tutor so I’d at least have my studies to occupy me, he slapped me across the face. I
considered suicide, oh yes, many times in those early years” (SMH 248). Anju boldly opposes this
suppression and states this has been resulted from keeping them as ‘prize cows’ (SMH 52).
However, the author exempli es how the women are preserving each other from all the clutches
of society to obtain happiness and individuality. Once Sudha and Anju have visited the theatre
secretly and happened to meet Ashok. Sudha’s vibrant attitude is exposed after meeting Ashok, a
smart and lovely boy at the theatre and falls in love with him. As it is reported by Sarita aunty, who
caught them red-handed, Sudha has been punished by her mother by putting a halt to her education.
For Nalini, acceptance of society and its opinion is very important than her daughter’s concern.
Though, Anju is blessed with an understanding mother, her dream of higher education is shattered
by the worst health condition of Gouri Ma. Both the girls have been prepared for marriage. Anju
says, “Remember how I promised you, the night your mother decided to shut you up at home, that
I’d make sure the same things would happen to us both? Well, they have” (SMH 91). It provokes
Sudha to make a plan of elopement with Ashok at the same time their alliances have been set up.
But when Sudha realises the hardness and expectations of Manjumdar, the future in-laws of Anju,
she puts off her elopement plan for the sake of Anju. Since, Anju falls for Sunil; Sudha sacri ces
her desire and love. She wants to preserve the happiness of Anju and from falling into a shame due
to her elopement. Sudha explains, “When we reach the garden, the sun is a parched emptiness in the
sky because Sunil’s father will never let him marry a girl whose cousin eloped with a man she met
in a movie house” (SMH 124). So she accepts to marry Ramesh, according to the wish of elders. As
planned, their marriage had taken place and the dear sisters met their separation for the rst time.
Anju settles happily in America, her dream land with her loving husband Sunil and Sudha gets
adapted with the Sanyal family at Bardhaman. As days passed, Sudha is criticised and pressured by
her mother-in-law for not conceiving a baby. The author expresses the maltreatment of society on
women if they fail to bear a child. Raged with Sudha’s despair Anju exasperatedly says to Sunil,
“You probably don’t even see anything wrong in treating a woman that way. You probably agree
with all those Indian men who see a woman as nothing more than a baby machine” (SMH 193). In
order to avoid criticism, woman has to silently bear all the humiliations.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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6
Even though Sudha gets pregnant, her mother-in-law forces her to abort the womb after knowing
that Sudha is conceived with a girl child. In many part of India, people always expect a son to born
rst. This apparently shows how even the right of woman on her womb has been denied and dictated
by someone else. In her book A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf states, “For if two sexes are
quite inadequate, considering the vastness and variety of the world, how should we manage with
one only? Ought not education to bring out and fortify the differences rather than the similarities?”
(79). When Ramesh fails to protect his wife and daughter, Anju advises Sudha to leave the house
and Sudha in order to preserve her daughter’s life and her responsibilities as a mother breaks the
boundaries of a typical Indian woman. She precisely chooses to be a good mother instead of being
a wife to a man, who unks to protect them. As Sudha expresses, “When the test showed that it was
a girl, my mother-in-law said the eldest child of the Sanyal family has to be male- that’s how it’s
been in the last ve generations. She said it’s not  tting, it’ll bring the family shame and ill luck”
(SMH 238).
Though the mothers of the house at rst gets surprised and tries to console the Sanyals, later they
start to preserve the life of both Sudha and her daughter Dayita. They try everything to comfort
Sudha and support her choices. They stand as an example for providing solace to their lovable
daughter when she needs them the most. But it is not the case with every abandoned woman due to
dowry issues, infertility and men’s aws. The author gives the resolution as well as enhances the
support of womanhood. Adding to this, Anju wants to provoke the other possibilities for a fresh
start at America. When Sunil doesn’t show any interest in Sudha’s affairs, Anju decides to preserve
her cousin’s self-respect and prop her up with new opportunities, which cannot be yielded in India
as she breaks the boundaries. Anju says, “I will bring Sudha and her daughter to America. Why
not! She can sew clothes for all the Indian ladies here and maybe nally-open the boutique she
dreamed of’ (SMH 254). In her striving for Sudha, Anju’s health has been deteriorated and resulted
in Anju’s miscarriage.
At that time, Ashok shows his willingness to accept Sudha and she is extremely happy to have
her love back. But again, she wants to preserve her beloved Anju’s health and mental happiness
instead of her love. And Sudha realises the need of self-suf ciency and to create a new environment
where her Dayita will be free from the classi cation and doubtful notions of society. As a mother
she needs to provide a peaceful and lively surrounding where Dayita can dream more than her
mother. Sudha sorely needs a change from the clutches of society which is ready to stamp each
woman for their  aws and inadequacy. Finally the sisters reunited at America with new hopes and
Solacement. Anju expresses her joy as, “But for now the three of us stand unhurried, feeling the
way we  t, skin on skin, into each other’s live. A rain- dampened sun struggles from the clouds to
frame us in its hesitant, holy light” (SMH 322).
Works Cited
1. Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. Sister of My Heart. First Anchor Book Edition, India. 2013.
Print.
2. Tandan, Neeru. Feminism: A Paradigm Shift. Atlantic Publishers& Distributers (P) Ltd., 2008,
2012. Print.
3. Wollstonecraft, Mary. A Vindication of the Rights of Women. Printland Digitals, New Dehi.,
2015. Print.
4. Woolf, Virginia. The Room of One’s Own. Maple Press (P) Ltd., 2018. Print.
7
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The Diasporic Perspectiveness of
Beast and Man’s Fatal Agony in
Yann Martel’s Life of PI
Dr.V.Kannan
Guest Lecturer of English, PG Department of English
Government Arts College (A), Dharmapuri
The Canadian novel ourished as a powerful medium of expression
for Diaspora or migrated people‘s world during the middle of the 20th
century. The periodical power of regional forces inevitably played a
prominent role to relocate people from one place to another in the
world. Yann Martel gained full spread attention and acclaimed with
the publication of his novel Life of Pi. The novel Life of Pi starts
with the chapter author’s note and the protagonist’sLimbo-state of
unexpected experience, as pi recounts events that occurred when
he was 16 years old. The ‘Pi’ in the title is Piscine Molitor Patel, a
middle-aged man who lives in Canada. Pi was the protagonist of Life
of Pi was the precocious son of a pragmatic zookeeper, an Indian boy
fascinated by his nation’s many faiths but forced by its many political
problems to immigrate to Canada along with his family and their
animal charges from Pondicherry. During the voyage of migration,
their ship suddenly wrecks, leaving the boy on a lifeboat along
with few furry survivors; ultimately only Pi and a Tiger (Richard
Parker) remain alive. As the duo drifts through the Paci c Ocean,
struggling to survive the elements in voyage of the ocean, Pi most also
struggle to escape his shipmate; he relies on his wits and his faith in,
intermittently, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam to do so. We never
hear from the tiger again, but we do only hear from Pi. He retells his
story as an adult living in Toronto, in a house whose decor- a portrait
of our lady of Guadalye rests beside a photo of Kaaba; a brass statue
of Shiva stands beneath; a prayer rug lies near a bedside bible. So the
protagonist suffers from the dilemma of maniac migration of multi-
religious belief.
Canada’s dominant cultures were originally British and French,
as well as aboriginal. After Prime Minister Trudeau’s announcement
of the implementation of the policy of multi-culturalism within
a bilingual framework in 1971, Canada gradually became home
to a more diverse population of readers and writers. The country’s
literature has been strongly in uenced by international immigration,
particularly in recent decades. Canada’s research, whether written in
English or French, often re ects the Canadian perspective on nature,
frontier life, and Canada’s position in the world. Canada’s ethnic and
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kannan, V.
“The Diasporic
Perspectiveness of
Beast and Man’s Fatal
Agony in Yann Martel’s
Life of PI.” Shanlax
International Journal
of English, vol. 7,
no. S1, 2019, pp. 7–11.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451732
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
8
cultural diversity is re ected in its literature, with many of its most prominent writers focusing on
ethnic life.
Margaret Atwood is probably the best known modern Canadian author. Other essential novelists
during and after world war II include Morely Callaghan, Gwethalyn Graham, John Buell Hugh
MacLennan, Mordecai Richler, Malcolm Lowry, Ethel Wilson, Robertson Davies, Brain Moore,
Margaret Laurence, Timothy Findlay, Neil Bissoondath, and M.G.Vassanji. Many of their novels
have focused attention on Canadian city life, social problems, and the signi cant problem of
Canadian multi-cultural division.
Canada is divided into many regions – the Maritimes, Ontario, Alberta and Quebec, Saskatchewan,
British Columbia, etc. Each region has its peculiarities which permeate the novels of writers living
there.
Canada is the land of immigrants from England, France, India, China, Japan, Arab countries,
Africa, etc. Hence, it is a land of multiracial and multi-cultural fusion, in which the immigrants
assimilate their varied social and cultural values to form a national culture, but their consciousness
has hidden sparks of their native culture and social bene ts. Thus, Canadian literature has Diasporas’
characters.
The mid-twentieth century novels deal with social reality. Mac Lennan’s famous novel Barometer
Rising is a realistic novel which graphically describes the destruction of Halifax, a great Canadian
city during World War I. It presents a con ict between the pre-war and posts war Canada. Neil
Marcrae, Penelope Wain and Angus Murray represent the war time Halifax, the symbol of the
old colonial order. Colonel Wain, on the other hand, represents the new generation, the youth of
Canada. Sinclair Ross’s rst novel As for My House and Me is memorable. Collin Mc Dougall’s
Execution is a realistic novel. And also the notable authors Alice Ann Munro and Yann Martel.
Martel then gained international recognition with Life of Pi, about the son in a family of Indian
zookeepers and his journey to Canada. The resulting acclaim, including the Booker Prize, brought
Martel an invitation to teach at the Free University of Berlin, Germany, which he accepted. In
2007, Martel began sending Canadian Prime Minister Stephan Harper a book every two weeks,
reportedly out of concern that Harper was not in the habit of reading. By the time he stopped in
2011. Martel had sent Harper a total of 101 books, starting with Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan
Ilyich (1886) and ending with In Search of Lost Time (1996), a six-volume set by Marcel Proust.
Martel has been praised for his investigation of gender roles and the subjective nature of self and
Diaspora cultural characters. Martel attained vast comprehension with the publication of his novel,
Life of Pi. The ‘Pi’ in the title is Piscine Molitor Patel, a middle-aged man who lives in Canada.
The story is mostly told in retrospect, as Pi recounts events that occurred when he was sixteen years
old. As a boy, Pi’s family decides to emigrate from India to Winnipeg. His father, the keeper of
a municipal zoo in India, plans to bring some of the zoo’s animals to Canada and sell them when
he arrives. There is a shipwreck, and Pi is the only human survivor. He nds himself standing on
a lifeboat with some of the animals, including a Zebra, a Hyena, an Orangutan and a Bengal tiger
named Richard Parker. Over Pi’s 227 days on the lifeboat, the food chain is demonstrated as the
Hyena eats rst the Zebra and then the Orangutan. The tiger then eats the hyena, and Pi feeds the
rat to the tiger, train to keep him from being eaten. Pi realizes that the only way to key the tiger
from eating him is to learn to coexist with Richard Parker. He marks his territory on the boat with
urine and ultimately comes to love the tiger. Eventually, the ship comes ashore in Mexico, where
Richard Parker runs off into the Mexican wilderness. Pi recounts his tale to local of cials, who do
not believe his story. He retells the story to them allegorically substituting people for the animals.
Pi’s tale of survival on the boat interspersed with discussions of philosophy and religion and doubt
emerge as running themes in work.
9
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The novel Life of Pi begins with the chapter Author’s note. An anonymous author’s gure
explains that he traveled from his home in Canada to India because he was feeling restless.
There, while sipping coffee in a café in the town of Pondicherry, he met an old man name Francis
Adirubasamy who offered to tell him a story fantastic enough to provide him faith in god. This
story is that of Pi Patel. The author then changes into the story itself, but not before expressing his
reader that the account will come across more naturally if he says it in Pi’s voice.
Part one is narrated in the rst person by Pi. Pi describes from an advanced age, looking back
at his earlier life as a high school and college student in Toronto, then even further back to his
boyhood in Pondicherry. He tells that he has suffered intensely and found solace in religion and
Zoology. He explains how Francis Adirubasamy, a close business associate of his father’s and a
competitive swimming champion, taught him to swim and bestowed upon in his unusual name. Pi
is described after the Piscine Molitor, a Parisian swimming club with two pools that Adirubasamy
used to frequent. We see that pi’s father once ran the Pondicherry zoo, teaching Pi and his brother,
Ravi, on the dangerous nature of animals by maintaining a live goat to a tiger before their young
eyes. Pi, brought up as a Hindu, discovers Christianity, then Islam, choosing to practice all three
religious simultaneously.
At the beginning of Part Two, the ship is beginning to sink. Pi clings to a lifeboat moreover
encourages a tiger, Richard Parker, to join him. Then, recognizing his mistake in bringing a wild
animal abroad, Pi leaps into the ocean. The narrative jumps back in time as Pi explains the explosive
noise and chaos of the sinking: crew members throw him into a lifeboat, where he soon nds
himself directly with a zebra, an orangutan and a hyena, all seemingly in shock. His family is gone.
The storm subsides, and Pi sees his dark situation. The hyena kills the zebra and the orangutan, and
then to pi’s intense surprise- Richard Parker reveals himself: the tiger has remained in the bottom of
the lifeboat all along. Soon the tiger kills the hyena and Pi, and Richard Parker is alone collectively
at sea. Pi subsists on canned water, and  ltered seawater, emergency rations and freshly caught sea
life. He also gives for the tiger, whom he masters and trains.
The days pass slowly, and the life boat’s passengers coexist warily. Through a bout of temporary
blindness brought on by dehydration, Pi has a run-in with another blind castaway. The two discuss
food and their boats to one another. When the blind man attacks Pi, intending to eat him, Richard
Parker kills him. Not long after, the ship pulls up to a strange island of trees that grow directly out
of vegetation, without any soil. Pi and Richard Parker stay here for a time, sleeping in their boat
and exploring the island during the day. Pi discovers a massive colony of Meerkats who sleep in the
trees and freshwater ponds. One day, Pi nds human teeth in a tree’s fruit and concludes that the
island eats people. He and Richard Parker head back to sea, nally washing ashore on a Mexican
beach. Richard Parker runs off, and villagers take Pi to a hospital.
In part three two of cials of the Japanese Ministry of Transport interview Pi of his time at sea,
they are hoping to shed light on the fate of the doomed ship. Pi describes the story as above, but
it does not fully satisfy the skeptical men. So he repeats it, this time following the animals with
humans: a ravenous cook instead of a hyena, a sailor instead of a zebra and his mother instead of
the orangutan. The of cials note that the two stories match and the second is far likelier. In their
de nitive report, they commend Pi for living so long with an adult tiger.
Yann Martel’s Life of Pi uses meticulously researched details about zoological oddities such
as the eating and sleeping habits of sloths and tigers to lull readers into believing that the world
Pi inhibits rational. Pi’s survival for 227 days in a lifeboat on the Paci c stretches credulity, but
Martel is so detailed about the ordinariness of this ordeal that our disbelief is suspended. We even
come to accept that it might just be possible that a 450 pound Royal Bengal tiger could be cowed
into submission by the movement of the waves and the need to be fed. Martel tips his hand when
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10
Pi lands on an island of self- sustaining, fresh-water generating algae covered in a veritable carpet
of Meerkats. As delightful as this false paradise is, it is impossible, and not so pleasant either as Pi
discovers to his horror. With this unsettling revelation about the unreality of Pi’s world in mind,
readers are then confronted in the nal chapters with the over throw of all that they have understood
about the story. The ultimate challenge to readers is to which account they choose to believe. Is
truth more than what we can see and measure? Life of Pi is an adventurous emigrational novel. It
is a novel about religion, philosophy, science, and above all, the relationship between these things
and Diasporas characters.
Many critics have regarded the book’s resemblance to Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi with
Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Old Man and the Sea. Both stories have featured on an immigrant
struggle between man and beast against fate. In The Old Man and the Sea, a sailor struggles to pull
in a mighty marlin, while in Life of Pi, Pi and Richard Parker con ict for dominance on the lifeboat.
Both the Pi and sherman learn to respect their animal counterparts; each pair is connected in their
mutual suffering, resolve, and strength. Although they are competitors, they are also partners, ally,
even double, have the indifferent intention to elude from death.
Besides, both novels emphasize the importance of endurance of fatal migration in an irresistible
natural force. Because death and destruction are inevitable, both books present life as a choice
between only two options: defeat or endurance until destruction. Whatever the real story, Martel
suggests Scliar in his Author’s Note, thanking him for “the spark of life.”
“Despair was a heavy blackness that let no light in or out. It was a hell beyond expression. I
thank God it always passed. A school of sh appeared around the net, or a knot cried out to be
reknotted. Or I thought of my family, of how they were spared this terrible agony. The blackness
would stir and eventually go away, and God would remain, a shining point of light in my heart. I
would go on loving”. (209)
According to Pollock and Van, Reken TCK tends to struggle more than others with a “migratory
instinct” because “an unrealistic attachment to the past, or a persistent expectation that the next
place will nally be home, can lead to inner restless that keeps the TCK always moving” (125).
Even though Martel’s parents were Canadian, his father’s position as a diplomat meant that Martel
was born in Spain and “grew up in Alaska, British Columbia, Costa Rica, France, Ontario, and
Mexico” (Sielke 12). As an adult Martel “spent time in Iran, Turkey, and India (12). In a sense,
Martel writes the ‘migratory instinct’ into Pi’s character by forcing Pi into a sense of rootlessness.
Martel takes Pi from his home in India to the Paci c, then to Mexico, and nally has him settle
in Canada, where he longs for the home that he had with his family. But this home does not exist
longer.
Pi’s experience illustrates that starvation is a physical sensation with emotional and metaphysical
consequences. Initially, Pi is reduced to weeping over the rst sh that he kills. Hunger and the
desperation that results from starvation quickly alter Pi’s attitude. He shifts from a timid vegetarian,
respectful of all sentient life, to a vicious pescetarian, a vegetarian, who eats seafood. Two pages
after he weeps over the death of his rst kill he explains: “you may be astonished that in such a short
period I could go from weeping over the muf ed killing of a ying  sh to gleefully bludgeoning to
death a Dorado…” (185). Pi attributes this dramatic shift in his behavior to the simple and brutal
truth that a person can get used to anything, even to kill. This moment in Pi’s journey is one of the
most apparent indicators that Pi’s stories are about ethical truth.
Life of Pi is again instructive here. Recall at the outset that in addition to describing Pi as
simultaneously a Hindu, Christian, and Muslim, it was also mentioned that he was a trained
zoologist. This point of distinction is not incidental to the story and the development of its main
character. For one, it provided a connection between Pi’s old life in India and his new life in
11
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Canada, giving some continuity to a life story tragically interrupted at sea. While growing up as
a young boy, Pi’s father owned and operated the city zoo. This intimate knowledge of the life of
a zookeeper gave Pi the necessary know-how to survive the long ordeal adrift at sea sharing a
lifeboat with his 450-pound tiger companion (or at least so Pi would have us believe). But it was
also at least partly the cause of the ordeal in the rst place. The reason Pi and his family were
traveling by boat across the paci c was that they were bringing their zoo animals with them to
liquidate their family assets by selling off the animals to the highest North American bidders. At
this time, God did not provide a haven for the renewal of his creation, but instead, Pi, his family
and an entire boatload of animals worthy of a whole zoo were almost entirely lost at sea. And but
for the ingenuity of the sixteen year- old Pi all would undoubtedly have been lost.
Pi, during his journey in the Paci c Ocean, had a devastating experience. He lost his family
after the shipwreck. Though he survived, he was living with a wild animal which may devour him
anytime. He almost lost hope because, in the vast Paci c, he believes that no one can rescue him.
There were even times that he questioned God’s existence, and he felt that he has abounded. With
his experience, Pi almost gave up and almost stopped holding on to his faith.
The attempt by Pi’s family to migrate to Canada is presented in a similar way to these zoo animal
escapes, emphasizing the involuntary nature of some contemporary migrations. As he describes the
family’s preparations to leave India, Pi likens himself and his brother to zoo animals: “two animals
were being shipped to the Canada Zoo. That’s how Ravi and I felt. We did not want to go. We did
not want to live in a country of gale-force winds and minus- two- hundred – degree winters (88).
This comparison suggests some awareness of captive animal’s lack of control (it might also refer
to the removal of zoo animals from their natural climates). For Pi’s father, the decision to leave has
more in common with the discussion of the zoo animal’s escapes. Pi says,
People go in the hope of a better life… Any business is a risky business and none more so than
small business, the one that risks the shirt on its back... People move because of wear and tear and
anxiety… Because of the feeling that nothing will change, that happiness and prosperity are only
possible somewhere else. (77-79)
Pi explains that “In February 1976, the Tamil Nadu government was brought down by Delhi…
it was to Father the crowning touch in Mrs.Indra Gandhi’s dictatorial takeover of the nation.”(78).
Thus, the possible parallels with escaping zoo animals could be seen to liken the Patel’s to animals
in their incomplete autonomy. The boys are being moved against their will (initially) as zoo animals
are, while their parents are moving only to get away from something, as animals are described as
doing.
Works Cited
1. Martel, Yann, Life of Pi, A novel published in 2012.
2. Whitlock, Nathan. Review of the Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Quill &Quire 67, no.8 (August
2001): 22-23.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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12
Anti-woman Religions and
Woman-centric Paganism
S.Sreevidhya, M.A, M.A, M.A, B.Ed, B.L.I.S, M.Phil, SET, NET.,
Assistant Professor and Head, King College of Arts and Science
Namakkal
Feminism
Feminists argue that women are not treated on par with what they
deserve. Their status in the society is still degraded and minimized
within the societal norms of family and its invisible handcuffs.
Women are looked upon as inferior to men, indeed. Feminists accuse
the age-old dominance of the men-folk of being responsible for female
subservience to men; It has been pointed out by most feminists that
the masculine world cannot justify it’s being regarded as the very type
of humanity and that women seen as relative to men.
Language as a tool
In short, the patriarchal world misrules its better half and feminism
represents one of the most important, social, economic, aesthetic
revolutions of modern times. Female subservience, in my opinion, has
its roots in almost all religions and the literary history that followed.
As to the English Language, terms like humanity, human resources
and chairman do exhibit strong notion of patriarchy, though these
terms suppose d to denote the entire understanding. Only after a
long-fought struggle waged by the western feminists, the common-
non-sexist terms ‘humanity’, ‘personnel,’ and ‘chairperson’ came into
being. ‘Ms’ is being used as an equivalent to ‘Mr.’, instead of ‘Mrs.
‘which is to be  rmly condemned as a sexist term.
What Religions say
Rig Veda: Women are not faithful.
Manu Dharma: Woman is undeserved to enjoy freedom. She is
greedy and treacherous.
Buddha: Women ought to be ashamed to show their face before
men.
Christianity: Woman is created for man. She shall abide by the
wishes of her husband, revering him a God.
Islam: Women shall practice ‘purdah.’ They should not go out on
their own without the company of their male guardian.
Jain scriptures: Woman with her body cannot attain salvation.
Religions, in short view women as mere tools that have been
created for the sole purpose of entertaining and making men happy.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Sreevidhya, S. “Anti-
Woman Religions
and Woman-Centric
Paganism.” Shanlax
International Journal
of English, vol. 7,
no. S1, 2019, pp. 12–15.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451734
13
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
of course, there was a time when women were treated on par with men. Women too were hunters
then. Civilization ourished with agriculture, and a land-owning class emerged. Wealth brought
out changes in man, and each man wanted to make sure that his biological children alone inherit it.
As a consequence, morality as an inherent quality was made mandatory for women.
Role of Great People
Some great people looked upon women in high esteem. According to Swami Vivekananda,
“Society is like a bird, and men and women are its wings. If one wing is damaged, the bird cannot
y”. To the tremendous poet-philosopher Khalil Gibran, “Women opened the windows of my eyes
and doors of my spirit. Has it not been the woman-mother, the woman-sister, and the woman-
friend, I would have been sleeping among those who seek the tranquility of the world with their
snoring”. To quote the ex-prime minister of India, Mrs.Indira Gandhi, “Humanity is deprived of
half its energy and creativity if the women are neglected.” But these voices sound in vain with the
well-settled notions of religions in India.
Mother India
In the Indian context, women are brainwashed for long, to blindly go after many religious
customs, never realizing the right intention and core of religions which have always joined hands
against them. The women representation in the parliament of independent India is still less than
8%, and it is less than 6% in the Lok Sabah. The women representation in our Supreme, as well as
High Courts, is less than 4%. Women working as administrative heads are less than 3%. This great
country’s agricultural sector ef ciently employs and exploits 80% of the women-folk whose labor
is unrecognized and underpaid. Data collected by NGO’s clearly show that equal wage for equal
work remains a dream. In other sectors, too, the labor of women is underestimated. The literacy of
men in India is 65.5, whereas, in women, it is only 50%. Every 3 minutes, a woman falls victim
to sexual violence and degradation; young girls, aged women, and even children are not spared.
We listen to people of prominence advising us, women-folk, to behave modestly and take care
not to induce our Adams towards evil ideas like the silly-Eve. But yes, our prime minister has, to
his credit a thoughtful comment, ‘Parents ought to control boys. Boys are to be taught to behave
themselves and to respect women.
Women on Board
In Big Divas connection with women are still not on board, an extensive report by leading
law rm Khaitan & coin, international network of learned women titled ‘Women on Boards’:
A Process, Policy and Implementation Road map found that, among the 1,470 public classi ed
companies in India, the number of women managers on board were 350, serving only 4% of the
total number of independent lmmakers on board. The report found one- fth of the world’s 200
largest companies have no women directors. The largest economies- the U.S, China, and Japan
which have no quotas for women in board rooms, had the lowest growth of women on boards,
suggesting that unless pushed, change does not occur, the report said.
Administrative Position
Number Chancellor - 3
Vice-chancellor - 12
Pro-Vice-chancellors - 3
Registrars - 7
Deans - 72
Directors - 11
*Women Administrators in Indian Universities.
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14
Breaking Down Barriers for Gentlewomen in the Workplace
“With economic models straining in every corner of the world, none of us can afford to perpetuate
the barriers facing women in the workplace” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at the new APEC
Women’s Summit in San Francisco.
According to researcher Kristen Schilt, men force have the most to say regarding those barriers-
in particular, the men who know how women are treated in the workplace from  rsthand expertise.
Schilt’s research investigates the world of work, as seen through the participation of transgender
men. Take Thomas, for illustration. When Thomas replaced Susan at trial, a man going at an
associated company told Thomas’s boss that it was good to move to re Susan, due to her
inexperience, but that the “new guy”(Thomas) was excellent. What the work associate did not
recognize was that Susan has transitioned to enhance Thomas at the industry.
In other word, Susan and the “new guy” was the same person with the same skills and abilities.
As Schilt describes it, many Trans men “moderate being treated as not just different from women
but better than women” at work.
A case study on gender-related barriers – Questionnaire
Do you feel inferior as a woman?
Do you have decision making power?
Do you balance your role at the workplace and home?
Are you comfortable with your colleague men?
Who do you like your superior to be?
Is your labor recognized at the workplace?
Do you face pressures at the workplace?
Do you receive the same dignity and respect enjoyed by men in society?
What according to you, is the most signi cant barrier for women at the workplace?
Suggest st overcome these barriers.
100% of women answered that they never feel inferior to women. To all the questions they
pointed towards the patriarchy that still prevails in the society. All of them claimed that they work
hard in vain. All of them unanimously agreed that they never receive the same dignity and respect
enjoyed by men in society. Few felt that women themselves are enemies to the other women.
An Analysis arrived based on a Questionnaire given to 25 women faculty members at Selvam
College of Technology, Namakkal is given below.
71.4% of women rmly believe that they are not given the same respect and dignity as that of
men.
24% believe that they are respected according to personal reasons like power and wealth.
4.6% of women believe that men are more skilled.
The repressed cry of the women-folk all over the world is in existence. Rajam Krishnan,
renowned Tamil writer, and activist once expressed her anguish to a young writer thus. “Reasons
which transformed me into a feminist 50 years ago, to ght for the rights of women-folk are still
seen around, and now you people are continuing my struggle. I do not know whether this would
come to an end.
Paganism
On the contrary to most religions, the age-old ‘Paganism’ of Europe tends to have had certain
lofty ideals about the status of women in particular. Paganism dates back to the worship of Mother
Goddess that was in practice for many decades and ceased to exist with the advent of organized
Christianity. The novel Da-Vinci-code written by Don Brown brings forth the historical conspiracy
against women through the clues left by the legend painter Leonardo-da-Vinci, who, the book
claims o be a Pagan worshipper.
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Paganism is a religion invented in the course of the second to third centuries AD; is a broad group
of indigenous and historical polytheistic religious traditions- primarily those of cultures known to
the classical world. Pagans generally believe that divinity is found in mind and nature. By the late
half of the 4th century in the Greek-speaking East, pagans were-paradoxically –most commonly
called Hellenes. ‘Hellenes” or “gentile” (ethnos) remained the word for “pagan.” Nature generally,
and Agrarian, in particular, had been the characteristic of paganism.
As for women, the promiscuity, which is the surest sign of her degradation, never existed as
a general or stable characteristic of primitive folk. In ancient Egypt her position was far higher
than in late; it was high too among the Teutons. The glimpses we have of ancient matriarchates
speak much for the older, honorable position of women; their peculiar festivals (as in Greece, of
the Thesmophoria and Arrephoria; in Rome, of the BonaDea) and certain worships, as of the local
Korai or Isis. Women priests and women-centered customs were prominent. Paganism revered
Motherhood and speaks of love for mother.
Neopaganism
Some currents of Neopaganism, inappropriate, Wicca, have a ditheistic concept of a single goddess
and an only god, who in his games represent a united whole. Polytheistic reconstructionists focus
on reconstructing polytheistic religions, including the various goddesses and gures associated
with indigenous cultures.
The term theology is sometimes used in the context of the Neopagan Goddess movement, a pun
on theology and “goddess” intended to intimate a feminist approach to theism.
The Goddess movement is a loose grouping of social and religious phenomena that grew out
of second-wave feminism, predominantly in North America, Western Europe, Australia, and New
Zealand in the 1970s, and the spiritual center as well. Spurred by the insight that women were
not treated equitably in many religions, some women turned to a Female Deity as more in tune
with their spiritual needs. Education in the Arts became a vehicle for the study of humanitarian
philosophers like David Hume at that time. A unifying theme of this diverse movement is the
femaleness of Deity (as opposed and contrasted to a patriarchal God).
It is quite interesting that the male-dominant west had had touches of eastern religions in which
‘Mother Goddess’ has a vital role. ‘Paganism is all in praise of the virtuous feminine. If read
completely. Paganism is undoubtedly knowledge with new dimensions to the present-day feminism
while challenging all existing religions in this regard.
To conclude, ‘Paganism’ which held a woman in high esteem, revered her as Goddess should
take over the patriarchy to ensure that women enjoy their deserving status and of course what the
constitutions of men of all nations have guaranteed them for namesake. It is the high time women
should realize the conspiracy of all religions against them in double-crossing women’s rights and
equality, which are yet to be implemented.
References
1. ‘Women on board’- Deccan Chronicle, Chennai page 13, 7.8.2014.
2. J.Donaldson, ‘Women in ancient Greece and Rome, etc……among the early Christians’
London.1907.
3. C.S.Devas; ‘Studies of family love’ London, 1886.
4. UNICEF.2007.’Equality in Employment’, Newyork. United Nations Children’s Fund.
5. World Survey on the Role of Women in Development. 2009 Newyork. United Nations.
6. Al-Ahram Weekly | Culture | Islamic feminism: what’s in a name?
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16
Position of Women in India- Pre
and Post Independence
M.Kavitha
Assistant Professor of English, Sree Sakthi Engineering College
Karamadai
Abstract
India is being known for respecting women and even worshiping as Goddess but the
fact is that women in India have been ill treated and made to face in human condition
at all level of her journey right from her birth. The origin of status of women
can be traced to Manu in 200 BC. The women were not allowed to do anything
independently even at her home and she could not take any decisions by herself
whether its relating to her own self or any other family matters. However, there are
many other circumstances which are common i.e. they are restricted at home, with
restriction on their mobility and alone in seclusion.
Old and Awful practices are another major cause, which means women is always
treated as home maker, house wife and to play the role that of a mother and wife.
Though there are changes in such old practices in the rest of the world, such norms
dominates in forefront in India and is successful in restricting rights and every other
freedoms which are required to be given to the women. They are kept away from
public forum and as a result in Indian politics the women‘s participation is hardly
visible.
Keywords: India- respecting women- worshiping- ill treated- condition- journey- birth-
status- traced-200 BC- not allowed- independently- home- decisions- relating- own self-
family matters- circumstances- common- mobility- seclusion- Old and Awful- major
cause- changes- dominates- forefront- successful- freedoms- required- public forum-
women‘s participation.
Introduction
During Vedic period, whether equal rights were existing between
men and women or not. But it was understood from the available
sources that the attitude towards women were liberal and free policies
and practices were prevailing pertaining to women were followed.
There were practices whereby women were given the chance to
actively participate in the religious and social work. Even the women
were allowed to select their own life partner and a widow was permitted
to remarry to another partner for better prospect .However, as India
started growing and taking steps forward towards the civilization,
growth and development, the social discrimination towards women
increased in all its spheres.
During late vedic period, Jainism and Buddhism emerged as potent
religious reform movements which brought with it many changes
religiously. Jainism shared various prejudices caused to the women
in its passages of canon and in the form of maxims. According to
Buddhism, women‘s
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kavitha, M. “Position
of Women in
India- Pre and Post
Independence.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 16–19.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457003
17
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Spiritual capacities were equivalent to that of men‘s. Religion of Buddhism began as to treat the
women and men equal with respect to personal development by the following path of spiritualism.
During early Vedic period the status of women were highly enjoyed and had slowly started
diminishing during the late Vedic period. The male child were given more importance because he
could be legal heir and legal representative of family property. Since the state saw steep increase in
the economic and social status which sons started getting, it witnessed the position of women at a
very declining state.
The age of Dharmashtras, the position of women reached an all time low. During this age
wherein different codes of conduct, prescribed the various behaviour norms for women which were
made and implemented. This period saw the exclusion of women from both economic and religious
sphere. During the period of Dharmashastra many rituals started cropping in the Hindusim such as:
a) Child marriage was encouraged.
b) Widow marriage was looked down and they were not allowed to remarry.
c) The birth of girl child was considered as a bad luck and therefore in order get rid of bad luck of
the family, people went to the extent of killing the female child. Sati pratha came into existence
and the said practice became wide spread. Women thought it was better to be sati then to suffer
because of that women started burning themselves with the pier of the husband.
In Medival India, the Purdah system which was prevalent among royal families, nobles and
merchant class of people prior to the Muslims empire, started to spread to other class of people
also. During the medieval period, the bad practices increased and they are follows:
a) polygamy,
b) sati,
c) child marriage,
d) ill treatment of widows.
Status of Women in Different Countries
In Pakistan, woman are deprived of their basic rights and their sufferings starts as soon as she
comes to this world and more so even prior to her birth. Girl’s fetuses are aborted every year in
order to avoid the baby child. They think that girl child she invites problems to the family. There
are some baby girls who survive all the odds and they become the one who are unwanted children.
Such baby‘s life is lled with subordination with the male members who dominates them right
from the beginning in each and every phase of their life. The most women of Pakistan has no right
to make any decision may it be to decide on meal or for deciding her marriage and choosing the life
partners. Before women were married they are under strict supervision of their father. Further they
are always doubted in character especially when they go to school and communicates with other
male students. Women are unable to make their choices about their life partner and therefore, their
marriages are being decided and arranged by the family without concurrence of women.
Chinese women does enjoy a very admiring status in legal as well as society. Before 1949, china
was a semi feudal and colonial state and therefore, there was lot of pressure of patriarchal system
on the women however, the same was changed along with new foundation of China in 1949. Status
of women of old china were not very admiring since they have no political rights as well they
even had no society freedom. Women were absolutely dependent on their family for their  nancial
needs, further they had no rights of inheritance and no right in the property. Women of china were
not working and therefore they had no source of independent income. So they had no status as far
as society is concerned. They were lead by father at their home and after marriage, they followed
husband and in their last phase of life they were been lead by the son. Founding of New China saw
various social movements and various law reforms could be seen.
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The United States of America is a federation of fty sovereign states. Therefore there were
different practices being followed by all the States lacking uniformity in the laws and rules. The
Constitution of United States has given limited powers to states to make laws concerning only to
states. Whereas other laws such as property rights, in heritance, domestic relations concerning
women lies separately with centre. Section 1 of the United States Constitution states that Citizens
are the people of United States or any states that are born in the particular state or naturalized in the
that particular state. Therefore, the state should not enact or implement the laws which are against
the privileges granted to the citizens. Further, citizens shall not be deprived of their rights of life
and liberty without following due process of law.
Arab women have not seen greater freedom or expanded rights since the beginning of Arabian
countries. The survey results found that Egypt is the worst country to be a woman living in the
Arab followed closely by the other countries Iraq and Saudi Arabia. There are Nineteen countries
which signed the U.N. Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination against Women. In
the survey the questions which were put to all the nations, were based on the said convention.
UK was no different from other countries with regard to oppression of women‘s rights. Women
at the ancient cultures also were subordinated to men socially and legally. Women were treated
inferior right from the human came into existence. All mention in documents, scriptures and some
cases do justify inferiority of women to man.
In Ancient Greece, Athenian women were not allowed to avail the education further they were
married at puberty to a grown up men without her consent. Women were considered and treated as
the property of their family/fathers. Her family used to take all the decisions for them like marriage,
divorce. Further also get them married to another person. In making all the decisions regarding
women, women‘s choice are not taken into consideration at any stage.
Women at Canada has all the rights and protection available for the right development and
protection for safeguarding their rights. Canada is a leader country which promotes and protects
the women‘s rights and issues arising out of gender inequalities. In Canada, Central Government
takes the responsibilities of making policies on all these issues. Canada is a nation which clearly
understands as well as believes that equal rights to all is not only required for better human rights in
the nation but also required for the sustainable development, social justice, peace, and security for
all the human beings / citizens. Sustainable development in terms of security, peace and other can
be achieved, only when women are given equal right to take part in development as well as decision
making i.e. in politics. Various rights are enshrined and recognized in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women (CEDAW). Canada is a member of United Nations General Assembly. Further,
1981 CEDAW was rati ed by Canada. After signing the said convention, it took lot of measures to
make/ amend the laws and put in place various mechanism for implementing the laws and policies.
After becoming the con rming party to CEDAW, it was governments responsibility to take the
steps as per the standards set in CEDAW. Further strong mechanism is required for implementation.
UN made lot of emphasis on promoting and safeguarding the women‘s rights and therefore, lot of
progress could be seen in gender equality. After all these steps also, the struggle was yet to get over
and go long way before achieving the ideal situation.
Modern India
When the arrival of British in India, the position of women saw many changes. The East India
Company was mainly a trading company involved in trade in India. To expand their business, they
started acquiring many territories and states in India. Since they started facing lot of issues while
doing their own business of trading, the question of law and order in the acquired territories, posed
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a great challenges before the East India Company. In order to handle the law and order situation,
the company acquired the rights to make laws related to the crimes. Women were denied basic
rights as well which included:
a) equal matrimonial rights to property,
b) rights to widows to remarriage,
c) adoption and divorce rights,
Therefore, the 19th century is often termed as the century of social reform. The criticism by
colonial authorities triggeredangerness among the people of India which had caused a serious threat
to theruling of colonial rule in India. Thereafter, it was declared by the queen that they will not be
interfering in religious matters of the people of India. Status of women changed in all these years
due to many reasons amongst environmental and institutional factors. Technological changes due
to developing science created new roles which in turn have created new demands for the women
labour.
Conclusion
Status of women changed in all these years due to many reasons amongst environmental and
institutional factors. Technological changes due to developing science created new roles which in
turn have created new demands for the women labor.
After independence though, the Indian constitution was drafted and many rights and freedoms
were granted but the status of women had not improved. It only during 1954 and 1956 that, our
parliament drafted many laws relating to Hindu marriage and divorce Act, succession Act, laws
relating to Adoption, minority and guardianship Act were enacted and thereafter the women got
equal rights as men and the status of women started developing. Old and Awful practices are
another major cause, which means women is always treated as home maker, house wife and to
play the role that of a mother and wife. Though there are changes in such old practices in the rest
of the world, such norms dominates in forefront in India and is successful in restricting rights and
every other freedoms which are required to be given to the women. They are kept away from public
forum and as a result in Indian politics the women‘s participation is hardly visible.
Work Cited
1. Status / position of women in society – pre independence and post independence, AVM
Printers, 214, 4th Street, New York,1987.
2. https://shodhganga.in ibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/135868/10/10_chapter%203.pdf.
3. https://www.google.com/search?safe=strict&client= refox-b-ab&ei=cLs6XfeGFpPFz7sPjL
GY0AI&q=role+of+women+in+pre+and+post+independence.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_India.
5. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/womens-movements-in-india-pre-independence-
womens-movements/32975.
6. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/women/position-of-women-in-the-post-independence-
era/47398.
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20
Feminism Con tcis with Migrant
Students and Workers
R.Shobana, M.A.,M.Phil.,BEd.,
Abstract
Feminism the word its not only a word it’s came from the inter-feelings of feminine.
The word of Migration and feminine it’s the same thing, the bird also followed the
migration. Is the regular seasonal Movement, often East and west , along a  yaway
between breeding and wintering grounds But. Women leaving their country for
studies and work, Because, they want uncertain money for some personal issues and
family issues, so, they are migrant give up own emotions, desires, aim, habitual,
which kind of con icts they will meet the migration studies and works this is the
major theme of the presentation.
Keywords: Discrimination, equilibrium introvert, Excertion, forerunner, interdisciplinary,
Discription, con licts, Contribution, Barriors, Waged, smear.
Introduction
To move our understanding of issues forward in-depth analysis
using best impacts how to provide the fact of effects.
Classi cation of Con icts
• Poverty – Economical status
• Gender Stereotype
• Hierarchies for Female
• Mental Agonies
• Discrimination of native people and migrants
• Working Priority
• Emancipation
• Tolerate another cruel activities
• Applications
• Sacri ce
It’s the little bit of classi cation wore the female migrant students
and workers which kind of phenomenon making in that migrant Place,
they are hot react the feelings and emotions, just muted presents in
that place. They are like a dwarf
Poverty
Studies reviewed are consistent in showing the negative impact of
remittances of poverty somebody’s hope only the scholarship it’s the
main navigation in their life
Societies of Destination
In the societies of destination gender relations and hierarchies as
well as policies practices leading to gender inequalities condition the
effects of migration students and workers.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Shobana. R. “Feminism
Con tcis with Migrant
Students and Workers.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 20–22.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451738
21
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Obstacles
They are confused – how to handle family issues between work issues
1. Insuf cient Maternity Leave (private sector)
2. Business Plan change
3. Health issue
4. Unequal pay
5. Mental Physical harassment
6. family duties
7. Mother responsibility
Discrimination
Some Scholar Responsed only the gender discrimination. The Feminist Movement has effected
the discrimination. Like that woman’s suffrage, hot equal pay they are not making a decision
authority. Native workers or the students responding to others but, the Migrant workers and the
students seats also little bit of percentage in that place migrant workers not allowed to join or
form unions. Just they are always cohesion the conditional life. But, Enhanced the discrimination
classi cations, not reduced the traditional country, But, the great remedy in that orthodox country-
just revealed their opinion-always warm-up the migrant workers.
Marital-Status also anther kind of problem, that particular women .She is the migrant women
means – main controversy topic about the emotions of women.
Mental Agonies
When impoverished women decide to leave their Countries to work abroad, They often deceived
or abused. The Smugglers and the organ hackers also used them, and the major cruelty – is. They
are included the prostitute sector-unpaid prostitution. So, they are pushed the Gutter place. They
are live only like style-corpse.
Supple Persons
Migrant women observed lots of things, But, they are not proposed to anyone , unrevealed
dumps in that place. Those guys are forgotten their aim, too  exibility makes on that place, if any
work, they’ll done it, that is the major concept of others, because they are migrant women.
Mother Responsibility
Mother’s responsibility is the main theme of women life. But, that migration women give up
their child in native Land-it’s the main cause of mental agonies to the migrant women. They are
always thinking about the children’s. It’s the dead feel, It’s not tolerate thinking to anyone person.
They are give up the maternal feelings. Because, They are migrants –that ‘s Only blink in that time.
They are just think this is the destiny of our life. Just lidden the emotions, feelings.
Labour Migration Vs Student Migration
It’s may be same as one. Labor they are working for some commitment in personal issues-
Compulsory making a job, after got money. The Students also no one nd out the way of liberty
from the Co-Students, Some body Studied for Scholarship amount, It’s the fate – de antly They’ll
Complete the studies. Both guys students and workers also making exibility in their migrant
places. Because Native place people not waged thoughts on the migrant women.
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Conclusion
Migrant Women has interdisciplinary activities, and archetypal work also. But, which time they
will get equilibrium in the society lots of contributions they was given the migrant places. Many
kind of barriers also they had, some times the journal and the books only revealed the con icts.
That is the tiny size of re ection, but , we’ll not Know about the full of form of introvert feelings
of migrant woman, Some Developed Country also just smear interviews for their popularity .But,
Which time the migrant woman rip the obstacles, which one is build the archive the migrant
woman, Who is the fore-runner of good and equal activities making for migrant woman. But,
Which time the migrant woman-they will show the door of heavens.
Works Cited
Primary Sources
1. The Global dimensions of female migration Migration policy org…2003.
2. Migration Remittances …Journal of Economic peripettives-129-159.
Secondary Sources
1. Do diya pub. IVY, “The Alienated self in the Novels of Anita Desai’s “Indian women Novelst,
2. Set. I, Vol. II, Ed. R.K.Dhawan, New Delhi. prestige Books. (2005).
3. Female Force: G Loria steninem. Refered textbook (39-53).
4. Female Exploitation and Women Emancipation. Pub (jan 2004) Reffered the text book
(156 – 217).
23
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International Journal of English
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Family and Social Relationship in
Arthur Miller’s Play “The Price”
R.Karthik
Full time Research Scholar in English
Tirupur Kumaran College for Women, Tirupur
Dr.Suma Aleya John
Associate Professor of English
Tirupur Kumaran College for Women, Tirupur
Abstract
For family relationships, the present paper takes into account Miller’s one of the
signi cant plays The Price (1968). Post World War II America faced new challenges.
The common questions which became prominent were the growing disintegration in
the marital life of Americans and the fear of another world war. The responsibility
in marriage was the critical issue to be dealt with by the dramatists of the time. The
revival of the family ethos was the cry of the day. Arthur Miller, the family healer,
presented this question in The Price (1968) and the plays published in 1968.
Family is the basic unit of the social system which guarantees security and well being
of an individual. In fact, “it [family] is the key social unit within where we learn to
love, come to terms with our aggressions, develop a conscience, and acquire values”.
Miller, throughout his life, remained in uenced by the Greek tradition of Social
Drama. He felt that the relationship between man and society is the primary concern
of man as far as human life in general and family life, in particular, is concerned.
Keywords: Family relationship, Marriage, Society, Human life.
For family relationships, the present paper takes into account
Miller’s one of the signi cant plays The Price (1968). Post World
War II America faced new challenges. The common questions which
became prominent were the growing disintegration in the marital life
of Americans and the fear of another world war. The responsibility in
marriage was the key issue to be dealt with by the dramatists of the
time. The revival of the family ethos was the cry of the day. Arthur
Miller, the family healer, presented this question in The Price (1968)
and the plays published in 1968.
Family is the basic unit of the social system which guarantees
security and well being of an individual. In fact, “it [family] is the
key social unit within where we learn to love, come to terms with
our aggressions, develop a conscience, and acquire values”. Miller,
during his life, remained in uenced by the Greek tradition of Social
Drama. He felt that the relationship between man and society is the
primary concern of man as far as human life in general and family life,
in particular, is concerned.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Karthik, R., and Suma
Aleya John. “Family
and Social Relationship
in Arthur Miller’s Play
‘The Price.’” Shanlax
International Journal
of English, vol. 7,
no. S1, 2019, pp. 23–27.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451742
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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24
Miller’s plays highlight the pathetic condition of the contemporary family life of the American
middle class. Miller was “a preacher who sermonizes on the pathetic martyrdom of an oppressed
middle class.” Due to Miller’s emphasis on family and society, it is generally assumed that he is
a social critic and thinker who tries to unearth the multiple threads of social and adheres to any
‘line,’ whether political or ideological. Nevertheless, he bears a quasi-Marxist stamp, and most
of his plays tend to become partisan social critique”. Miller was concerned with the welfare of
the individual. He delivers the message that relations between individual, family, society, and
state should be cordial and harmonious. He explores and investigates the causes which vitiate the
cordiality and harmony in human relations.
Major concern of Miller’s plays is industrial and commercial society on the one hand, and family
on the other. His endeavor in his plays is to reconcile public and private postures of modern man.
In All My Sons, Death of a Salesman and The Price one of the characters is shown as committed
to the family – Joe Keller, Willy Loman, and Victor respectively. However, the drive for success
and material prosperity in a competitive society causes disintegration of family set-up, and family
relations suffer severe jolt and shock. From the perusal of the plays, it becomes crystal clear that
only genuine love, loyalty, compassion and piety, and moral responsibility in human relations
can stop the erosion of cordial family relationships and damage caused by industrial-commercial
pressures of society. Material success is achieved for the welfare of the family. But this material
success takes place at the cost of moral responsibility towards society. The magical spell of the
capitalist system which nurtures false illusions of success is akin to the cobweb which strangulates
the head of the family. Miller does attack the capitalist system, but his tone is diplomatic. He
attacks the capitalist system in the guise of “liberal parable hidden under social responsibility.”
Miller imparts excellent importance to the concept of family, and rightly so because family is the
basic and primary unit of human society.
The existence of an individual is based on family and society. Family and society provide safety
and security to the individual. The individual should treat both family and community as his home.
One must be amenable to change in oneself and society. Man has a subjective as well as objective
existence which stretches from individual to family, and family to the community. The individual
is an integral part of society.
Further, society plays a dominant and decisive role in the life of the individual. Culture is
inside of man and man is inside of the community, and you cannot even create a truthfully drawn
psychological entity on the stage until you understand his social relations and their power to make
him what he is and prevent him from being what he is not. The  sh is in the water, and the water is
in the  sh.
The Price is the play which centers around the familial con ict which disintegrates familial
values. It shows that the father’s money-minded attitude brings disaster in the family, which is the
leading cause of discord between the two sons, Victor and Walter. The play depicts the Depression
only as a vehicle to unravel the father’s materialistic attitude. The father in this play hovers like a
ghost in the memories of his two sons. As the play opens, we nd two brothers – Victor and Walter
– meeting after a gap of sixteen years to settle the family affairs and to dispose of their parental
furniture. Their meeting takes the shape of a dispute, and the meeting which was to decide the
price of the parental furniture includes the issues of several other costs – the price for  lial loyalty,
successful career, happy marriage, and breaking family ties.
In the materialistic society, the feelings and emotions of love, loyalty, and sacri ce have lost
their fragrance. Even the smallest unit of society, that is, the family is also corrupted by money,
which makes man treacherous, self-centered, and disloyal to those who have done a lot for his well
being. The Price is the continuation of All My Sons and Death of a Salesman, but in this play, we
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nd a change in Miller’s attitude towards family relationships. In this play, we see the progress in
Miller’s views in the sense that for the discord in familial ties only society is not to blame, rather
human nature and human imperfections also play a signi cant role.
The Price tries to dramatize the theme that man is responsible for his actions and their outcome. A
man should take responsibility for his decisions rather than merely cursing society. The arguments
between the brother’s point out their differences on the issues like responsibility, love, and loyalty
within the family relationship: “Responsibility is a kind of love. It’s the only thing that prevents
total slaughter, violence, and nihilism”.
In the play, Victor is the only character who has a sense of responsibility for his family. When
his family is in the grip of Economic Depression, he comes forward to help it. He sacri ces his
studies and joins the police force to support his family  nancially. However, it is the fact that later
in life, he feels that his sacri ce has gone waste. This desperation  nds an outlet when he talks to
his wife Esther, and says, “I’ll be frank with you, kid – I look at my life, and the whole thing is
incomprehensible to me. I know all the reasons and all the reasons and all the reasons, and it ends
up – nothing”. Walter, on the other hand, does not take any responsibility and has a materialistic
bent of mind. He is self-centered and refuses to sacri ce his aim in life for the sake of his family,
which is facing a tough time because of Depression. Walter establishes himself as a well-known
surgeon and earns millions of dollars. The ghost of failure makes him ill, and as he recovers from
his illness, he nds that in the pursuit of materialistic success, he estranged himself from the familial
bonds. He nds himself alone and isolated. He realizes that without the cordial family ties, life is
barren and dry like the wasteland. Thus, the blind race for material gain ends in the disharmony of
family relationships – father-mother, father-son, brother-brother, and husband-wife.
In the discussion about their past life, Walter reveals that their father had 4000 dollars with him
at the time of Economic Depression. Thus, he tries to shatter the illusion of Victor’s sacri ce for
the sake of the family. Walter tries to dismantle the illusion and pressurize Victor to face the reality
that there was no feeling of love in the family, and Victor’s attitude of sacri ce was merely his
illusion to run away from reality. As far as family relations between Victor’s father and mother are
concerned, there was lack of warmth of love and loyalty. Walter says, “There was no love in this
house. There was no loyalty. There was nothing here but a straight  nancial arrangement”.
The Price has been paid by Victor and Walter for their deeds. Victor has paid the price for his
sense of loyalty and duty towards his father; while Walter has paid the price for his materialistic
attitude. He is lonely and isolated from familial ties. He is also under mental depression due to
his broken marriage. He has lost his peace of mind. In this play, two main approaches to life have
been discussed in detail – moral and material. It is true that Walter has achieved success in the
materialistic sense, but he lacks Victor’s moral responsibility towards family. Too much stress on
personal gains makes Walter sel sh and self-centred. He does not bother about the welfare of his
parents and brother. The basic question is “to nd an interpretation of existence which depends
neither on a naive endorsement of human perfectibility or a cynical pose of alienation. The real
problem lies in acknowledging the imperfection of man and the inadequacy of society and yet
continuing to place faith in the human potential”.
Family relations are based on material considerations. Victor’s father betrays him by concealing
the information that he had 4000 dollars with him. But Victor is a loyal son who tries to defend
his father when he says, “I just didn’t want him to end up on the grass. And he didn’t. That’s all it
was, and I don’t need anything more” (Miller, The Price 92). In the play, the attitude of the wives
is also materialistic. Victor and Walter’s mother and Victor’s wife are a case in point. As Walter
says, “There was nothing here but a straight nancial arrangement. . . . She [mother] said a hundred
times that her marriage destroyed her musical career. They [parents] were never lovers”.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
26
The emphasis in The Price, father-son relationship has been discussed in a new perspective. The
play shows that in the father-son relationship, the father’s role is not always laudable. Franz betrays
his son Victor by concealing the information of money that was with him during the Depression.
Franz’s money-minded attitude plays havoc with the career of his son, Victor. He could not pursue
his university education.
In The Price, Victor is left with no option. He is on the verge of his retirement. The revelation
from Walter’s mouth that there was no need of Victor’s sacri ce for the sake of family because
their father had enough money to run the family at the time of Depression has no value for Victor
as he has spent the best part of his life in the job of a policeman. Miller’s earlier conception that
family is a sustaining force for society seems to be shattered as all the members of the family except
Victor are motivated by materialistic ends. There is no feeling of genuine love for the family. Even
parents are themselves indulged in betrayal. As far as family relations between Victor’s mother and
father are concerned, they lacked the warmth of love and loyalty. As Walter tells Victor: “. . . There
was no love in this house. There was no loyalty. There was nothing here but a straight nancial
arrangement. . . . She [mother] said a hundred times that her marriage destroyed her musical career.
They [parents] were never lovers”.
As regards the relationship between brothers in The Price, Victor recognizes and epitomizes the
value of  lial and human relations, the value of love and loyalty, but Walter is a foil to Victor who
represents the value of money and dream of success at the cost of duties and responsibilities towards
the welfare of the family. Victor is the icon of moral and ideal responsibility towards family,
whereas Walter shirks the same, and stands for money and prosperity and material gains for one’s
success and bene t only. Victor stands for idealistic attitude towards family, but Walter represents
a pragmatic attitude which stands for self-centered and sel sh and individualistic approach caring
little for love and loyalty towards the family. Victor embodies moral responsibility towards family
and society, which may be treated as the main trait of “the whole man” .Victor is quite aware of the
fact that as a police of cer, he has performed his job towards society in a responsible and manner.
In The Price seem to be tied by a similar thread, which is the extension of Miller’s approach
towards fraternal relationship. The family undergoes the same trauma due to the economic
depression of 1929. In the play, we have brothers –one who is loyal to family and the other who is
prone to self-interest. Victor (The Price) sacri ces his interests in favour of the family by leaving
the college studies to help the family during Depression. Walter (The Price) represents the category
of sel sh and self-centered sons who leave their home in search of better opportunities without
caring for the interest of the family. Here the moral responsibility is abandoned in favor of sel sh
ends. In this play economic disaster tells upon the nancial and spiritual health of the head of
the family, that is, father; and the mother in this play instead of showing sympathy towards the
husband, criticizes her husband’s failure in business. In The Price, the wife’s reaction to husband’s
failure in business in Victor’s words is of a very unpleasant nature:
While comparing Victor and Walter, it may be said that from a material point of view, Victor is
loser and Walter is the victor. But as far as a moral obligation toward father and family is concerned,
Victor is victor and Walter is loser. In brief, we come across the theme of guilt and betrayal in The
Price. Drive for success in the thematic concerns affects the relations among the members of the
family, and we can safely conclude that family and societal concerns are intertwined to the extent
that they cannot be treated as isolated from each other. Family relations affect societal relations and
vice versa.
Welland rightly remarks that “the frictions of family life” are related “to those of the macrocosm
outside: his [Miller’s] families live in a recognizably real world” (2-3). Miller has used the analogy
of interrelationship between sh and water to describe the interrelationship between individual
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International Journal of English
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and society. This analogy means “serious treatment of a human being must encompass the society
that surrounds him or her as the force that has conditioned thoughts, culture, attitudes, and values”
.Relationship between individual and society is the same as we notice between sh and water. Fish
cannot exist and survive without water; similarly, individuals cannot exist and survive without
society.
Further, sh is surrounded by water, and the individual is surrounded by the socio-economic and
political phenomenon of society. Modern tragedy emanates from the con icts and clash of values
between individuals and their socio-economic environment. Man’s situation is either threatening
the survival of the individual or promising him security.
Social surroundings, when threatening, generate con ict in family relationships as we notice in
The Price. Family is the smallest fundamental unit of society which re ects broader concerns of
nation: “. . . The larger society is re ected by the little society of the family. That little society, that
microcosm, Miller knew intimately and revealingly documented”. As far as the concept of “whole
man” is concerned, the protagonist has to be judged both about family and society.
Works Cited
1. Agarwal, Gunjan. “Arthur Miller’s Handling of the Problem of Guilt.” Studies in American
Literature. Ed. Mohit K. Ray. New Delhi: Atlantic, 2002. 31-51. Print.
2. Bigsby, C. W. E. A Critical Introduction to Twentieth Century American Drama. Cambridge:
Cambridge UP, 1984. Print.
3. ---. “What Price Arthur Miller? An Analysis of The Price.” Twentieth Century Literature 16.1
(1970): 16-25. Print.
4. Carson, Neil. Modern Dramatists: Arthur Miller. NY: St. Martin’s, 1982. Print.
5. Clurman, Harold. “Arthur Miller’s Later Plays.” Arthur Miller: A Collection of Critical Essays.
Ed. Robert W. Corrigan. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice, 1969. 143-168. Print.
6. ---. “The American Playwrights.” Lies Like Truth. NY: MacMillan, 1958. 23-86. Print.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
28
Gender Based Marginality:
Suppression and Oppression in
Arthur Miller’s Broken Glass
Dr.K.M.Kamalakkannan
Assistant Professor of English
Erode Arts and Science College
This paper focuses on Miller’s impact on the suppression of
female character in Broken Glass. The play was written in the decade
of nineties and forms a kind of continuum- the common theme of
dysfunctional marriage and family is at the core of the play. The
woman character is again represented in a negative way, in the
play. Miller is concerned here with the paralysis of a nation or an
individual conscience in face of increasing anti- Semitism in Europe
and America. Broken Glass, set in Brooklyn in November 1938, is a
two act play that explores the themes of sexual awakening, the result
of denial and effect of social injustice on an individual.
According to Murray Biggs, Broken Glass (1994) is a study of
both those psychologies: the impulse to ignore what is happening and
the refusal to admit that it did happen. The play’s whole thrust is
in fact psychological at least as much as political. Philip and Sylvia
Gellberg are joined by race and marriage; yet divided by both. He
seeks to suppress his Jewishness, she to embrace it. He is sexually
dysfunctional, she sexually unsatis ed what Hymen diagnoses as her
hysterical paralysis with its source in her unconscious, is an effect of
both these divisions.
The three important characters are Philip Gellburg, his wife and
Doctor Hyman. The play shows the institution of marriage. Philip
Gillberg is an executive and the only Jew working in a wall street Bank.
His wife is obsessed with Nazi Germany. When she sees a photograph
of old Jewish men scrubbing the sideweek with toothbrushes, she
becomes suddenly paralyzed in the legs. Dr. Hyman is perhaps the
only person who sympathetically understands the plight of this long
suffering homemaker, her fears and longings. Dr. Hyman is shown
as highly passionate person, whose counterfoil becomes Philip who
is very repressed by the system. The usual issues of denial and social
injustice are linked with sexual awakening in the re ned and well
aware Sylvia who has been a timid and quiet woman for more than
thirty years of her married life. In fact, the system does not allow
her private space and makes her conform to the traditional role of
a dutiful and obedient wife. A feminist reading of the play reveals
the plight of woman like Sylvia trapped in a loveless cold marriage.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kamalakkannan,
K. .. “Gender
Based Marginality:
Suppression and
Oppression in Arthur
Miller’s Broken Glass.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 28–29.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451748
29
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Sylvia represents the repressed female sexuality that is dreaded by the male centered, conservative
money driven society. As usual, the focus of the play is largely upon the two male characters.
Sylvia just happens to be a secondary prop to them.
The Broken Glass has two types of Women, Sylvia and Margaret. Sylvia is meek and dominated
by her abusive and controlling husband. She does not  nd any ful llment in her married life. She
has been forced to suppress her real feelings and sexual desires in order to save her marriage of
convenience. She does this sacri ce for the larger good of her parental family that is dependent
on Philip. Margaret is the opposite: vivacious, active and perceptive, keeping an eye on the extra-
marital relationship of a philandering husband.
In the play, the paralyzed Sylvia comes to discover her suppressed sexuality and other desires, in
fact, her identity as a woman through the sympathetic doctor Hyman who praises her and her body
in very  attering terms. This praise makes her aware of her own body, her desires and dreams. She
has been long suppressed and neglected in her marital home. Doctor Hyman offers her sympathy,
understanding and love. In the end Sylvia is taunted by her suspicious husband and made to standup,
which she does  nally gets the courage and overcomes her initial guilt. Even Margaret and Doctor
Hyman are pleasantly shocked to see this sudden change in an otherwise quiet and silently enduring
Sylvia. For twenty years, as suggested in the play, Sylvia could not get intimate pleasure from her
husband, thus forcing herself to a life of a nun in her own house. But Doctor Hyman changes all
that. She is no longer in denial about her body and her suppressed sexuality. She nds her release
before her collapsed husband and feels liberated by that sight of her fallen tormentor.
The Holocaust and its terrible images of persecution of the Jews leaves her paralyzed but in the
end, her will to live and nd meaning in life makes her come out of her hysterical paralysis. The
collapsed Philip and an encouraging Hyman trigger her recovery. Seen this way, from a feminist
angle, Sylvia becomes a symbol of recovery from oppression. She  nds her freedom and reclaims
her sexuality in those nal moments of confrontation with her husband. The Play Broken Glass, on
a feminist reading reveals the role of sexuality in the release and liberation of an oppressed woman.
Glass is to be broken by somebody and Sylvia does it in this play. As usual, the playwright focuses
more on the male characters than the female ones. His sympathies are with the male viewpoint
only. Women although on marginality forms common emotional lexicon of disillusionment, pain,
humiliation and rejection that enables them to arrive at a better understanding of themselves and
their psyches.
Thus, Women are the other in Arthur Miller’s theatrical world. They are powerless, suppressed
and subordinated by the patriarchal system that has got precedence over the class structure in the
advanced capitalist model called America, the very citadel of democratic rights. Women, however
are the second sex, despite the political rhetoric. Women and marginality go together in the artistic
world of Arthur Miller.
References
1. Broken Glass. Newyork: Penguin Books, 1994.
2. Millett, Kate. Sexual Politics. Chicago University of Illinois press, 2000.
3. Bigsby, Christopher (ed). The Cambridge Companion to Arthur Miller. Cambridge. Cambridge
University press, 1997.
4. Murray Bigys,” The American Jewishness of Arthur Miller”, in David Kraner (ed) A Companion
to Twentieth century American Drama, New York: Blackwell Publishing Ltd, 2005.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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30
The Dramatic Technique -
Symbolism in Girish Karnad’s
Tughlaq
Dr.R.Rajeswari, M.A., M.phil., Ph.D.,
Head, PG and Research, Department of English
Erode Arts and Science College, Erode
Mrs.E.Geethapriya
Ph.D Research Scholar
Erode Arts and Science College, Erode
Abstract
This paper is an attempt to study Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq as a history play. Tughlag
is a play of many wonderful facts. A countless evidence of Karnad’s dramatic
achievement in Tughlaq is its immediate success and its secret lies in the techniques
employed by playwright. It is immensely serious and also entertaining. It is the result
of a magni cent effort of both intellectual energy and poetic imagination. It is full of
pathos and sympathy. In order to produce such effects in the theatre Karnad, very
skillfully employed various devices like spectacle, quick shift of scenes, quick shift of
scenes, blackout, poetic elements, disguise, irony and symbolism.
Keywords: Tughlaq, Sympathy, Imagination, Techniques, Pathos, Symbolism.
Karnad has designed special costumes for Muhammad Tughlaq and
other characters, keeping in view that they belong to the 14th century
India and Muhammad was the Sultan, and also a great scholar. The
‘visual aspects of production’ on the stage are remarkably effective,
and natural. He has used another technique of poetic sensibility. He
endows the protagonist with rich poetic imagination. Muhammad, so
often, becomes lyrical in his speeches in order to be convincing, fair,
just and thereby he tries to win sympathy and support of his people so
that they should ‘understand’ his visionary plans. Muhammad at times
uses his poetic quality to move the audience emotionally, to exploit
their sentiments. When he is deeply anguished and frustrated to think
of his failures that he couldn’t translate his dreams and ideals into
reality Muhammad displays his poetic sensibility. His pathetic words:
I wanted to make for myself an image of sadi’s poems. I wanted
every rose in it to be a poem.
Karnad’s use of various symbols in Tughlaq is a part of dramatic
technique through which he tries to explore the “inner landcape of the
dramatic persona.” In this Context, Aziz and Aazam, Chess, Python and
The prayer are striking symbols. These two characters symbolize those
who are opportunists and men without any principle. Under disguise
they cheat and deceive the eyes of others including the Sultan and
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Rajeswari, R., and
E. Geethapriya. “The
Dramatic Technique -
Symbolism in Girish
Karnad’s Tughlaq.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 30–32.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451752
31
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
take undue advantages of the liberal, democratic and secular policies of Muhammad. Interestingly
enough, the playwright achieves his satiric purpose through them. Through Aziz Karnad aims at
justifying the statement that politics is the last refuge of scoundrels. Aziz takes delight in harming
others and misappropriating huge public funds for his sel sh ends. He symbolizes the class of such
rogues and scoundrels even in present day politics.
The game of chess symbolizes the game of politics going on in the entire kingdom. Muhammad
uses his brain in check-mating others in dealing with revolts and enemies as he dose on the chess-
board. He plays chess to solve intricate political problems and moves. ‘Through chess, Karnad has
highlighted Muhammad’s manipulative skills in dealing with his adversaries.
He plays them as political pawns to gain his ends”. The word python is used by the Old Man in
Scene Eight for a long passage within the Daultabad fort. When he is asked about it by the young
man the old man says, “yes, it’s a long passage, a big passage, coiled like an enormous hollow
python inside the belly of the fort. And we shall be far, far happier when that python breaks out
and swallows everything in sight- every man, woman, child, and beast”. The old man uses the
python symbol to suggest that the fort is no longer a safe place on account of the cruel, savage and
tyrannical behavior of the Sultan. The atmosphere within and without the frot had become hellish
and chaotic where people had to die for no fault of their own, but due to starvation, want of medical
aid. The economy of the country had gone to dogs due to bad policies of Sultan. Food riots had
shaken the foundation of the fort as it is reported towards the end of the play. The old man also
symbolically suggests destructive attitude of the Sultan who had become a savage, a tyrant and
hence there was a danger for every man, woman, and child of being swallowed by the python. What
a degeneration of Muhammad’s personality!
Prayer is used as a symbol to reveal the ‘real’ Muhammad, altogather different from the ‘ideal’
one. The playwright deliberately creates an ironical situation at the time of prayer when Muhammad
Tughlaq faces violent attack of his rebellions. Although he could avoid the aim, he must have been
reminded of what he himself had done at the time of prayer killed his father and brother, as it
was the talk of the town. Prayer is the time when one is always unarmed. It’s a holy time. It must
not be vitiated. If one does it he is a sinner. Muhammad forbids prayer in his kingdom when he
realizes, though too late, that “prayers too are ridden with disease and must be exiled.” This again
is symbolic of hastening of Tughlaq’s degeneration. With the ‘exile’ of prayer, something ‘holy’
within Tughlaq also is exiled. He is divorced from idealism, virtue and humanism. He becomes
callous, cruel, revengeful and tyrant. He doesn’t hesitate in getting his set-mother stoned to death
as she had owned up to have Killed Nijib.
Vultures are the birds of prey symbolized by Tughlaq government of cers, Amirs and the trusted
ones who had turned hostile. His kingdom is now “honeycomb of diseases” and Muhammad can’t
leave “the patient in wilderness” unattended. His misery is that the birds are very close to him and
every moment he expects a beak to dig into him and tear a muscle out. All his dreams, ideals and
aspiration have anded in smoke and now he resembles a disillusioned romantic. The vultures thus
symbolize his spiritual agony and anguish.
Thus Karnad has used symbols to make the play dramatic and forceful. His symbols have great
emotional value. With symbols, the playwright has adorned his language and made his expression
rich and effective. It is also one of the techniques employed in Tughlaq. In the light of the above,
it can be said con dently that Karnad, with his dramatic skill and imagination, has mad Tughlaq
wonderful, fascinating and rich both in theme and technique.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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32
References
1. O.P.Budholia, “The Dramatic Art of Girish Karnad”, ed. A.N.Dwivedi, Studies in Cotemporary
Indian English Drama (Kalyani Publisher, 1999-2000).
2. Dr.R.J Das, Unique Literary series Girish Karnad ‘Tughlaq’ (Unique publisher, 2010).
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Toni Morrison’s Song
of Solomon Delineated
Brutality and Genesiology
Dr.R.Rajeswari
Assistant professor of English
Erode Arts and Science College, Erode
Ms.M.Jothimani
Ph.D Research Scholar
Erode Arts and Science College, Erode
Abstract
Song of Solomon examines the complexities of black identity in white America. The
prime concern of the novel can be detected in the pattern of violence that envelops
the black men in a racially constructed and politically dominated society. The root of
this violence can be seen in the strategic silencing of black identity. The Americans
conveniently bound and violently silenced black bodies. This very fear of the whites
as pointed out by Morrison herself, is violently articulated through various means.
In Song of Solomon, it is effected through a recklessly casual misnaming of the
characters. The prime focus of the novel is thus the “loss of face” experienced due
to such strategies.
Keywords: Complexities, Identity, Violence, Politically, Dominated, Society.
Song of Solomon novel can be observed that often the psychic
violence experienced at this draws black men towards a wrong concept
of power and dominance, two elements for which men have natural
attraction. In the context of the novel it is not dif cult to see how too
often these are sought through false materialism or self- destructive
terrorism. Consequently they repeat the same white power system of
dominance and strategy that brings back a new kind of slavery to the
world of the blacks. The portrayal of Macon Dead’s character, the
black capitalist, reveals this reality of the black men in white America.
It is not dif cult to see how in an urge to retain the lost identity black
people gather contempt and disgust by the heap from their people.
Thus they are not only rejected in the world of the whites but also
alienated from their own people. The inauthenticity marked by this
rejection affects a black man’s whole social structure, both private
and public. Possibly it will not be an overstating of the fact that the
novel’s men are frustrated to the verge of death, a truth appropriated
by many references to suicide, attempts at suicide, attack, counter
attack, and such like violence in the black men’s world.
This systematically imputed violence that psychologically disables
any black in America is delineated through the character of Milkman
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Rajeswari, R., and
Jothimani M. “Toni
Morrison’s Song of
Solomon Delineated
Brutality and
Genesiology.” Shanlax
International Journal
of English, vol. 7,
no. S1, 2019, pp. 33–40.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451758
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
34
Macon Dead, the young protagonist of Song of Solomon. In fact the novel is as much about Macon
Dead Jr. Milkman’s father, as it is about Milkman himself. It is possible to say this because thje
very cycle of violence in Milkman’s life has its root in his own family where in the midst of
some inauthentic and thus frustrated people Milkman nds himself entrapped. Being deprived of
freedom and identity he too follows in his father’s footsteps, and become another money monger
like Macon Dead. The insensitive and sel sh protagonist the rst half of the novel presents is an
outcome of the very violence that spring from the question of identity and freedom. Grabbing a
wrong concept of freedom he joins Guitar, a member of the terrorist organization Seven Days.
Thus Morrison tries to go to the depth of the problem of black existence that is constantly at stake
in the racially constructed and politically developed America. The novel completes the cycle of
violence by presenting the cob-web like nature of it in the life of the protagonist whose search for
an authentic name and identity ends up in his becoming a thief trying to steal his own ancestral
treasure. Because, like Macon, at one stage of his life Milkman too considers wealth as the supreme
human achievement. Framed in the manner of a quest motif the history and myth of the gold  nally
leads Milkman to discover the rich American heritage- the geog terms but as the common man. His
search for self which gets embroiled in his guest for gold, unfolds the less than heroic nature of both
the person and his mission. As summed up by Furman, “Milkman is a contemporary black man lost
to his community, family, and most important, lost to himself. His true guest is not for fortune or
honor but for his humanity”. Milkman is incapable of empathizing with his family or his people.
He is a bored young man drawing strength from his father’s af uence, and unconcerned about real
life problems concerning real people. Till he moves away from the city, he does not even realize
that life could be different, that people could have an attachment to the soil or that common human
values could be cherished. In that sense his journey down south proves to be enlightening and the
experience he gathers brings about a regenerations of sorts in him.
The very opening of the novel helps us to explore the nature of violence in black men’s world.
It is a kind of rejection identi ed as visibly different from the one African American women suffer
from. White women are rejected chie y on the basis of physical appearances, men’s very entity
is killed in the destruction of their pride in their race and culture. This strategy of exclusion that
frames the main con ict of the novel is re ected in the white authority’s attempt to rename the Not
Doctor street is as main avenue. The history that is hidden in the process of Doctor Street turned
mains avenue turned Not Doctor Street is also the history of the African America. The narrator
observes this process when describes the ‘naming’ of a street iin the black locality of the novel.
It is not dif cult to see from the narrative how strategically the names are are manipulated in
blacks’ lives in white power system. Replacement of one name by another does not mean establishing
power over the other alone. More than anything it is suggestive of denial of one’s existence in one’s
world as we witness in the main crisis of the novel. Though the blacks play equally tricky when
they begin to call the street as “Not Doctor Street” both to ”Keep their memories alive”, the act
does not undervalue the underlying implications of black reality in America.
The fact of the Milkman is a victim of the complexities sprung from this very hide and seek
played with black solidarity. The childhood and adulthood of Milkman are years of various
psychic violence n the house of their inauthentic parent. It is informed in the novel’s context how
deprivation of ancestral property and position makes Macon a “hard-hearted” man “dif cult man
to approach”. He tries to retain his lost position by creating a new one where money and ownership
play supreme. Macon Dead Jr.continues to acquire to see that more property and money heedless
of human values. He fails to see that his fellow blacks fear and dislike his power and ruthlessness
while whites respect his money not his person. What Milkman learns from his father is the lesson
to “own things. And let the things you own, own other things. Then you’ll own yourself and other
35
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
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people too”. But it is important to see how far Macon’s concept of ownership takes him. He begins
to consider his family members as a part of his possessions. He packs his family in his huge car and
drives around to complete the display. Even as the family members realize, it the black community
is not impressed and calls his ostentatious car ‘Macon Dead’s hearse’. The novel authenticates the
fact that at certain stages of his Milkman begins to count himself among his things. Like his mother
Ruth, he too thinks that he was “pressed small… pressed into a small package”. It won’t be out
place to cite here the words of Ruth because Milkman’s position is no better than his mother in a
house which is more “prison than place”. Thus when Ruth says it was important for me to be in his
presence, among his things, the things he used, had touched the objecti cation of human identity
becomes prominent.
This same suppressed sense of self Milkman experiences is suggestively delineated through
his nickname “Milkman”. Names play an important role in Toni Morrison’ s ction. Deprived
of their name and identity during slavery every African American nds him/herself inauthentic
and rootless. Misnaming or nicknaming signals the inauthentic identity of a person. The history
of Milkman’s name both literally and guratively points to the violence done to his mind and
body. Nursed by his mother beyond infancy, an act for which none is responsible, Milkman earns
a name that is like a scar in his life. If name authenticates one’s existence and identity then it can
be said that Milkman’s entity as a man is violently distorted and mutilated in his name. In spite of
Milkman’s innocent part in the whole play his name denies him that position and pride supposed
to be vital in a man’s life.
By revealing the inner mind of Macon the narrative clearly shows the impact that any name can
have. It opens up possibilities for various interpretations as one can see in case of Milkman’s name.
It is possible to argue that bear or ask for unwanted interpretations certainly tend to be violent for
healthy personality growth. In the light of this view it can be said that Macon’s doubt about his
son’s name, thus his identity, in a sense leads to the questioning of his very existence, coming
from his father it becomes suggestive of disinheritance from his birthright, which ensures one’s
existence, denotes any human being his/her position in this world. The narrative shows Milkman’s
uncertain existence resulting from his father’s inability to make out any de nite meaning for his
son’s name. This disinheritance is emphasized by his father’s “disgust and uneasiness” in having
to accept Milkman’s entity in his life. The novel shows how Milkman is rejected even before his
birth by his father’s attempt to destroy him in the womb. Thus it can be argued that Milkman is
metaphysically disinherited from an authentic ancestral identity through Macon’s resistance to his
name.
The sense of negation that envelops Milkman at this revelation can be perceived in his self
contempt at the implicated meaning of the act so long missing for him. The way Milkman recollects
the whole incident after so many years makes his inauthentic position clearly. The narrative also
hints at the image of a husband substitute as mentioned above. It is not dif cult to image Milkman’s
position at this stage. It is needless to say that this image is a violation of the essential, independent
image necessary for man. In this context one can recollect violet’s psychic condition at the violent
revelation, that for Joe, her husband, she is a substitute for the young and blonde Dorcas. It is not
dif cult to remember the consequence of this revelation in Jazz. The same image recurs in Sula
when Sula realizes she has misread Ajax’s name which was actually A. Jacks., and starts thinking
of disassociation and betrayal.
Thus the paradoxical position in which Milkman  nds himself increases his sense of in
authenticity. On one hand, his parents seek vicarious meaning through him in their lives which are
emptied of meaning; on the other hand, his essential self remains oblivious to them. The psychic
violence Milkman undergoes at this stage is re ected in the loneliness he gathers for himself.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
36
The violent realization Milkman comes across at this stage helps to gure out the almost none
existence.
References
1. Song of Solomon. London: Vintage, 1997. Print.
2. Cowart, David. Faulkner and Joyce in Morrison’s Song of Solomon.
37
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Gender-Based Marginality in
Toni Morrison’s Beloved
R.Kumaresan, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed.,
Assistant Professor and Head, Department of English
Erode Arts and Science College. (Autonomous), Erode
Dr.R.Rajeswari, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor and Head, Department of English (SF)
Erode Arts and Science College. (Autonomous), Erode
Abstract
The focus of this paper is to separate gender issues in literature. It deals with how
writers build female characters in their works. Before Shakespeare’s period, women
characters are notable personalities in literature. This paper mainly focuses on
Toni Morrison’s female characters through her novel Beloved. Gender de nes the
behaviour of the individual, how he or she walks, talks, eats and socializes and
nearly all other features of everyday life. Gender signi es in the de nition of the
self. Beloved expresses a black woman who explores the speci c ways in how black
women suffer. Gender will be examined with a particular allusion to feminism.
Feminism as a social philosophy, it shares equal opportunities for career building
and self-growth. Feminism is a broad area dealing with the matters of women.
Feminism is not only spoken about male domination but also developments of women
community. This study is signi cant for its exclusive focus on the work written by a
black woman, her cultural background, her presentation of female characters and
their relationships with one another and with male characters. Inequality comes
from the rebuttal of equal rights. The main obstacle to equality is sexism. It also
examines signi cant for adopting a female framework for the interpretation of
literature written by woman, rather than adopting a male perspective.
Keywords: Gender, Feminism, Refutation, Sexism, Marginality.
The focus of this paper is to analyse gender issues in literature. It
deals with how writers build female characters in their works. Before
Shakespeare’s period, women characters are notable personalities
in literature. This paper mainly focuses on Toni Morrison’s female
characters through her novel Beloved. Gender de nes the behaviour
of the individual, how he or she walks, talks, eats and socialises
and nearly all other features of everyday life. Gender signi es in
the de nition of the self. Beloved expresses a black woman who
explores the speci c ways in how black women suffer. Gender will
be examined with extraordinary citation to feminism. Feminism
as a social philosophy, it shares equal opportunities for career
building and self-growth. Feminism is a broad area dispensing with
the concerns of women. Feminism is not only spoken about male
domination but also developments of women community. This study
is signi cant for its particular focus on the work written by a black
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kumaresan, R., and
R. Rajeswari. “Gender-
Based Marginality
in Toni Morrison’s
Beloved.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 37–40.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451764
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
38
woman, her cultural background, her presentation of female characters and their relationships with
one another and with male characters. Inequality comes from the refusal of equal rights. The main
obstacle to equality is sexism. It also examines signi cant for adopting a female framework for the
interpretation of literature written by woman, rather than adopting a male perspective.
The relationship between men and women varies in the literature. However, women are
generally represented as the marginalized section of society in one way or the other. The role
of the man as a dominating gure over woman might be traced back to the ancient pre-historic
period. In the Elizabethan period, particularly in the romantic comedies of Shakespeare, female
protagonists have been represented as charming and glistening beauty meant exclusively for man’s
sensual grati cation. All the hazardous undertaking is conducted by male characters either for
possessing any beautiful and helpless lady or for power and prestige that are not supposed to be in
a lot of women. In the nineteenth century, problematic issues of women’s marginalization in the
patriarchal society were getting the high water mark among a myriad of problems. The Victorian
literature, particularly the novels, highlights the emerging image of women. The preoccupation
with the place of women was also a recurring theme in the works of the late nineteenth century.
In American literature, particularly in black literature, feminism and racism have played crucial
roles. The writers of African American literature would be the base of the events that were taking
place in the world around them and consolidate them into their novels. This is the stable and
dominant voice in their literature. They have suffered from the attempts of white slave owners to
try and erase not only the history of African American but their culture as well.
They had to work; and confer to the aesthetics of this country, they were not beautiful. But
neither were they, men. Any intelligence or aggressiveness on their part, qualities necessary for
participation in the work world, were constructed as and uninspired (Barbara 72).
The birth of women writers, the growth of female education, the extension of teaching as a
female profession and the intensi cation of a women’s literary market are consequently the entire
consistent lexis of feminism in a capitalizing global economy. Women writers became an integral
part of the literary backdrop, other than until the end of time as representatives of their gender
rather than as individuals.
Beloved is Toni Morrison’s fth novel, which published in 1987 as Morrison was taking pleasure
in growing popularity and accomplishment. Morrison raises many unanswered topics to think over
these pressing issues. What it means to be a mother regularly and what it means to be a mother in
slavery. Think about Sethe’s relationship with her biological mother, Nan and Baby’s relationship
with her children and so on.
In Toni Morrison’s Beloved, she clearly explains gender differences between men and women
slaves. Although sometimes the roles overleap, they differ to some extent. As earlier mentioned,
Morrison’s Beloved is a heart-rending story of Sethe, a women slave who escapes the brutality of
slave masters at Kentucky to freedom at Cincinnati. Through the eyes of the heroine, her mother and
mother-in-law, Babby Suggs, the roles of female slaves are illustrious from those of female slaves
such as her husband. Halle and his colleagues like Paul D, Sixo and others. The dehumanizing
roles that slaves play cause a deep sense of alienation-estrangement from the self or rather internal
fragmentation. Hira Ali observes that Beloved’s “fragmented structure” (1442) gives a hint of
the characters’ sense of alienation that is a consequence of the dehumanizing nature of slavery.
Morrison uses some  ashbacks that disrupt the chronological order of events.
Beloved represents inter-relatedness among the individual identity and the communal identity
of blacks. Stories of two freed slaves, they were Suggs, and Paul D are paralleled to analyze the
relations among slaves and master-slave. Resultantly, declaring the need of an individual to retrieve
an identity for them before having the bond with the community. In this connection, Morrison
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condemns the traditional values associated with white male suppression. She proposes a gender
model for blacks based on the mutual suffering of an imprisoned past and struggle for the future
of freedom and equality. The battle of black women for the realization of self is eminent in both
novels under discussion. It challenges the cultural construction of gender roles by the narrative
of two women who are employed in a struggle for the realization of self. In the lives of black
woman, brutality makes motherhood a two folded burden. Firstly, they have to view their children
who were sold off and experiencing the traumas of slavery. Secondly, most of their children are
conceived by rape rather than marital relations. For example, Beloved is not a product of hatred,
and she wants to want to restrain her from slavery. As Morrison puts, “whites may make her  lthy
all right, but not her best thing, her beautiful, magical best thing – the part of her that was clean”
(Beloved 296). Sethe Suggs tries to keep away her children from the impacts of slavery.
The emotional hunger of the child constitutes the essential psychological drama of the novel. An
injured, enraged baby is the central gure of the book. It is present in the title character of Beloved,
and symbolically it is in the unconscious of all the roles of the novel. The viciousness of the baby’s
unsatis ed needs, colours, the mother-daughter relationship in Beloved. A baby’s unmet needs not
only refer to physical needs but also psychic and emotional ones. In Beloved, the worst atrocity
of slavery and the grimmest dilemma of the novel present not only physical death but also the
psychic death. The children have been denied to their basic need and their birthright, which is the
lap of the mother that is essential for the psychic growth of the child. This unful lled desire leaves
such holes in the sub-conscious as are not lled throughout life. Sethe, unable to have the love and
care of her mother develops into an overprotective mother whose sel sh love takes away the life
of her daughter. The predicament, of the novel, is Seth’s murder of her baby daughter, Beloved.
Seth, having passed the growth of slavery and then able to run away from the cruel master, is on
the threshold of being captured again. Her experience of slavery is so worse that she prefers to kill
her daughter instead of leaving her to the cruel institution of slavery. So she decides physical death
for her daughter instead of psychic death: “if I hadn’t killed her she would have died, and that is
something I could not bear to happen to her” (Morrison 1988).
Thus concluding the discussion, it could be said that gender plays a signi cant role in the
construction of self. Due to gender politics, women are doubly oppressed and to combat this
oppression rst, they have to locate the cause of this oppression and then employ a strategy to deal
with it. They have to suffer double persecution, one of patriarchal society and constraints of tradition
and the other of the cruel institution of slavery that strips them of every right of motherhood as well
as womanhood. Women do exist, and they have played their role in sharing the responsibilities
of family and society where men have often shrunk their responsibilities. Especially under the
institution of slavery, women have struggled hard to realise their slaves entirely where either their
roles as mother or some internal agency catalyse their journey towards the construction of self.
Black women, to come to terms with themselves, are  ghting for their rights as human beings and
as cherished members of the Black society.
Beloved also presents an authoritative account of the foundation of black America in the light of
feminism. The cti, on to some extent recounts the formation of a new people and culture, displaced
and forced to forge a unique identity in the face of dehumanization and brutality. It re ects on the
subtle balance between individual and community, between self and other. To conclude, feminism
is a tool to develop women community, but nowadays, women are thought that feminism is only
about male domination. Feminism speaks about women needs, rights, and how they are suppressed
in society. The suppression of women is not exclusively male domination but also marginalized
culture and religion.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
40
Works Cited
1. Ali, Hira. “Gender Analysis in Toni Morrison’s Beloved and Sula”. Middle Journal of Scienti c
Research.16.10.2013.1419-1423. Print.
2. Barbara, Christian. Black Feminist Criticism: Perspectives on Black Women Writers.
New York. Pergamon Press.1985. Print.
3. Morrison, Toni. Beloved, New York. Plume.1988. Print.
41
SHANLAX
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Bama’s Karukku Portrayed an
Achievement to be an Identity
of Vitality, Virtuous Venture of
Voice and a Cheerful Cleverness of
Con dence
S.Rubini
M.Phil Scholar of English
Erode Arts and Science College, Erode
Abstract
Karukku is both ction and autobiography in a duel of ways. In Bama’s life Karukku
is to nd out her own identity. In her life she had lost everything. She felt, she was
a stranger to society. In her village she was a stranger to society. In her village
she was spent more happy life. Karukku explains recollection of her past life in the
village. Karukku explains to the crisis of the Dalit, of the untouchable, how class
treat in the rural setting serves to calm voice.
Bama shows in this novel about how the dif cult of the Dalit is one of the bad
outrages. Dalits have been told again and again of their loss of dignity, they have
come to believe they are disrespect they have reached a stage where they themselves,
willingly, hold on to themselves apart. The result of all this is that there is no way
for Dalits to realize freedom or retrieval. Had Bama naturally written a work that
only useful to herself in the structure of her own story, she might not have been
able to expanse as numerous people? Bama desires to deliver voice to as class
structure in a nation that has openly said that there is no class structure. In this
novel shows Bama’s personal critical point and separated in her life which moves
to make intention of her life which moves to make intention of her life as woman,
Christian, Dalit.
Keywords: Untouchable, Outrage, Dignity, Dalit.
Meaning of Karukku is Palmyra leaves which with their jagged
sharpness on both sides, are like double-barreled weapon. By a
delicious pun, the Tamil word Karukku, encase the word seed, also
means span-new. In her prelude, Bama to make attention to the
emblem and refers to the words in Hebrews (New Testament). In
Karukku, Bama concentrates the unsecured condition of Dalit people
how they are loss of destiny due to their poor economic background.
The abide country less farming laborers who are economically
helpless.
She gives importance to other main issue such as unreliability,
intolerance in the modern church, Christianity. She harmfully to
notice that their wealthy civilization is despoiled and they are left
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Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Rubini, S. “Bama’s
Karukku Portrayed
an Achievement to
Be an Identity of
Vitality, Virtuous
Venture of Voice and a
Cheerful Cleverness of
Con dence.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 41–43.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451772
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
42
with no civilization. She shows in this novel about the Dalit Christians have been oppression. So
the Dalit people have oppressed in every caste such as Hindu, Christian, and Muslim. They live
separately because normal people not treat Dalit people as their equals.
Bama concentrates the inequalities that history and heritage frequent upon Dalit women. On
the one hand there is the black perspective of liberation and, on the other clear perspective of fate.
They, however, purpose for cultural sociable, pro table and political reform and they do not look
back. They continue to be oppressive people, who are undeniable. The Dailt woman who wants
to need job in an urban is making a symbolic message. She gets more suffering for job. She is
travel more for job that gets shameless in their society. They did not give equal rights to them.
They do only small jobs such as sweeps, making clean into drains and the toilets. From her birth
to death, she has to follow all the rules of the society and also the men folk at home. In many Dalit
families have no freedom for anything. Similarly like caged birds. Without feathers birds cannot
y. Likewise Dalit families have not got their rights.
Below these bad conditions, the Dalit woman would discover a social equality as well as
economic free equality. They were faced three types of bad conditions: Dalit people have affected
with caste and other people treated them to untouchability and inequality. These things affected
both male and female oppressed by the form of the Hindu religious system. Get more sufferings
from their society. They only get pain, sad, domination and inequality.
Bama gives more importance for education. Education gives us knowledge and it helps to people
how to behavior in outside. She says Education is self-serving Government. Education helps to
Dalit people for decrease poverty. Education gives values of Dalit people especially for their rights.
Through the education they break all the rules and conditions in their society. Without education
Dalits gets only upper caste domination and untouchability. Education improves their social status,
economic and political power. No one understands their values. But Bama shows through this
novel everyone needs self-discipline, self-esteem, self-reliance, self-concept and self-perception
especially for Dalits.
No one understands value of human life, especially Dalits life. Upper caste people showered no
sympathy on Dalits when they bad condition. Dalit people not only suffered caste problem. They
suffered more in different ways especially black women, injustice and that is not free from racism.
Dalit have more miseries in their life. Bama focused all the things and explains through this novel.
Bama’s life arranges in different order, as with most autobiographies.
It shows different themes, especially work, games, recreation and etc. Bama gives in this novel
about more aspects of Christianity, equality, justice and all kind of people need love. She explains
her own life and experience share with reader. It is actively engaging in alienated the sufferings
of bad conditions. Finally, Bama makes the only chance possible for developing awareness for
Dalit people. Her own life and experience is a major part of Dalits. Bama’s life is a model of other
people.
She leaves her religious order and moved to her native place, she feels her life is insecure, but
she does not feel complicated. She mainly focused in this novel of identity. She suffered identity,
but she change which means at the end that get identity in their society. She uses a Dalit style of
writing, especially she follow separate rules of grammar and spelling. But the reader can understand
easily of her writing. She shares everything directly.
Reader read this novel and take resolution of how to behaviour and how to treat others equally.
Karukku explains simply of life and the values of life. Every people need identity in this society.
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But some people not realize that. Karukku tells these are all the things to the people. Bama’s
Karukku is good example of others. This work speaks wants to live hopefully and shows what the
matter of life is. She shows in this novel reality of life.
References
1. www.enotes.com.
2. www.outlookIndia.com.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
44
The Representation of
Existentialism in the Select
Novel of Saul Bellow
M.Lavanya
M. Phil, Scholar, Department of English
Sri Vidya Mandir Arts & Science College
Katteri, Tamil Nadu
Dr.R.Lissy, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Sri Vidya Mandir Arts & Science College
Katteri, Tamil Nadu
Abstract
Existentialism is one of the most important themes of Saul Bellow’s novels. The
Adventures of Augie March is not only regarding the quest for survival but the
survival of meaningful life. The whole novel deals with the life of the protagonist,
Augie March. The novel is portrayed from the  rst person’s point of view. The novel
expresses the importance of existence in spite of any struggle and suffering. The
novel seems to be different from those of others, but it clearly depicts the vision of
the author, Saul Bellow.
Keywords: Adventures, Vision, Society, Existence, Struggle.
The Adventures of Augie March is an apt vehicle of Bellovian
vision and establishes it in clear terms. Augie March, the protagonist,
tells the story from his boyhood in Chicago to his wanderings in
Michigan, Mexico and the African sea. In rst person narrative,
he keeps on telling the story of his attainment of maturity and his
experiences as an import businessman in Paris. It is a picaresque
novel and re ects high intellectual ideas. In this  ction, Bellow
scrutinizes the working of human mind and tries to answer where the
problem lies. His scrutiny establishes him as a radical thinker, who
has af nity with existentialism and in some distance concerns with
Buddhism.
This novel is a little different from Bellow’s other novels; but
it aptly demonstrates his vision. Bellow envisages human freedom
from every kind of false pretentions, whether it is morality or
ideality. It establishes Bellow as a writer who holds a mirror to the
human beings, advocating the acceptance of their true self. In the veil
of ction, his only endeavour is to write what the truth is. Bellow’s
faculty to observe human nature disinterestedly makes him a free
thinker. He is far from being a serious moralist. As a meticulous
craftsman, he has interwoven his deep thoughts into the structure of
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Volume : 7
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Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Lavanya, M., and
R. Lissy. “The
Representation of
Existentialism in the
Select Novel of Saul
Bellow.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 44–46.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451778
45
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Augie’s life. On the surface, it is in conformity with the Dickensian story of an illegitimate child;
though it is a true manifesto of human predicament at a deeper level.
Bellow has stuffed the novel with several philosophical concerns. Like his other novels, in The
Adventures of Augie March, Bellow has re ected existentialist theme. Bellow creates an aura
of speculation around Augie, who is truly engaged in a struggle to choose among fantastically
complicated metaphysical alternatives. The ction also exempli es naturalistic mode of writing.
Naturalistic prose renders a human being as a product of his heredity and environment. In a naturalistic
ction, the actions of a person are determined by the compulsive instincts that he inherits together
with the social and the economic forces of the family and the society, in which he is born. In this
novel, Bellow shows a deep sense of environmental intrusion and of life as competitive struggle
chaotically releasing and suppressing energy. Bellow portrays an urban mechanical world in which
the individuality is in uenced by dominant processes and the laws of social places. The character
of Augie is also in uenced by his unhealthy family atmosphere. His lack of moral earnestness is a
counter reaction to his illegitimate birth, docile mother and despotic grandma Lausch. On a wider
level the materialism induces to behave immorally instead of being sincere. Bellow has followed
the tradition of picaresque novel. He has used a great number of characters and detailed action that
covers the period of several years.
Bellow’s other protagonists struggle in acceptance of their true self but the case is different with
Augie. He has no aversion to evil or immoral behaviour as long as it is true to his instincts.In view
of modern devaluation of human spirit, Augie’s plea to have free existence reminds one of the
Satan, the protagonist of Paradise Lost, book  rst and second. Moreover, it proves the superiority
of truth over morality. Though at the same time, one cannot blame that Bellow is an immoral
writer, advocating inhuman conduct. On the other hand, it is also true that Bellow has never given
any sermon through his novels. It is never his motto to instruct his readers as to become good but
true to oneself. And the truth of human condition is that human beings are not perfect.If one accepts
one’s true self, it is the most moral work that one may perform. In fact, the morality which insists
one to act against one’s real self can be easily discarded. Throughout his life, Bellow tried to adhere
to his truth. Bellow’s crusade against established morality again con rms him as an existentialist.
Morality is temporal and related to particular society. The application of moral laws differs from
situation to situation. For example, to tell a lie is morally unacceptable, but if it saves someone’s
life, it can be accepted easily. Thus, morality is context-related and exible. In the novel, The
Adventures of Augie March, Augie never endeavours to be morally good. Augie, in truest sense,
is a Bellovian hero, who experiments in the realm of morality. He acts according to his instincts.
Through Augie’s conduct Bellow tries to deconstruct the established hierarchy, which posits good at
a higher level than the bad. Bellow tries to destroy all those hierarchies in the society which restrict
individuals to progress further. All his heroes are victims of this internal con ict with no exception
of Augie. Augie steals money, plunders store, and de es authorities without any remarkable feeling
of remorse afterwards. His adventures in the realm of evil are counterbalanced by his sympathy
towards George, optimistic quest for a better fate, enthusiasm for life and his craving for being
loved. In this way, the character of Augie is a superb example of masterly craftsmanship of Bellow.
Bellow has made Augie a real genius. Augie shows one the art of living as if he knows what
troubles most to a human mind. He is a rebel, a rough, a criminal yet a hero because he has the
quality of contentment, which is rare even to a so-called good person. Augie is not polluted by
ideologies of society. He does not act to be good but to be true. Augie does not believe in the
wisdom of elders because he can easily perceive loopholes in those theories. Therefore, he follows
his own discretion.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
46
To be loved and to be admired by others are two basic cravings of human beings. Augie sacri ces
these two for his third craving of being free. It is the character of Augie which establishes Bellow
as an existentialist in the true sense. Augie is conscious of his status as a free man. That is why
he is never a victim of bad faith and remains calm in every situation. Augie is not a winner in
any eld of life, yet he does not have a burdened 63 conscience. He has nothing to prove. He
knows his reality and is content to get rewards accordingly.The story develops Bellow’s own views
regarding true self and its acceptance. Bellow was himself a rebel whenever it was a question to
follow the accepted morality. The conventional morality could never prune Bellow’s instinctual
drives.Bellow himself could never follow the patterns of behaviour; he should have been followed
according to the prescribed codes of conduct.
Bellow is a supporter of truth of human nature. In the true sense, Augie’s thoughts present
Bellow’s own psyche. Augie always supports his instincts and never transfers his guilt to any other
person. This is the key to Augie’s contentment and Bellow’s optimism. Like his creator, Augie is
detached; he does not want something particular from his life. If he wants true love, he does not
personalize this love within a single person. Rather, he is able to move on knowing the truth that he
can get it somewhere else too. In this way he does not attach with any person or object. He is ready
to leave and move forward in his quest for another suitable destination, though he never reaches at
the same. Even after a chain of disappointment he never loses his hope.
Bellow’s novels are a salute to human wish to survive. It is not easy to suffer and similarly
one can’t avoid suffering. Suffering is universal and perennial. On this earth there are countless
human beings who struggle daily. Their minds are thwarted by several kinds of problems—social,
familial, individual, psychological etc.Still everybody does not commit suicide. Human beings
ght for their existence. Though one’s life is unquestionably stuffed with inhuman sufferings, one
never loses one’s hope to survive. Bellow has always written in appreciation of this hope. This
admiration of Bellow is clear when we read the last page of The Adventures of Augie March, in
which Augie appreciates Jacqueline’s wish to lead a hopeful life even after getting assaulted by
several intolerable misfortunes.
Bellow’s Augie March is also peculiar because unlike his other protagonists, Augie does not
undergo a change of heart in the end. Augie is not shown to be a prisoner of his own device. He
constantly unfolds his future and accepts it as being of his own. Again, Bellow’s purpose is ful lled
by Augie’s light-hearted acceptance of his struggles and failures. Augie is not tired of his life,
instead of that, Jacqueline’s hopeful attitude recharges Augie further to live his life with a hope and
not as a burden. To say Bellow’s vision of human life as sub-angelic may be a little misleading, but
Bellow absolutely respects human life for its potential to survive.
Works Cited
1. Atlas, James. Bellow: A Biography. New York: Random House, 2000.
2. Bellow, Saul. The Adventures of Augie March. United States: Penguin Modern Classics, 2001.
3. Bellow, Saul. Some Notes on Recent American Fiction. Encounter, 1963.
4. Clayton, John Jacob. Saul Bellow: In Defence of Man. Bloomington: Indiana UP, 1979.
5. Cronin, Gloria L, and L.H. Goldman, eds. Saul Bellow: In the 1980s.New Delhi: Af liated
East-West Press, 1992.
6. Fuchs, Daniel. Saul Bellow: Vision and Revision. New Delhi: Af liated East-West Press,
1992.
7. Malin, Irving. Saul Bellow and the Critics. New York: New York UP, 1967.
47
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International Journal of English
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A Cosmodern Reading of
Language in David Mitchell’s
Novel Cloud Atlas
Dr.(Mrs).R.Lissy
M.Phil, Research Guide, Assistant Professor
PG & Research Department of English
Sri VidyaMandir Arts & Science College, Uthangarai
Ms.M.K.Nandhini
M.Phil, Research Scholar, PG & Research Department of English
Sri VidyaMandir Arts & Science College, Uthangarai
Abstract
A cosmodern reading of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas creates a positive vision of
the longer term for readers through varied techniques of fragmentation together
with fragmentation of voice, language, and time. By fragmentation, I actually have
in mind the consistent interruption of the novel’s voice, language, and time that
needsa vigorous and aware audience. The reader’s interaction with the text makes
the novel re-constructive. In fact, the worldwide nature of Mitchell’s novel, its
hopeful ending, and its exploration of the results of globalisationwill bethought of
as a way of exploring the dynamic relationships between the characters, the reader,
and Mitchell’s auctorial voice. Instead of falling back on acquaintedpostmodern
truisms like the despair of real communication or the impossibility of truth, Mitchell
creates a hopeful vision of the longer term of the planet, one that champions the life,
agency, and private narrative of the individual.
Keywords: David Mitchell, fragmentation of language, historical, intractability of power,
Cloud Atlas, Cosmodernism.
Rather than putting forward anonly optimistic reading of language
in Cloud Atlas, this chapter can explore the positive potentialities
created for language within the novel, howeveradditionally
acknowledge the negative outcomes of fragmented language that ar
apparent within the novel. Fragmented language is a smaller amount
consistent than voice or time within the novel, happening in some
narratives at the extent of speech whereas in others it operates as
a mental awareness solely. in an exceedingly novel that explores
acquainted narratives of the thirst for power (colonialism, slavery,
capitalism), Mitchell uses language that is the building block for
associate alternate management, and one centered on community
and personalised narratives. Mitchell explores the house between the
desire to power and management through fragmentation of language
– a mixture of the language of power and individual speech creates
a private belief that reframes reality. What’sa lot of, instead ofthat
specialize in the impossibility of communication, Mitchell explores
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Lissy, R., and
M. Nandhini. “A
Cosmodern Reading
of Language in David
Mitchell’s Novel
Cloud Atlas.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 47–49.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451788
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
48
language in an exceedingly means that enables for a philosophical theory of metanarratives,
followed by a lot of optimistic reconstruction. Mitchell, in fact, sets up a multiplicity of
potentialities for language in order that optimistic and demoralized views of language operateon a
wage scheduleinstead of as absolutes. To boot, to differentiate between the ideas of language and
voice, my analysis of language focuses on understanding, or lack thence, whereas my analysis of
voice within the1st chapter centered on expression. whereas voice in Cloud Atlas is closely tied to
narration, I read language and understanding as ideas that operate at the communal level of society,
and community, like expression, exists unambiguouslyfor every of the novel’s main characters.
As a result, Cloud Atlas outlines the chance for understanding of the self, or self-actualization,
yetbecause the understanding of the self’s place inside community and time.
Similarly to fragmentation of voice, fragmentation of language is nuanced, thereforeit’s no
surprise that vital interpretations of the language in Cloud Atlas have varied wide, starting froman
ending of history and a dying language to freed language, and numerous places in between.
Language is, as Martin Heidegger posited, the mode by that authors, readers, and characters become
attentive to their own reality, outline themselves and also the world around them, and verify their
own agency and place inside the dominant narrative of history. Trendy British authors struggled
with the thought that language couldn’t properly categorical their own thoughts and concepts,
so that they turned to fragmentations of kindso as to account for his or herpostwar reality and
envision a brand new world. However, this method was conjointlyinvolvedby heart. That is, the
new world was unable to seemthanks to remembered trauma, and language didn’t have the words
or content, the expression, broken or unbroken, that mightenable it to talka brand new world into
being. Mitchell’s exploration of language in Cloud Atlas is actuallyattentive to this ineffability,
howeverit’sconjointly fragmented within the positive sense of that term, speci cally the making of
agency. We would say that the language of the novel is torn between cosmodernrisk and predatory
extinction. As a result ofcosmodern interpretation of language is international in its impulses, it
frees language from the requirement of showing in any correct kind. It encourages multilingualism
(in the sense of each spoken and cultural languages) and sees language as one thing borrowed from
society, one thing owed for the requirement of communication, instead ofowned, and happiness
to the self. However, the novel’s capitalist concepts lead the reader towards a spotlight on the
novel’s narratives of predation, and this has junction recti erstudents to focus nearlysolely on
the language of 2 stories: “An prayer of Sonmi-451” and “Sloosha’sCrossin’ an’ Ev’rythinonce.”
however these stories, necessary as they are, supplyan incomplete read of the means Mitchell uses
language. This can beas a result of, instead of strictly a battle for community and shared language
(in a cosmodern sense), the con ict of language in Cloud Atlas is primarily for understanding.
Mitchell leaves the reader to explore linguistic themes that area unit personal and international. The
linear narrative of language within the novel charts its destruction and reconstruction, following
the theme of predation. Conversely, fragmented language within the novel querieswhether or not
the characters willperceive themselves, their places in their communities, and their places in time,
all of that Mitchell sees as necessary so as to survive and builda permanent impact upon their own
world.Moraru writes that language provides “a sense of happiness,” which, in Cloud Atlas, unites
characters that mightpossiblewell be separated from each other, connecting them by crossing time
and language barriers (78). In Cosmodernism, he posits,
The hope for self-expression and communication…does not lie in a one-language but in our
ability to speak each other’s language and give it the intonations and connotations likely to
reinscribe it into the multivocality it comes from…the self articulates itself in the strongest sense
of the word, that is, it enunciates itself as it ascertains its link, its articulation unto another. (81)
This interpretation of self-understanding is essentially tied to the self’s need to unite language to the
49
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communal voices it’s originated from whereasat the same timeattending tooutlinewhat’sdistinctive
and totally different in its own expression. This understanding comes from recognizing that
language is shared, instead ofseparatelyin hand. Mitchell’s characters expertise this af liation
overtly within the text by the expertise of their shared soul. They sense anaf liation to one thing
outside of themselves, one thing that they bear in mind or collaborating in. as an example, once
Luisa hears Robert’s Cloud Atlas Sextet for the primary time, she tells the clerk, “I have to be
compelled to own this music too. I actually have to…But I do know it. I’m telling you I do know
it” (408-9). Luisa is a component of a shared community through time, and she or heacknowledges
her own, or a component of her own, language once she hears Robert’s music. In a veryconnected
moment with a distinct outcome, Robert’s expertise of shared language causes him to ponder
suicide. He senses the joined soul and believes that point follows Nietzche’s theory of eternal
repetitionwhich he are born and live once more, that each one history and time canstill repeat
themselves, unchanging. He believes, supported his musical interpretation of the shared soul that
it’s his time to die, so his music canstaybecause the embodiment of his person. As a musician, he
experiences a duality of language - music and language. He feels these come back to him across
time and area, and their interconnected relationship leads him to grasp his own role within the
communal language, that is to unite them in his Cloud Atlas Sextet. (This is why his life ceases to
possess purpose when he has nished his composition.) as an example, he writes of his brother’s
letters from the nice War as being “hauntingly aural” and observes, “One will shut one’s eyes
however not one’s ears…European music is stormily savage, broken by long silences” (442). He
describes music in terms of the sound of warfare, and his descriptions double for the content of
his brother’s letters and knowledge. He conjointly discusses the means that later understanding,
formed by speech communication, adds in additional violent, larger sounds.
In the latter 1/2 his narration, Henry Martyn Robertitemsalong the six separate voices of the
novel in terms of his sextet. He writes that he’s “reworking my year’s fragments into a ‘sextet
for overlapping soloists’: piano, clarinet, ‘cello, ute, oboe, and violin, every in its own language
of key, scale, and color. Within the1st set, every solo is interrupted by its successor: within the
second, every interruption is sustained in order” (445). This is oftenan apt description of however
language functions in Cloud Atlas: though fragmented across time, it’sfashioned by the expertise
of the voices coming backalong. The formthey create and notes they play overlap to become a
shared narrative. Their overall expression would be hampered were they every speaking alone. The
anxiety of reception that follows Robert’s description of his work mirrors what may well betaken
as Mitchell’s own anxiety during a Meta  ctive moment.
References
1. Boulter, Jonathan. Melancholy and the Archive: Trauma, Memory, and History in the
Contemporary Novel. Continuum International Publishing Group, 2011.
2. Bradford, Richard. The Novel Now: Contemporary British Fiction. Blackwell Publishing,
2007.
3. D’haen, Theo. European Postmodernism: The Cosmodern Turn. Narrative 21.3 (October
2013): 271-83.
4. Denes, Melissa. Apocalypse, Maybe.The Guardian, 21 Feb. 2004. March 2015.
5. Derrida, Jacques. Of Grammatology. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. Ed.
Vincent B. Leitch.W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2010. 1680-97.
6. Mitchell, David.Cloud Atlas. Sceptre, 2004.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
50
Cultural Effects of Individual
Versus Society in Aravid Adiga’s
Select Novels
M.Suba
M.Phil Research Scholar, Department of English
Sri Vidhya Mandhir Arts and Science College, Uthangarai
Dr.R.Lissy
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Sri Vidhya Mandhir Arts and Science College, Uthangarai
Abstract
This paper aims to analyze the cultural effects of individual versus society in Aravid
Adiga’s select novels. The Last Man in Tower and The White Tiger. These novels
examine Indian’s sacri ces for the next generation, and sometimes they behave
crude and cruel manner towards the people they love. In these novels, through the
major characters, the culture differs according to their class. So this paper going
to argues how the culture differs between individual and society through Aravid
Adiga’s novels.
Introduction
Aravind Adiga was born on 23rd October 1974. His rst book,
The White Tiger won the Booker Prize in the year 2008, the year of
its publication. As far as his professional experience is concerned,
he was the former correspondent of the Times magazine. His articles
developed in various nancial dailies like The Sunday Times, The
Financial Times, and The Independent. This shows that he had
enough background in the domain of writing. As his family went
to Australia, he had some education there. Following on, he went
to New York. His journey worldwide and his interaction with many
people enriched his writing skills. It also informed Adiga with the
reading habits of the people.
Arvind Adiga won the Booker Prize for the novel The White
Tiger on 14th October 2008 which was published by HarperCollins.
The White Tiger described the two parts of India, one was dark, and
another was light. The reader has sympathy for Balram, who is not
a villain in the real sense. Last Man in Tower is a novel by Indian
writer Aravind Adiga. It was the second novel by Adiga Published
by HarperCollins in India in 2011. It tells the story of a struggle
of a discharged school teacher named Yogesh A. Murthy, who is
affectionately known as Masterji.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Suba, M., and R. Lissy.
“Cultural Effects of
Individual Versus
Society in Aravid
Adiga’s Select Novels.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 50–52.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3451796
51
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Cultural Effects in Individual Versus Society
Indians sacri ce for the next generation, and sometimes they behave in a crude and cruel manner
towards the people they love. Characters tend to make decisions based on their life’s conditions
as time goes by. As Indians are God-fearing people, image-breaking and iconoclasm are not there
in classic Indian literature. For example, nobody is discussing extra-marital relationships proudly.
Ashok is the landlord’s son. He is a product of the western culture in spite of his roots in Indian
culture. He nds it hard to bridge the gap between the two cultures. He has western values implanted
in him and struggles to obtain feet in the political set up in India. Ashok considers that he is a mis t
in Indian circumstances.
Ashok had been married to ultra-modern Pinky Madam. She was disappointed with her husband’s
interest in political and commercial activities in India. She was interested in western countries and
the modern culture there. Husband and wife struggled incessantly. Pinky Madam was angry with
him for his false intentions of visiting back in India. She had a lot of western values. When she
moves the country, she helps Balram by giving over some money to him. She was not carrying her
husband during crises. Ashok’s wife means people who have left their origin in traditional society
and are being in a modern one. She determined to carve out a niche for herself by adapting herself
to the new mindset.
Balram selected advantage of the bickering within Pinky Madam and Ashok. He set his eyes
not only on Ashok’s money without more on Pinky’s person. Lascivious information that Balram
makes of Pinky’s breasts and bums re ects on his sexual desire for Pinky. Balram brings Ashok
everywhere. Since he was a car driver, Balram recognized the many places and people Ashok
visited. He could eavesdrop the business discussion in the car. He could espionage Ashok’s illegal
actions. He studied Ashok carefully. We come across a pathetic character, Mohammad. Mohammad
is a poor, hard-working Muslim who needs a job desperately. The landlord he proposed was known
for his antipathy for Muslim. The poor boy took a new name, Ram Persad to hide his Muslim
identity.
In the old days, there were thousand castes and destinies in India. These days, there are just two
castes: Men with Big small Bellies and Men with Big Bellies. And only two destinies: eat or get
eaten up (The White Tiger 179).
Munro begins his life as a starving, half-naked child of a remote village in a hilly area and dies in
a related state. Balaram, on the other hand, develops from a cringing employee to a multimillionaire
employer. This approach to characterization says a lot about the new Indian novel. Characters in
the past books did not change so dramatically. Fate ruled their destiny. Balaram changed his future.
Aravind Adiga’s Last Man in Tower”. The impulse to become rich performs people act less
compassionate and humane in the age of globalization. The Man Booker Prize-winning writer
Aravind Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger throws light on the dark India which resides
untouched by the rapid economic transformations of the 21st century. His second novel Last Man
in Tower discovers the crimes connected with real estate, which is one of the booming industries
in the age of globalization. It explores how greed to become rich makes people more self-centered
and provokes them to do dirty, unimaginable things to other fellow-beings.
In recent decades, the booming real estate industry, which is one of the extension engines of the
national economy becomes out to be the richest and highest agency in reordering social life of the
middle class. It would be essential to know the concept of the middle class in the Indian context as
the novel centers around the Indian middle class. Pavan K. Varma de nes the middle class in the
Indian context as,
Anybody who has a home to live in and can provide three meals a day, and has way to primary
public transport, schooling, and health care, with some disposable income to buy such basics as
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
52
watch or a fan or cycle, has already climbed on to the middle-class bandwagon (The Last Man in
Tower 138).
The development of the new middle class involves two parallel processes such as “the politics
of exclusion” and “the politics of aspiration.” In countries like India, Nepal, and China, the new
middle classes are seen as inspirational as they believe “the privileged lifestyles” and “distinctive
images” portrayed by the advertising industry and mass media are attainable. As a result, the
aspiring middle classes are victimized by exploitative property developers who make a pro t out
of such famous dreaming.
Conclusion
In The White Tiger and The Last Man in Tower expresses the culture differs between individual
and society through the major characters of these novels. In The White Tiger Ashok is the landlord’s
son. He is a outcome of the western culture in spite of his roots in Indian culture. He nds the
bridge gap between the two cultures. Because Ashok has been married with ultra-modern pinky,
madam. She was disappointed with her husband’s interest in political and commercial activities in
India. In The Last Man in Tower explores how the greed to become rich makes people more self-
centered and provokes them to do dirty. As a result, the desire for wealth drives the middle class
and underprivileged to do criminal activities. Finally, this paper nds the culture differs between
individual and society. Because society readily accepts the new religion. But an individual unable to
adopt the new lifestyle but slowly they try to take a new culture. These things are clearly explained
in Aravind Adiga’s novels.
References
1. Adiga, Aravind. Last Man in Tower. New Delhi: Harper Collins, 2011.
2. _ _ _. The White Tiger. New Delhi: HarperCollins, 2009.
3. Anderson, Benedict R. Imagined Communities: Re ections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism. London: Verso, 1991.
4. Barry, Peter. Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. New Delhi:
Viva Books, 2010.
5. Farmer, Victoria. “Mass Media: Images, Mobilization, and Communalism.”
6. Making India Hindu: Religion, Community, and the Politics of Democracy of India. Ed. David
Ludden. New Delhi: Oxford UP, 2005. 250-269.
7. “Fundamental Rights.” The Constitution of India. Secretary to the Government of India.
8. Hall, Lex, and Peter Wilson. “Booker for Loner Aravind Adiga with Liking for Aussie
Egalitarianism.” News. The Australian, 16 Oct. 2008.
53
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Perception of New Indian Women
in the Novels of Nayantara Sahgal
Mr.G.Baskar, M.A., M.Phil., SET., NET., (Ph.D.).,
Assistant Professor of English
Vivekanandha College for Women (Af liated To Periyar University, Salem)
Unjanai, Tiruchengode
Dr.P.Santhi, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of English
Kandasamy Kandar’s College, Velur, Namakkal
Abstract
Nayantara Sahgal was born on May 10, 1927, to Ranjit Sitaram Pandit and
Vijayalakshmi Pandit as the second of their three daughters. She has issued eight
novels, two autobiographies and a political reading of Indira Gandhi’s years
in authority along with a signi cant number of journalistic writings mostly on
contemporary political events and a lot of women, giving a clarion call to women to
appear as a ‘new women’ journeying towards freedom. This article focuses on the
idea of New Indian Women in her novels. The notion of ‘New Women’ with a “new
morality” based on reason and justice is of current origin, struggling to cultivate
into any reasonable form. This article gives a complete appraisal of the highlights
of the problems, especially of women.
Keywords: chastity, morality, freedom, marriage, chauvinism.
Nayantara Sahgal is one of the eminent Indo English writers who
inscribe in the tributary & national consciousness. She is a proli c
writer and her literary norm of nine novels, two autobiographies and
some non- ctional works. Nayantara Sahgal has introduced a large
number of autobiographical elements in her books. For a query, she
asserts that ‘all art is autobiographical’ (Women’s Space the Mosaic
World of Margaret Drabble and Nayantara Sahgal, 27). Her work
ranges from honest and emotional autobiography to ctionalized
autobiography.
Nayantara believes that it is not a severe, moral offense in a
woman to break away from the ‘sacred’ marriage bond if she nds
the shackles too harsh to the enlargement of her inner self. She  nds
that a women’s responsibility to be genuine to her inner self is far
superior and critical than to be for family and society. Nayantara
portrays the unchallengeable right of freedom in women in many of
the characters in her novels, such as Simrit, Saroj, and Rashmi. This
piece of writing focuses on the perception of New Indian Woman
in India through the ages so that it might throw brightness on the
approach and action of those problems by Nayantara Sahgal.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Baskar, G., and P.
Santhi. “Perception of
New Indian Women in
the Novels of Nayantara
Sahgal.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 53–56.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3456991
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
54
Through centuries the perception of perfect womanhood has been based on mythological
personages like Sita, Nalayani. A woman was supposed to be under the concern of a male
throughout her life. One part made a great crash is that which disallows any autonomy for women,
is as follows:
Pitaarakshatikaumaree, bhartharakshatiyauvanee
Putroorakshativardhakyee, nastri
Swathantharyamarhati (ix,3) (Women and her family, 2)
(‘The father protects the woman during childhood, the husband during her youth and the son
during her old age. A woman does not deserve freedom’).
A woman is therefore inculcated with the ideals of martyrdom, of satisfaction intolerance, of the
need to believe a lower status through the mythological models of Sita, Savithri, Gandhari, etc.
The dialogue between Rose and Ram in the novel ‘The Rich Like Us’ is introduced to carry
to light the circumstance of women usually prevailing in Society. Another vice perpetrated in
society is the male privilege over female issues. Women are considered as commodities, more
signi cant the convenience. Men do not worry about the poignant constraints, which they require
upon women. Women have to put up with such inconveniences on  nancial considerations. When
Ram represents Draupdi was gambled away by her  ve husbands, Rose is accurately shocked.
Sahgal approaches the trouble of women with liability, ripeness, and understanding. She is
conscious of the fact that women’s problems are not con ned to women only. Society consists
of men and women, and the pleasure of one or the other depends upon a co-operative endeavor.
Women cannot be aggressive towards men as they cannot be so without danger. The accountability
of bringing about a joyful society rests uniformly on men and women in society. Sahgal understands
the requirements for strength of co-operation on the piece of men. It is the responsibility of the
educated, dependable men in society to assist in the liberation of women. Sahgal brings out this
point obviously when she makes her heroines in the novels needy on the trustworthy men in society.
Simrit is maintained and guided by Raj in every way. It is Raj who tries to fracture the strength
of submissiveness in Simrit and construct her to obtain some positive action. Under his power,
inconsistently she says that she feels entirely free.
It is Dubey who directs and supports Saroj to create her imagine liberally, to break away from
the shackles, particularly if they establish worthless or indefensible. Rashmi is directed by Kalidas.
It seems that Sahgal makes her heroines intentionally submissive or reliant so that responsible men
should come advance to assist them discover their way in the mire. It is the society’s dependability,
Sahgal believes, to get steps to progress the excellence of existence for women, to create them full-
edged human beings, to understand their self-governing ‘personhood.’
Society consists of men and women. She cautions woman not to squander away their rigid on
freedom in ghting for impartiality in costume or performance. They should attain something
substantial to show their advantage. A self-ful lled woman will be a bene t to the family. She
also nds responsibility with the society, which observes a dual standard with perceive to virtue or
morality. While culture imposes sturdy sanctions against even slight indiscretions on the element
of women, it shows signi cant compassion towards such aberrations in men. She also castigated
the undue importance given to moderation. The perception of morality, according to Sahgal, is
much more related to intelligence than to corpse. Most of the times the penalty falls heavy on the
aggrieved party that is related to woman. For her, Sex is not an operator of the body or for the
movement, but it permeates mind and power and all activities of husband and wife. It is a perform
of the nale of love, understanding of kindness. But it does not mean she is for promiscuity. She
condemns the perkiness and excesses in sex in women as exempli ed in her novels.
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This critique was undertaken a critical study of the novels of Nayantara Sahgal in an endeavor
to appear at some suitable conclusions regarding her attitude towards women’s problems and how
she envisages “the perception of new women in India.”
In Sahgal’s Storm in Chandigarh Inder, the husband, who himself is hankering following
another woman Mara, frequently rebukes and harasses his wife Saroj because of her past sexual
pleasure with her college mate once; Ram in Rich Like Us has previously two wives at home, but he
continues to expand adoring love activities with Marcela. Sahgal feels, “if chastity is so important
and so well worth preserving. It would be easier to safeguard it by keeping men seclusion, not
women.” (Chandigarh 191)
Marriage is sincere as well as the dif culty of all human relations. Religion considers marriage
as a sacred union of two souls. But the similar religion imposes stiff code of behavior for women.
Wounded butter ies who stretched to live to emerge out of chrysalis and  nd an opening in doing
social service as in the case of Maya in A Time to be Morning; Rashmi terminations her marriage
and stands unaccompanied in This Time of Morning: Simrit, a freelancer, marries Raj starts a
fresh life in the Day in shadow: Saroj an innocent and caring mother bravely comes and discover
consolation in Vishal in Storm in Chandigarh; and Devi, a woman cabinet minister, survives
without help in politics in A Situation in New Delhi.
There are female characters that, in the name of freedom, irritated the limits of family and
marriage. In Sahgal’s A Time to be Happy, Lalitha Chatterjee, a very signi cant person, drinks and
has an affair with an additional man: Uma Mitra, the young wife of Arjun Mitra, smokes, irts,
drinks, and ruins herself: and Leela, as student, conceives out of marriage commits suicide when
she sees of it in This Time of Morning, Gauri, freely has sex with Vishal in the lack of her husband,
Nikhil: Leela, the disloyal wife of Vishal, dies, when her pregnancy is medically nished: and
Mara has a special affair with Inder outwardly the facts of Jit in Storm in Chandigarh. This breach
of ethics in their existence does not permit them to become new women. Sahgal looks to have a
clear message to convey when women resort to dissolution their life becomes either worthless
or end up in an abnormal death. Sahgal’s marital ethics, as revealed in her works, is based on
sincerity, mutual faith, considerations, understanding, and liberty; she attacks egotism, pretense,
which result consequently in marital breakdown.
Instinctively, her major women characters stay agreeable, student, quiet and suffering, but
when faced with discrimination Maya, Saroj, Rashmi or Simrit, they explain the sight of awaking,
discard the stereotype and speak out the fact. Earlier they have been only humans’ obedient and
conforming persons, but later on, they are sovereign and whole beings.
Men like Inder in Storm in Chandigarh, Som in The Day in Shadow are the personi cation of
Chauvinism. They have the code of behavior as far as they are worried and an additional where
women are concerned. As a consequence, Saroj and Simrit suffer embarrassment and pain. But
they administer to live on once they come out of their marriages, from ‘the subdued sex, creatures
not yet emerged from the chrysails.’ (Chandigarh 189) they were ‘ lled with the sheer rightness of
beings alive and healthy.’ (Shadow 236)
The regular communication Sahgal gives is men and women are equals, and nonviolent survival
depends on common respect and understanding, women should have the ethical bravery to maintain
the rights and ‘men..were born to lead and sometimes educate to triumph’. (Shadow 236).
Works Cited
1. Beauvoir, de Simone. The Second Sex (Trans.H.M.Parsley : 1949). Harmonds Worth: Penguin,
1970. Print.
2. Deshpande, Y.P. Indian Novelists in English. Jaipur :Vital Publications, 2011. Print.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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56
3. Iyengar, K.R.Srinivas. Indian Writing in English. New Delhi : Sterling, 1982. Print.
4. Manohar, Lal. Modern English Literature. Delhi: Swastik Publications, 1993. Print.
5. Sahgal, Nayantara. A Time to be Happy. New Delhi: Sterling Publishes, 1975. Print.
6. Sahgal, Nayantara. The Day in Shadow. New Delhi: Hind Pocket Books, 1975. Print.
7. Sahgal, Nayantara. Storm in Chandigarh. New Delhi: Hind Pocket Books, 1970. Print.
57
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Ecological Discourses in
Indian English Fiction
Ms.T.Thenmozhi, M.A., M.Phil., (Ph.D.).,
Assistant Professor of English
Vivekanandha College for Women (Af liated To Periyar University, Salem)
Unjanai, Tiruchengode
Dr.T.S.Geetha, M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., PGDJMC.,
Associate Professor of English
J.K.K. Nattraja College of Arts & Science
Natarajapuram, Komarapalayam
Abstract
This research paper aims to learn the ecocritical aspects in the ction of Indian
authors like Bhabani Bhattacharya, Kamala Markandaya, Amitav Ghosh, Raja Rao,
R.K.Narayan, Ruskin Bond, and Anita Desai. Since ages literature is well known for
sparkly society, current issues and human activities. There is a profusion of research
which uses nature and scenery as its background. Man and nature interrelate on
different levels, helpful or equally destructive. At the same time, the permanent
intrusion of man in natural activities has posed a hazard both to himself and to the
atmosphere. If this is not attended to, it will guide to irreversible damage.
Keywords: Ecocriticism, contemporary issues, society, Indian  ction.
Literature and environment are always entangled in a strong
association, as is evident in the works of writers throughout the ages.
The realization of writers has brought the two disciplines, ecology
and literature, collectively again and again. Their aim has been
respecting nature as a guide, protector, and mother (Wordsworth),
as a supernatural force (Coleridge), or in more modern texts to
accumulate the earth’s environment which is being damaged due to
man’s mishandling.
Work has been completed on ecocriticism or ‘green studies’ in the
USA and UK. For ecocritics, the nineteenth-century developments
in literature are essential. American and British Romantic writers
took a fastidious concentration in nature as a theme. Henry David
Thoreau’s Walden (1854) and Ralph Waldo Emerson’s Nature (1836)
are the de ning works in the meadow of ecocriticism. Don DeLillo, a
modern American author, has in his Underworld (1988) highlighted
the subject of managing to dump of waste which is leading to the
descent of the environment. If we glance into the history of Indian
literature, we discover many well-known writers contributing to this
track.
The word ‘ecocriticism’ was  rst used by William Rueckert in his
essay “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism” in
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Thenmozhi, T., and
T. .. Geetha. “Ecological
Discourses in Indian
English Fiction.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 57–60.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3456993
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
58
1978. He de nes ecocriticism as “the application of ecology and ecological concepts to the study
of literature because ecology (as a science, as a discipline, as the basis for human vision) has the
greatest relevance to the present and future of the world” (1996:107). Peter Barry added a chapter
titled “Ecocriticism” to the second edition of his Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary
and Cultural Theory (1995). Thomas K. Dean considers Eco-criticism as “a study of culture and
cultural products (artworks, writings, scienti c theories, etc.)… in some way is connected with
the human relationship to the natural world.” He extends his explanation of ecocriticism as “a
response to needs, problems, or crisis, depending on one’s perception of urgency” (Dean 1994 p.1).
Ecocriticism is a  eld that bridges the gap between literature and science.
This research is an effort to investigate the symbol of nature, as landscape as well as metaphor.
It will effort to seem into the different ways in which life has combined in and has been anticipated
by diverse writers in India. At the start of the 21st century, nature forces us to carry it to the center
period. We must try to tackle the subject of life in this extraordinarily scienti c and pro table
world, through an investigation and scrutiny of modern Indian literature.
We discover impressions of nature study in the ction of some post-World War-II, Bengali
writers such as Manik Bandopadhayay, Advaita Mallabarman and Samaresh Basu in A Boatman of
Padma (1936), A River Called Titash (1950) and Ganga (1957), respectively. All these novels are
about rivers which equally maintain life and at times become destroyers of shermen and boatmen.
These tradesmen, through their effort and ght for livelihoods, redesign the daydream environment
into a lively arena of social life. All the three novels portray the day to day resist for endurance
and how this process of interdependence and collaboration between the shermen, boatmen, small
farmers, and their river centric environment in uence each other’s survival. However, as Raymond
Williams aptly points out, “when nature is separated out from the activities of men, it even ceases
to be nature in any full and effective sense” (16).
Bhabani Bhattacharya’s So Many Hungers (1947), is a genuinely moving work of art. We
discover in it an ingredient of eager inspection of men and life. It is about ache, fright, sadness,
starvation, pain, and sacri ce, mainly due to man-made scarcity leading to the death of millions. He
talks about the most sickening actual incident in the history of India, i.e., the Bengal famine of 1943.
It is a heart-rending demonstration of the starvation for food, malnourishment, and ultimate death,
the other face of nature. It is a lacerating description of the naked dreadfulness through cumulative
details and absorbing story. It is about the dif culty of the two families living in the village of
Baruni and Calcutta due to the starvation. The characters trust that they have been punished for
their sins dedicated in the past. He deals with a parallel theme in He Who Rides a Tiger.
We also discover impressions of ecocriticism in Kamala Markandaya’s Nectar in the Sieve.
But here the perception is contradictory, being the other face of nature. This novel deals with ‘The
Flood,’ i.e., life trying to manage humans, it is in the ruined state. This leads to the pitiable and
wretched conditions of the victims of the  ood. When it became a danger to human lives, it is then
that it became a substance of worldwide concern.
The Hungry Tide is a review on an endangered ecosystem- the Sundarbans in the Bay of Bengal.
It is written by a exible modern writer, Amitav Ghosh. The Sundarbans in the Bay of Bengal
are some islands which people split with animals. The situation of their living is much lower for
animals. The dilemma the inhabitants undergo due to unwanted, unexpected tidal surges and tiger
attacks demonstrate a severe ecological disaster on earth. The reason is to generate alertness to
assist organize action plans for the safety of the settlers.
Ghosh states that the environmental decline in the Sundarbans in his lifetime has been very
noticeable and very shocking (Ferdous & Rutsch 51). Birdlife, crabs and sh, and individual
trees and plants have incredibly uncommon, and their absence is felt. The loss of marine mammal
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populations is part of this “catastrophe” (51). He feels there is “incredible urgency” to these
ecological issues, and this comes out very evidently in the novel, contributing considerably to its
ecological tone (51). One of his characters, Nirmal, watching his favorite landscape, is in no doubt
that it is in dreadful decline:
Age teaches you to recognize the signs of death….
Now it was as if I could see those signs everywhere,
not just in myself, but in this place that I had lived in for
almost thirty years. The birds were vanishing,
the  sh were dwindling, and from day to day,
the land was being reclaimed by the sea. (215)
Amitav Ghosh discusses the unstable life of people living in the Sundarbans. Christopher
Rollason de nes the novel as:
[an] exploration of the huge  eld of human communication,
testing both its opportunities and its limits as the characters seek to cross multiple barriers –
the barriers of language, social class, and religion, and those between human beings and nature,
between traditional and cosmopolitan India, between urban and rural, between India and the wider
world. (2)
Thus, Amitav Ghosh’s novel is an idyllic illustration of a modern author grappling with
literature’s perspective to address ecological issues.
Similarly, Raja Rao, one of the essential writers, has used the environmental setting in Kanthapura
depicting the connection between man and nature. He uses rivers and mountains to highlight the
signi cance of nature in man’s life. The temple, The river, and ‘Malgudi’ have an essential place
in R.K.Narayan’s ction. Moreover, Malgudi has been a backdrop to about ten novels by Narayan,
becoming the ‘Hero’ in the words of Prof. Iyengar (Saxena 26).
We also discover glimpses of nature in the novel of Ruskin Bond, who lived in the ourishing
green scenic surroundings of Dehradun and Mussoorie. His short stories reproduce his passionate
belief in the nurturing feature of the environment. In the accounts for children like, ‘No Room for
Leopard’, ‘Copper eld in the Jungle’, ‘An Island of Trees’, ‘The Tree Lover’, ‘The Cherry Tree’,
and ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, which genuinely pursue their titles, explores themes like
deforestation and its after-effects, saying no hunting, and the correlation of man and nature. He is
compassionate towards nature, be it living or non-living.
Another signi cant writer of this age, writing about nature is Anita Desai. We nd a sturdy
existence of animals, plants, birds, and outside images of landscape in her psychological novels.
It is attractive to a reminder that in her Cry, the Peacock, we are taken into the intellect of the
character through the exterior landscape. This novel is a narrative of a lady Maya, who is not joyful
after her marriage. She distinguishes herself with a peacock, which ghts by its male partner before
mating. Sadly this novel ends with Maya stirring her husband off the roof, nishing in his death.
In Clear Light of Day, Monisha, the female protagonist, feels herself to be encaged like a wretched
bird. Lastly, to increase liberty, she has to assign suicide. Anita Desai has also considered the
problem of heartlessness towards animals and has used the landscape, particularly the mountains of
Kanchenjunga, to tell the changing conditions or the mood in The Inheritance of Loss. The gloomy
atmosphere of a child is re ected through Kanchenjunga, which is believed to have rewarded for
the cruelty of human beings by losing its attractiveness. Her novel is apt for ecocritical study.
Thus, writers like Bhabani Bhattacharya, Ruskin Bond, Kamala Markandya, Amitav Ghosh,
Raja Rao, R.K.Narayan, and Anita Desai, through their literature, have drawn concentration
towards the representation of natural beauty as well as nature’s catastrophic face in the form of
natural calamities like  ood, famines, etc. These writers are longing to speak for the natural world
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
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in literature. Many of them tried to portray what man has to damage nature, but few come up with
suggestions as to how we can defeat or overturn the harm that has been done. Are a man and the
writer a mute spectator, or just a responsive observer, or can he suggest what to do now? In our
race towards modernity, are we competent in saving our natural landscape, or is it doomed for
destruction? Lastly, it is, to a considerable extent, to be decided by a man who faces of nature he
wants to see. Wordsworth could never have seen this countenance of life which the Indian writer
sketches in these texts.
Works Cited
1. Abrams, M.H.A Glossary of Literary Terms. Singapore: Thompson, 1999. Print.
2. Barry, Peter. An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory. 2nd ed. Manchester: Manchester
UP, 2002. Print.
3. Bhattacharya, Bhabani. So Many Hungers. Orient Paperbacks: New Delhi, 1984. Print.
4. Desai, Kiran. The Inheritance of Loss. Hamtish Hamilton Ltd, 2006. Print.
5. Ghosh, Amitav. The Hungry Tide. Harper Collins, 2011. Print.
6. Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar in the Sieve. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House, 1955. Print.
7. Rao, Raja. Kanthapura. New York: New Directions, 1967. Print.
8. Rueckert, William. “Literature and Ecology: An Experiment in Ecocriticism”, in Glotfelty and
From (1996): 105-123.
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Gender Inequality in Arundathi
Roy’s The God of Small Things
Ms.K.Anupama
III B.A.English ‘A’, Department of English
Vivekanandha College for Women, Unjanai, Tiruchengode
Abstract
Women are not born but they are made .Women are framed by our society,
mainly by men who think they are more powerful than women in all
aspects. In the orthodox and conservative Indian Society, women are always
underestimated because of patriarchal assumption. The society says that
women’s greatness lies in sacri cing and serving for the goodness of the
family. There is no value for her personal thoughts and emotions. I t is always
ignored and unseen. Through this paper, I would like to picturise the gender
inequality shown in Arundathi Roy’s The God of Small Things. How the society
gives every opportunity to man and declines even a single opportunity for a
women.
Keywords:Inequality, Orthodox, Underestimated, Patriarchal etc .
Suzanna Arundathi Roy was born on 24 November 1961 at
Shillong in Assam.She is a great writer, essayist, social activist
that is political activist who showed her interest and involvement
in human rights and environmental causes. Her mother Mary
Roy, a Malayali Syrian Christian women’s right activist. She did
her in schooling at Corpus Christi, Kottayam followed by the
Lawrence School , Lovedale, in Nilgiris. Then she got graduated
from School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi where she met
Gerard de Cunha ,an architect. But later they get separated. After
that Roy obtained a position in a National I nstitute of Urban
Affairs. She then made her debut in an award winning lm
Massey Sahib, a lm by Pradip Krishen who was an independent
lmmaker. After that, they got married and collaborated on a
television series that was based on independence movement and
also they joined on two  lms namely Annie and Electric Moon.
Later they got separated because of some misunderstandings.
She became more successful after the publication of her novel
The God of Small Things 1997.She wrote screenplays for In
Which Anne Gives It Those Ones (1989) she also appeared in
Electric Moon (1992). Arundathi Roy won National Film Award
for Best Screenplay for In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones in
1988. Roy’s The God of Small Things is semi- auto boigraphical
and captures a major part of her childhood in Aymanam. The
book received many appreciations and awards. the Los Angeles
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Anupama, K. “Gender
Inequality in Arundathi
Roy’s The God of
Small Things.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 61–63.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3456995
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
62
reviewed the novel as “a novel of poignancy and considerable sweep.” Roy was awarded
the Sydney Peace Prize in May 2004 for her work which dealt with her advocacy for
non- violence. In January 2006, she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award from India’s
Academy of Letters for her collection of essays on The Algebre of In nite Justice but she
refused it.
K.M.Pandey Describes the Accomplishment of the Novel
The God of Small Things is a polysemic novel which can be interpreted at several levels
…..a family saga narrating the story of four generations of a christian family… a novel
having a religious overtone…a love story with a tragic end.
Gender Inequality is another repeated problem in the novel. In The God of Small Things
characters such as Mammachi, Ammu and Baby Kochammma are treated unfairly because
they are female. In the book, the male character possess more power. For example, Pappachi
got a high ranking post in the government, while Mammachi is in charge of household
chores. When Mammachi starts up a pickle business and becomes more successful and
powerful, Pappachi develops an envy on her and started abusing her. In the novel ,the female
characters appear to be more resourceful and smart, yet they are not ready to develop into
a strong matriarchs due to the strict social structure.
Even though higher class female characters like Rahel, Ammu and Mammachi are
physically healthy but they don’t have any right to make decisions in the society or in a
family.
“The fact that something so fragile, so unbearably tender had survived, had been allowed
to exist, was a miracle.”
In addition, people speak very low of women who do not marrying society. This is so
evident when Roy talks about Baby Kochamma, accepted her regrettable fate of not having
any husband, feeling bitter for Ammu because she saw her  ghting against the same fate.
When Baby Kochamma actually could not nd any spouse, her father sent her off to college.
This shows that families view on marriage is more important than basic education that
should be provided for a women.
“Mammachi’s own marital experience has not enabled her to emphasize with her daughter’s
brutalized married life .Rather , she sees Ammu’s failed marriage as just retribution for her
daughter who dared to marry outside her community. Her  rm emotional investment in the
hierarchies of class , caste and gender is illustrated at several points in the novel. (Caste,
Colonialism and Counter-Modernity)
“Like a young bride who couldn’t believe her good fortune.”(p.22)
In the modern India , gender-based difference continues to be an issue. In India ,people tend
to believe that male are more valuable and so they prefer sons. Male are seen as bread-
winners, while females are seen as a burdens for family because at the time of a marriage
the brides family must offer some gold and dowry to the bridegrooms family which the
parents of a girl cant afford. This eventually results in uneven female to male ratios. People
they are ready to take illegal gender tests so that if the fetus is a female, then it will be
aborted.
“Pointed in the wrong direction , trapped outside their own history unable to retrace their
steps because their footprints had been swept away.”
A 2011 study in the British medical journal Lancet found that 12 millions Indian girls
have been aborted in the womb itself in the last three decades. Asides from higher abortion
rates of females, girls are cared less when compared with the male siblings. They may not
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receive less healthcare and hence die from preventable diseases like diarrhea and pneumonia.
According to a U.N. Gender Inequality Index, India’s gender differentials in child mortality
is the worsts in the world with a rank of 132 out of 148.
In some parts of India, laws that prohibit that daughters and widows to inherit land also
exist. Addition to this, laws such as the Goa Polygamy law allow a husband to marry again
if he does not get a son from his rst marriage.
A lack of sanitary facilities and privacy also discourages Indian girls stepping into school.
According to a study by AC Nielson and NGO Plan India , approxiamately 23% of girls
discontinue their education once they hit puberty. Girls in school that lack the sanitary
facilities for females have higher absent records , missing on average 50 days mainly because
of mensuration.
Along with laws that discriminate against females, violence that are held against females
is also relatively common. Two years ago, a college student was forced a sexual assualt and
murdered .Last year, a 5-year- old girl was plundered. These are only two out of the many
extreme gender that female are faced with. The Indian National Crime Bureau states the
number of rape cases to be 24, 206 in 2011 in one every 21 minutes. Shockingly, only 26%
of these cases resulted in offender judged guilty.
In the conclusion, we  nd that Arundathi Roy has a very deep concerns for small things.
The small things means the victims of socio-political and the cultural practices. She con rms
small thingss such as women, dalits and children who get the position of second sex. Women
are always considered as the private property and always taken them for granted. Therefore
in The God of Small Things Arundathi Roy has raised the voice for the voiceless and
showed the gender inequality that is shown by the society.
Works Cited
1. Dhawan, R.K. (ed), Arundathi Roy: The Novelist Extraordinary, New Delhi: Prestige Book.
1999, P-118.
2. http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/11/14/india-girls-laws-idINDEE9D0B120131114.
3. http://saettletimes.com/html/opinion/2020918145 joshuaeastinaseemprakashopedxml.html.
4. http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/jun/06/
unsanitary-truth-gender-india.
5. Pandey, K.M. “The Small God Made Big: Arundathi Roy’s The God of Small Things”,
Arundathi Roy’s Fictional World: A Collection of Critical Essays, (ed). A.N.Dwivedi, New
Delhi: B. R. Publishing , 2008. P-47
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
64
Rabindranath Tagore’s
Chandalika as a Cognitive Play
Mrs.F.Arul Jeevitha Mary
Assistant Professor
Pavai Arts and Science College for Women
Rabindranath Tagore is a renowned poet, musician and an artist.
He was a Bengalian and English writer. In 1913 he won Nobel Prize
for this notable work Gitanjali. His compositions were selected as
National Anthem for two nations, India and Bangladesh. He also
wrote many other short stories and novels. Chandalika is the play by
Tagore which brings out ideas of upliftment of lower class people
without degrading high class people.
Chandalika means the forbidden girl. Tagore always raised his
voice against the maliciousness done by man to fellow men through
the segmentation of caste and community. He always pleaded for
the the perception that it is the Supreme Power who is Sporting in
the world in so many forms like elegant and hideous. That it is our
immunity his children to participate and adore that sport.
Tagore has deliberately given the heroine the name of Prakriti.
The term means native, nature with all its elevated possibilities and
the rigid actuality. Prakriti is convicted by the society Atul live a
creep because of the the background of her birth. She has not known
any e affection except that of her mother. When Buddhist monk
Ananda asks the chandalika girl Prakriti to pour drinking water into
his cupped hands. Prakriti who is basically pure readily accept the
connotation of this small art. Her awareness suddenly blooms like
the lotus in the rising Sun and she became profoundly awake of the
honor to which she is characterized as a human being. Thus Prakriti
and Ananda stand at the two Extreme levels of a psychological ratio.
The two are brought together near the well of life.
A sense of her personality expanding into egoism and self conceit
in Prakriti’s mind started working. She wants the Buddhist Bhikshu
in her arms and she is insisting her mother to use her eerie skills
to bring the Bhikshu to her. The Bhikshu’s words of advice to her
had given her a sense of het own existence as a human being. Later
she has began to think herself an signi cant person having the right
to fall in love and having the right to await for an encouraging
acknowledgment to her love. In this belief Prakriti is going too far in
the direction of egoism and self conceit. Herself gas become more
essential in her eyes.
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Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Arul Jeevitha Mary,
F. “Rabindranath
Tagore’s Chandalika
as a Cognitive Play.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 64–65.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3456997
65
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
The situation is aggravated when one day Ananda again happens to pass the same well, yet
this time he is in an association of a group of other Buddhist monks, he does not even look in the
direction of the well where a chandal girl quashed his thirstiness. Noticing Ananda’s complete
negligence to her and to the well. She thought that Ananda had forgotten her existence. She now
strengthens her intentions to conquer Ananda and fore sin through the power of her mother. The
mother who is is helpless to bare her daughters adversity agrees to workout her magic spells.
After fteen days of continuous chanting the magic spell started working. Prakriti can see the
passion for sensual desire, which the Buddhist monk is ghting hard against his own sensual
pleasure for thr Chandal girl who had given him water to quench his thirst. In response to the spells,
Ananda has already being travelling through the forest over The Hills in direction to Prakriti’s
house. Prakriti asks her mother to drive the Buddhist monk come to her and ask for water once
again. This time she would give him water from the ocean of a heart.
She  nds that the Buddhist monk has come very close to her house and feels happy to see him.
She also sees the Buddhist monk’s struggle to overcome his allurement towards the chandal girl.
By seeing the struggle of her beloved she she asks her mother to stop the chanting. The Bhikshu
against of his own misery pardons and blesses Prakriti at the end. She also realizes the fact that love
for a person cannot be forced by anyone. She apologized for her guilt and changed het perception.
Thus play emphasizes Tagore’s ideas that the helpless and the distressed have to be given a
helping hand to come up in the communal and ethical scope. This cannot be attained by bringing
the high class to the base level.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
66
The Portrayal of Women as a
Marrionete in Henry Ibsen’s a
Doll’s House
M.Banupriya
Assistant Professor in English
Pavai Arts and Science College for Women
Abstract
Henrik Johan Ibsen was born in 1828 in the town of Skien on the Southeast coast
of Norway. At the age of fteen Ibsen decided to become a professional artist and
in 1884 he was apprenticed to an apothecary in Grimstad. Ibsen, the father of
modern drama, began his career by writing romantic history plays. In 1870s he
turned to social and ethical concerns. This was the play made Ibsen internationally
famous. Ibsen was the rst major dramatist to write tragedy about ordinary people
in ordinary situations, using colloquial prose for dialogues. A Doll’s House is a
realistic play. It is an anti-romantic play both in its theme and setting. The play deals
with the problem of mam – women relationship through the mirror of marriage. The
theme of the play is the assertion of wife’s rights. Nora Helmer, remains the puppet
and doll wife of her husband. She remains passive and self-effacing for eight years.
At the end, she asserts herself and becomes an individual in her own right.
Keywords: apothecary, ethical, puppet, doll.
A Doll’s House the most famous and best known of Ibsen’s
plays was published in 1879. The play was a crushing indictment of
contemporary middle-class marriage. It created immediate sensation.
It was this play that made Ibsen internationally famous. Ibsen was
the rst major dramatist to write tragedy about ordinary people in
ordinary situations, using colloquial prose for dialogues. A Doll’s
House is a realistic play. It is an anti-romantic play both in its
theme and setting. The play deals with the problem of mam-woman
relationship through the mirror of marriage. The theme of the play is
the assertion of wife’s rights. Nora Helmer, remains passive and self-
effacing for eight years. At the end, she asserts herself and becomes
an individual in her own right.
Nora and Torvald Helmer seem to lead a happy life with three
beautiful children. Torvald is fond of his pretty young wife. But he
treats her as his pet and possession. He wants her to play the role of
a beautiful, careless, happy wife. He controls everything in the house
including the eating habits of Nora. He gives her money for buying
ne clothes and let her dress and dance at the fancy dress ball in the
apartment of the Stenborgs the night after Christmas. He does all
these to stimulate his sexual desires. Nora is her hubands doll and the
children are her doll.
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ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Banupriya, M. “The
Portrayal of Women as
a Marrionete in Henry
Ibsen’s a Doll’s House.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 66–67.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3456999
67
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Torvald is dead against borrowing and sees to it that the home is run within his income. He falls
seriously ill, in order to save his life Nora takes him to a warm country in Italy by borrowing money
from Krogstad, by forging her father’s signature in the bond, without her huband’s knowledge.
When Torvald decides to dismiss Krogstad from the Bank, Krogstad threatens Nora that he will
expose her forgery if her husband does not retain him in the Bank. But Torvald dismisses Krogstad,
who writes a letter to him exposing Nora’s forgery. Nora thinks that her husband would take all
the bkame on himself, when he comes to know the truth. In order to prevent that she even thinks
of committing suicide. But all her hopes are shattered when her husband revealed his true colour.
Then she realises that she has so long lived with a stranger and decides to break all marital ties with
him. So she walks out of his house, slamming the door and goes out in quest of her identity.
Nora recalls her past when she was with her father at their home, she could not have any personal
opinion on anything. Her father never allowed her to differ from him. Her father called her his “doll
child” even when she had become old enough to marry, and played with her just as she played with
her dolls when she was young. Nora was con ned in her father’s home and did what he wanted.
She had never left home. After that she was simply transferred from her father’s hands to that of
Torvald’s. Then it was Torvald who arranged everything to his taste.
In Torvald’s home she is treated as a child. She is protected, petted, patted, dressed up, given
pocket money but is not allowed to be herself. She has not been allowed to be her true self either
by her father or by Torvald, her husband. As both have treated her like a doll, she has to play the
“doll” throughout. She plays the doll with her huband and pleases him and helps him to keep his
image as the head of the house.
The doll-world set up makes Nora nurture romantic notions about her husband’s love for her.
She hopes that when her husband comes to know about thevforgery committed by her, through
Krogstad’s letter, he would perform a miracle and would take up all the blame on him and let
Krogstad publish his letter. Torvald shatters all her hopes by showing out his true colour and Nora
understands that all her romantic notions are illusions of her doll-world. Nora, the heroine of the
play, is modern in the sense that she readily gives up her traditional role of the doll wife and doll-
mother in order to get self-liberation individuality and independence. In its middle-class setting, its
plot and its medium, the play tends to be modern.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
68
The Pictorial Representation
of Social Milieu in Kamala
Markandaya’s Nectar in a Sieve
Mrs.S.Kalaiarasi
Assistant Professor of English
Pavai Arts and Science College for Women
Anaipalayam, Namakkal
Kamala Markandaya is a well-known and renowned writer of
the twentieth century. She is a Revolutionary writer especially by
focusing on the real-life of rural India. The grass-root analysis of
Markandaya’s work shows that she has an excellent knowledge of
Indian rural life. The novel Nectar in a Sieve is her rst novel in
which a sincere attempt was made to project a pragmatic survey
of rural India in all its shades and details – early marriage, dowry
system, illiteracy, lacking in family planning, famine, drought,
excessive rain, and struggle for survival, eviction, And superstition.
There is a realistic description of a village which is symbolic of rural
India.
It Depicts with vivid clarity and keen observation of social
conditions of rural India. Individually, the terrible disgrace that
human life brings is depicted with courageous realism. Markandaya
spotlights the depression of the farmers realistically. They are
desperate because of the vagaries of heartless men, the ruthless
machines, the rampant hunger, and natural calamities. When an
Indian village is on the threshold of industrialization, the peasant
community suffers.
Both physically and mentally. Nathan and Rukmani are
representatives of tenant growers in India and their life is an example
of the mess caused by industrialization. Rukmani is the protagonist
of the novel Nectar in a Sieve, has undergone many. Obscurities as
a responsible Indian wife. She has been continuously entrapped and
messed by The social setup which was followed by the ancestors of
Rukmani. Being an educated daughter of the headman of the village,
her family faced the hard times on her marriage which leads her to
marry.
A tenant farmer, Nathan at her too young age. Though her husband
Nathan is elder to her, his patience proves to be a loving person.
Rukmani gives birth to the rst child, a beautiful daughter named
Irrawaddy, but for six Long years she fails to bear another child.
Rukmani’s husband wait for boy child so she secretly meets with
western doctor Kenny who discharges his duties diligently and offers
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Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kalaiarasi, S. “The
Pictorial Representation
of Social Milieu in
Kamala Markandaya’s
Nectar in a Sieve.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 68–69.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457001
69
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
her Treatment for infertility. Rukmani gives birth to ve sons. Although, Rukmani and Nathan
both Delight in their many children. Rukmani’s family becomes a large one, so they search for a
better salary job which must meet out the needs of the family.
Very soon, when a leather tannery opens in their village, things begin to change. People Are
happy about the establishment of tannery unit which brings work and good pay. But the nearby
villagers also in ux to the area for doing a job which paves the way to hike the food prices. It
makes the situation more dif cult for Rukmani’s family to feed her daughter and sons. In this The
situation, Rukmani arranges the marriage for her daughter Irrawaddy. The suitor of Irrawaddy is
Found by old Granny. They are delighted in nding a “good match” with a man  nancially Secure
enough to care for her. At that time, they have had a good harvest, so both decide to Conduct the
wedding. Unfortunately, that the same year the monsoon arrives earlier and destroys their crops
which forced them to depend on their saved supplies, many of that were used at the wedding
celebration.
The two eldest sons of Rukmani, namely Arjun and Thumbi now, in their early teen, work At
tannery. Irawaddy’s husband returns their daughter to them because she cannot bear a child. In
the secret, Rukamani pleads the western doctor to give her fertility treatment, but it is too late.
Irrawaddy husband marries another woman. The boy’s income at the tannery help to keep the
Family a oat for a few years. To get rid of the trouble-making labors they organize a labor the
strike which leads their family into more trouble, so they emigrate to Ceylon forever to work on a
Tea estate. They do not have communication with the family. All these were happened because of
Rukmani and Nathan’s unawareness of family planning. The whole family continued to struggle.
almost their family members are scattered. For the following year, the farmers encounter drought
and the crops all wither and die.
The landlords also demand the tenant farmers to pay half of the rent for the land. Rukmani
sells Even the cattle’s to buy grains, but it is not enough. Starvation forces their family to forage
Garbage and grass to eat. Due to poverty, Rukmani’s third son Raja steals calfskin, he was Killed
by tannery guards. Selvam, their fourth son, is the most educated person in the family who Works
as an apprentice to the doctor Kenny. Rukmani’s youngest son Kuti is suffered from poverty and
so he was in dying state which forces Irrawaddy into prostitution.
One evening in a rage, Rukmani attacks Irrawaddy while she comes late to home. The family
has no choice but to accept her new occupation. Kuti slowly recovers and soon his health Dies and
deteriorates. Irrawaddy gives birth to an illegitimate child of Sacrabani. Though illiteracy prevail
everywhere, Rukmani somehow succeeded in her life because of her rudimentary education and
also her family members support.
The novel Nectar in Sieve highlights and unfolds many social issues which cause Rukmani’s
family to spread to various places and which makes all aware of social incapability and economic
inadequacy and also kindle the inner heart of mankind.
Works Cited
1. Markandaya, Kamala. Nectar in a Sieve. Mumbai: Jaico Publishing House, 2003.
2. Arora V.K. Thematic Complexity in Kamala Markandaya’s Nectar in a Sieve: Indian English
Fiction. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons, 2007.
3. https://www.penguin.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/nectarsieve.pdf.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
70
Deracination in the poem House
and Land by Allen Munro Curnow
A.Ramani
Assistant Professor in English
Pavai Arts and Science College for Women
Allen Curnow was a leading poet of New Zealand. His works
are well known for the theme of displacement. It gives a rsthand
experience of the issues that bothered the English settlers in New
Zealand. House and Land is one of his famous works and is based on
the same theme.
Allen Curnow ‘s House and Land investigates the sentiment of
alienation experienced by the European immigrants. Even though
they have used two generations in the selected land, they still felt
displaced. Curnow indicates the theme of displacement, though
the sellers dismissed from England to New Zealand. They failed
to identify New Zealand as their inability to adapt to the place.
Miss Wilson, the child of one of the immigrants, obtains herself
charged with avoid. A Historian visits her home for research on the
immigrants. He learns that the lady lives a luxurious life. She has
grown old.
She cherishes the everlasting memories of her girlhood days spent
in England. She is lled with pride at the photograph of a baronet
uncle. It shows her pride in her ancestral heritage. A picture that
portrays the big hall of her ancestral house also revealed her rich
past. Her expansive building was equipped with all the necessary
amenities of life. In spite of a stay for such a long time, she felt
detached. Miss. Wilson represents the settlers who managed to adopt
but failed to adapt.
The Cowman, a resident of the house, tells the historian about
his long association with the family. He has been working for them
from Miss. Wilson’s father ‘s days. Upon enquiring about the family
background., he has no answer. His statement, he merely “lives,”
shows his detachment. He has already made up his capacity to shift
his working place next winter. He says that he is leaving the house
because it is”bloody quiet”. The house lacks joy or merriment. It is
haunted by utter hopelessness.
The historian then takes up the case of the tie-up dog within the
compound. The dog was lying tied up “under the bluegums.” The
phrase underscores the feeling of depression. The dog seems to be
brooding and consuming itself. It just lazily rambles from privy to
fowl house to a restroom. It senses the innate stagnation and a state
of decay.
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Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Ramani, A.
“Deracination in the
Poem House and
Land by Allen Munro
Curnow.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 70–71.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457005
71
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Miss. Wilson, her servants, and even the dig experience a sense of hollowness. The idea that the
house might fall illustrates how fragile their spiritual situation was. The spirit of exile, concludes
the historian, “Is strong in the people still. Miss. Wilson is obsessed with the past. The Historian
senses that it is going to rain. Rain is some fertility and redemption. Though it rains, it does not
bring contentment. The dog retires to its vessel, where it remains “lost and lame.” The word ‘lame’
suggests the advantage of the settlers as they missed their motherland. The settlers always felt
themselves to be un nished.
The poet voices his opinion through the Historian. The message is loud and clear. The settlers
must move on and not cling to their past. Having adopted the country, they should adapt themselves
accordingly. Things cannot change drastically, but the hope is there to be pursued.
In House and Land Allen Curnow emphasises the theme of displacement. Though the settlers
removed from England to New Zealand, they failed to identify New Zealand as their homeland.
Though they live in the selected land, they have not yet adapted to the circumstances. Unless they
change their attitude, their life will remain miserable. The poet believes that the next generation
will change. He presents it symbolically through the rain that occurs in the last stanza. Ole Miss.
Wilson does not have anybody to carry on her legacy. With her end, the old connections too will
end.
Works Cited
1. M Zama. “Poetry Down the Ages”. Orient Blackswan, 2004. Print.
2. https://rukhaya.com/poetry-analysis-allen-curnows-house-and-land/.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
72
A Brief Study about Transgender
R.Manju, M.A., M.phil., ( Lecturer)
Department of English
Pavai Arts and Science College for Women, Anaipalayam
Abstract
This paper provides a general sense of transgender studies in society. This
review primarily focuses on knowledge that will bene t the transgender people
and communities. It also focuses on cultural presentations, political movements,
social organizations. The transgender studies also provide an interdisciplinary
approach to gender studies. It includes transgender history, transgender literature,
transgender psychology, and their health.
Keywords: Movements, Interdisciplinary, History.
A sub eld of LGBT studies, transgender studies gives an
interdisciplinary approach to gender studies, gay and lesbian studies,
and sexology by studying the intersections of sex and gender as
related to cultural representations, lived experience, and political
movements. The transgender studies provide replies to negative
aspects of beliefs about transgender people. Those negatives mistakes
could be the narrow and inaccurate transgender state in psychology
medicine and psychology. The nal goal of transgender studies is
to provide knowledge that will bene t the transgender people and
communities.
In response to analyses of how transgender issues were represented
in gender, gay and lesbian studies, the late 1990s saw an increase in
transgender scholarship and the emergence of a speci c discipline
of academic research. Transgender history begins with transgender
people in early cultures in every developed region and remains to
the instant. Sumerian and Akkadian writings from 4500 years ago
document transgender reverends, and Assyrian texts document trans
prostitutes. The evidence suggests these gender roles to back to
prehistoric times and may have a common origin with third gender
roles were accepted in America before European colonization Some
of which survived colonizers hostility.
Graves of transgender people in Europe and America have been
identi ed from 4500 years ago, and likely depictions occur in art
around the Mediterranean from 9000 to 3700 years ago. In those
days in Greece, Phrygia and Rome, there were trans-female Galli
priests and records of women dressing as men to vote,  ght, study.
In the middle ages, accounts about Europe document trans men,
while Kalonymu’s lament for being born a man instead of a woman
has been seen as an early account of gender diaspora. A male-bodied
Briton captured in 1394 while living and acting sex work as a woman,
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Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Manju, R. “A
Brief Study about
Transgender.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 72–76.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457007
73
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
has been recognized as a trans woman. Transgender people are facing inequality and discrimination
even before the 1880s. Some native American tribes had third-gender roles, including transgender
people. When Europeans came over, they deemed them “ berdaches “ a derogatory term for a man
trying to pass as a women’s pejorative term for women who wanted to assume masculine roles.
The name ‘ transitive’ originated in 1910 from the German sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld. At that
time, it was used similarly to trans sexual, a word that was not coined until the late 1940s. The term
transgender was  rst used in 1971.
Transgender people face inequality even when they try to begin their school education. A
transgender person applied to school, and college was rejected because their home state identi ed
as transgender. They gave  rst preference to ordinary human people and not transgender students.
Mental and physical strain through varying forms of assault by their peers is an unfortunate effect
on transgender students.
For instance, they have to face the embarrassing situation in the public restroom and whether
they can use the male or female bathroom is choosing what restroom to use. While they enter into
the lady’s toilet, women screamed in horror, and they will look like “ you are not supposed to enter
here/this is not a place for you” referring their gender though they did not confront them. They try
to say that they are trans woman, and have every rights to use the toilet.
Media shows transgender as a sex worker and begging people in so many movies. The reality
presented about transgender as sex workers are the view of entertainment. Transgender usually
represented as roaming alone or group with brighter make-up, wigs glittering costumes and as
calling the heroes and comedians for sexual relationships in media and showing innocents suffered
by transgender, their social in certainty does not represent in any lm and transgender people
usually represented in songs, particularly songs which humiliate them in some movie.
While the transgender people traveling by bus or train they alienated by the other passengers. In
case the transgender people sit along with them, they gave respect through Untouchability. Even if
they are the standard genders like men and women are mistreating hem with their misrepresentation
names.
These things re ect the sick mentality of people. We have to respect them like other human
beings. There is nothing to discriminate them. As a human being a part of society, we have the
responsibility to produce them and respect them.
Works Cited
1. Star Vijay: Rose in Tamil talk. Interview.
2. “Introduction to transgender studies: Colombia University press.” Retrieved 2018-12-01.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
74
Topsy – Turvy condition of the
illegal immigrants in Kiran Desai’s
“The Inheritance of Loss”
Dr.R.Andal, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed., Ph.D
Associate Professor and Head of the Department of English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women, Tiruchendur
Abstract
Kiran Desai, one of the talented writers of our generation published her novel “The
Inheritance of Loss” in 2006 and fetched the “2006 Man Booker Prize” for it. She
highlighted the sufferings of the illegal immigrants in this novel. Some people build
air castles and go abroad thinking they can spin money there. But things become
topsy – turvy for them. They are kicked by people from one place to the other and
they  nally decide to  y back to their mother land. These aspects are highlighted by
Kiran Desai in her novel “The Inheritance of Loss”
Twentieth century women’s writing was considered as a powerful
medium of modernism and feminist statements. The last two
decades have witnessed over owing success in portraying the theme
of immigration and consequent alienation of the self. This was the
the metric pre-occupation of Indo-Anglian novelists like Jumpha
Lahiri, Chitra Banerjce, Amitav Gosh and Kiran Desai. They are
chie y concerned with cross- cultural and racist encounters between
the characters on socio-cultural plane.
Kiran Desai who was born of 3rd September 1971 at Delhi, is one
of the talented writers of our generation. She is the daughter of Anita
Desai. She wrote her  rst novel Hullabaloo in the Guava – Orchard
in 1998. She was highly exalted for this work and she received a
1998 Betty Trask Prize from the British society of Authors. Eight
years later, her second novel The Inheritance of Loss was published
in early 2006 and won the 2006 Man Booker Award, the National
Book critics Circle Fiction Award in 2007 and the 2006 vodafone
crossword Book Award. Rajni Singh passed the following comments
on the novel The Inheritance of Loss:
Desai tries to depict the subjugation and exploitation of immigrants
from centuries by America, the economic super power of world.
Post modern global economy has created drastic situation in the
life of third world immigrants specially the predicaments of illegal
immigrants are nerve shattering (198).
The Inheritance of Loss. follows the journey of Biju, an illegal
immigrant in the U.S. who is trying to make a new life. This novel is
set partly in India and partly in the U.S.A. Desai tries to capture what
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Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Andal, R. “Topsy –
Turvy Condition of
the Illegal Immigrants
in Kiran Desai’s ‘The
Inheritance of Loss.’”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 74–76.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457009
75
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
it means to live between East and West and what it means to be an immigrant and she highlights
how an illegal immigrant is fretting and fuming in a foreign land.
Jemubhai Patel, a retired judge lived with his chatty cook Nandu and with his granddaughter Sai.
Nandu’s only son worked as an illegal immigrant is various restaurants in New York. He moved
from one place to another and sadly remembered his father and childhood days in a village in India.
The novel concentrated on the down scale immigrants who were leading a miserable and
disrespectful life in America, with a staunch hope of a better future for his son. The cook, with
his very meagre savings, planned to send his son to America. Biju too dreamt of establishing
himself in an alien soil. In America, Biju leaped from one low paid restaurant job to another. The
insensitive restaurant owners, not only exploited Biju, but also took every opportunity to degrade
him which was the part of their power game.
At the Gandhi Café, Biju bad close association with rats. They said “Halloo” and chewed
his hair her was having power of tolerance and he was able to bear with it. Kiran Desai vividly
portrays how the rats played on him casually:
The rats of his earlier jobs had not forsaken Biju. They were here too, exulting in the garbage,
clawing through wood, making holes... One chewed Biju’s hair at night (147)
S. Nusrath Sulthana, in her “The Theme of Alienation and Identity Crisis in Kiran Desai’s The
Inheritance of Loss observes:
In Newyork, Biju  nds himself cast in a strange world, a world where sympathy, fellow feeling
and peaceful Co- existence does not seem to exist. He spends his time changing jobs, enduring
deplorable conditions and trying to dodge the immigration authorities of the United States. As he
is an illegal immigrant, he is forced to work for very few wages and experience extreme servitude
to his employers.
At Pinocchio’s Italian Restaurant, Biju had a tough time, in pleasing the owner’s wife. The lady
complained that Biju smelt Indian and that she was allergic to his hair oil. The lady’s persistent
grumbling and disgust for Biju, compelled him to seek a new job for himself. “He smells, “said the
owner’s wife, “I think I am allergic to his hair oil” (48)
Kiran Desai had portrayed the impact of the politics of globalization and post colonialism on
the economic structure of the once colonized nation. When an advertisement appeared in the
local paper for drudge staff in America, Biju applied and attended the interview in Kathmandu,
Nepal and  nally got sleeted. Biju took some of the cook’s fake recommendations with him to the
interview to prove that he had come from an honest family and a letter from Father Pooty. When
the Americans enquired, Biju had shown a fake bank statement procured by a cook from a corrupt
State Bank Clerk in exchange of two bottles of Black Label. Desai presented this character “Biju”
who got trapped in the vicious desire of becoming a ‘big shot’. Saeed from Zanzibar, kavafya from
kaza, Omar from Malaysia and Harish Harry from India endured the pain of exile with a smile. The
illegal immigrants spent their time dodging the authorities and stood benumbed to the questions
asked by them.
In Newyork, Biju worked in different restaurants as an illegal immigrant and thus encountered
unhappy social as well as cultural experiences in the West:
Biju joined the shifting population of men camping out near the fuse box, behind the boiler in
the cubby holes, and in old shaped corners that once were pantries, maid’s room, laundry rooms
and storage rooms (51).
Racial situations and reactions have come up at many places in the narrative. Biju had inherited
feelings of ‘Nationality’ and hatred for subjugating “white world”. In NewYork, Biju felt tormented
by the thoughtless commercialism, rampant racism and rapacious ruin perpetuated by the neo –
colonial exploitation. He eventually came back to India. His life in ‘America was full of hardships.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
76
Tired of hopping from one job to another, he decided either to go back to India or to get all elusive
green cards. In the USA, the illegal immigrants lost their identities. Regarding this Dr. Rajni Singh
opines:
Migration is a realistic pain and a deplorable situation of illegal immigrants in the USA… Every
character of novel persuades, but in reality he has not received anything, nevertheless he loses
whatever he gets in his life (200)
Biju was walking on the thorny and ticklish path in New York. He thought over the happy days,
he had spent with his father in Kalimpong. Biju felt the past days in India were jubilant and he
thought that he walked on bed of roses during those days. Biju pondered:
How powerful our village is. How good the roti tastes there! It is because the atta is ground by
hand, not by machine … and because it is made on a choobash, better than anything cooked on a
gas or on kerosene stove (103)
At Gandhi Café in New York, Harish Harry, the owner of the café told him how he could not
afford money to him for his medical expenses. He pointed an accusing  nger at Biju and told him
that he was responsible for breaking his leg. He blamed him of not being careful and said:
You should have to pay me for not cleaning living like a pig. Am I telling you to live like a pig?
You can help cutting the vegetables while lying down and if you are not better, go home. Doctors
are very cheap and good in India (188-189)
Kiran Desai brought out Biju’s pitiable condition by the image of the dead insect. It was ironical
to see that the restaurant workers in America could at least relish daintly dishes, no matter even if it
was at the cost of their own country. Biju was sick of the fork and knife, the everyday dif culties,
the green card desire and the daily assaults of the restaurant owners. Biju decided to go back to
India with his little savings. But misfortune was waiting for him in Kalimpong. He was robbed
off his belongings. But misfortune was waiting for Biju in Kalimpong. He was robbed off his
belongings, money and even his American dress.
Kiran Desai used “irony” as one of the devices to highlight the theme of the novel. Biju and his
father made all attempts right and wrong to get American Visa for Biju. The cook obtained a fake
passport with the hope of bright future. He was proud to announce he was the father of a boy in
America. He even recommended some boys for jobs in America. Kiran Desai used the symbol of
idle insect to explain the condition of Biju in America, because his hopes were devastated.
Whether India or America, human beings cannot ful ll their dreams and that is what the novel
tried to say. Cook’s dream was to see his only son become an American. Sai’s dream rested on her
lover Gyan. Biju’s only dream was to earn wealth. But nobody’s dream was ful lled till the end.
That is the reason why Kiran Desai titled this novel as The Inheritance of Loss
Of late people have craze for visiting and working in abroad. They enter into a new nation,
dreaming that it will be raining gold there. But when they meet with plenty of problems there, they
start feeling that, “it is raining rats”. This aspect is focused by Kiran Desai in this novel, through
the character Biju.
Works Cited
Primary Source
1. Desai, Kiran. The Inheritance of Loss. London: Penguin, 2006.
Secondary Sources
1. Singh, Rajni. “Loss of Identity and cultural Predicaments: A study of Kiran Desai’s The
Interitance of Loss”. Shodhganga in ibnet, n.d.web.24 July 2019
2. Sulthana, S. Nusrath. “The Theme of Alienation and Identity Crisis in Kiran Desai’s The
Inheritance of Loss. Language in India www language in india.com.Feb. 2018 web, July 24,
2019.
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Feministic Perspective of Shashi
Deshpande in a Matter of Time
Mrs.V.Subha, M.A.,M.Phil.,
Assistant Professor of English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur, Tamil Nadu
Abstract
The present paper entitled FEMINISTIC PERSPECTIVE OF SHASHI DESHPANDE
IN A MATTER OF TIME speaks about feministic views of the novelist. Her chief
concern is to expose the sufferings of women in the hands of their members of the
family, including their husbands. This novel also depicts the picture of a lady,
namely, Sumi, who is not exploited by her husband directly, but she suffers due to
sudden and sel sh abscond of her husband, Gopal, leaving all responsibilities of the
family upon her shoulders. This novel portrays the pathetic condition of Sumi and
other women characters in a patriarchal set-up. Shashi Deshpande gives a sensitive
portrayal of female protagonists attempt to be liberal and independent in thinking,
making decisions, taking actions, working, and creating on the same terms as men.
They try to move towards self-realization, self-investigation, and self-assertion.
They  ght against age-old man-made rules with the help of their inner strength. Her
novel A Matter of Time explores the many facts of feminine sufferings in India, like
gender differences and passive experiences, familial relationships. Sumi in A Matter
of Time is an emancipated lady who undertakes her journey to liberation after she
is deserted by her husband Gopal after twenty-three years of married life. The novel
puts forth Shashi Deshpande’s views on women’s liberation.
Keywords: feminist, aspiration, submissive, marriage, family empowerment, patriarchy.
Shashi Deshpande’s novels are always dealt with woman, her
anguish and deprivation, tensions and irritations, grief and sorrow.
Unable to disobey social conventions or traditional morality, the
middle-class women themselves are entangled by desires and
despairs, fears and hopes loves and hates, withdrawal and alienation,
suppression and oppression, marital discord and male chauvinism.
Indeed, Shashi Deshpande’s central theme is a woman’s struggle,
in the context of contemporary Indian society, her effort to nd and
maintain her identity as a wife.
Her writings are a sincere effort to examine the hidden psyche and
consciousness of women caught in the trap of patriarchal society.
She has a thorough understanding of the fundamental reality of the
tragic life of women, victimized creatures. She deplores that they
have always been socially, emotionally, psychologically, sexually,
and biologically suppressed and exploited in a male-dominated
society.
This novel describes the picture of a lady, namely Sumi, suffers
due to sudden and sel sh escape of Gopal, her husband leaving all
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Subha, V. “Feministic
Perspective of Shashi
Deshpande in a Matter
of Time.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 77–80.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457011
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
78
responsibilities of the family upon her shoulders. One evening Sumi’s world is collapsed as her
husband Gopal walks out from home, leaving her with three daughters Aru, Charu and Seema. The
pain of the breakdown of the family upsets Aru who considers herself responsible for her father’s
dead and sets out to undo it. Sumi along with her daughters go back to their ancestral house where
her mother Kalyani had been living in a depressive and strange silence, striving to make sense of
her relation with her husband who hasn’t talked to her for years. Sumi  nds comfort in taking up
her dream career; Aru understands her mother’s indifference and her father’s desertion.
The novel revolves around an urban middle-class family consisting of Gopal and Sumi and their
three daughters. Sumi maintains long silence in her adverse circumstances without complaining
against anyone and accepts it in a mute way. Gopal has a cordial relationship with his wife and
daughters so long as he lives with them, but he deserts them suddenly for a reason not known to
others. Among the daughters, Aru is the eldest one who proves herself more intelligent, wise,
and respectful towards her whole family, including her grand-father and grand-mother. Sumi, an
educated lady, matured enough to know the reality of life and truth of the world. She is ready to
face any hard situation in her life, so she does not stop Gopal leaving the family.
A Matter of Time is a story of female emancipation as it describes the journey of Sumi to her
liberation. She has much concern about her career. So that she does not see herself lonely for her
grief. With full of courage and boldness, she astonishes everyone. She works hard because she
wishes to pay her daughters fee and their other demands not expecting from anybody.
Deshpande wants her women not to remain passive and submissive but to emerge as a  rm, self-
assured and ambitious characters in their ways, attempting to and succeeding in striking a delicate
balance between traditional beliefs and individual needs. She portrays her married women not to be
mere shadows of their husbands. They refuse to accept them as sheltering trees. They never follow
their husbands blindly and mechanically. She makes them realize that true liberty lies in having the
courage to do what one accepts is the right thing to do and the resolution to stick to it. She makes
them be new and modern in the true sense of the term.
In A Matter of Time, education is the only way through which the women’s knowledge can be
expanded, and her place can be assured in the society to which she belongs. She regards women
individuals equal to men, as competent to them with a lot of abilities and potentials. Her female
protagonists undergo a psychological journey of self-realization to trace themselves as free and
independent individuals. They can discover and assert their self-identity and self-realization. They
have an appetite to make themselves bold and con dent, to detect space for themselves to grow
and develop on their own. Though, many of her female characters are emotionally and sexually
frustrated; they struggle against conventions and traditions within the framework of a family.
Gopal lodges a few miles away from his wife and daughters in the house of Shankar, one of
his old students. Gopal’s desertion disturbs the very peace, happiness, and balance of the family.
Sumi’s return to the Big House after Gopal’s abandonment is a matter of shame both for Aru, her
eldest daughter, and Kalyani, her mother. Kalyani, Devaki, Premi, and others feel sorry for the
failure of her marital life. The family renders to take her into con dence and even to comfort her.
Sumi never wishes to unlock her heart to anybody.
After Gopal’s desertion, though, Sumi seems to be calm and undisturbed, her grief, fury, and
humiliation are so deep and severe that she becomes anxious and restless. Her silence turns into
a cry of despair. She feels alone and emotionally disturbed. She comforts herself when she says:
“It takes time to get used to sharing your life with another person, now I have to get used to being
alone” (23).
She determines to adjust herself with changing circumstances and to accept her tragic life. She is
bothered about her daughters. She asks herself: “Am I the enemy? Do my daughters blame me for
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what Gopal has done? Do they think it is my fault? Why can’t I talk to them, tell them what I feel,
how it was? Why can’t I open my heart to them?” (23).
Aru proves herself strong and bold in adverse circumstances. She gives her full support to her
mother at her level best. She behaves to be a responsible member of the family. Sumi does not wish
to be a parasite in the family. She, therefore, seeks a temporary job of a teacher to support herself
and her daughters. It is hard to Sumi to handle her daughters. On the surface, they appear to live
a normal course of their lives, but Sumi notices some change in them. They have withdrawn into
themselves. Aru’s reserve has changed into secretiveness. Charu turns into a single-minded book
worm. She appears to be interested in her college, with her evening classes and books. Seema keeps
distance both from her mother and her sisters. Uneasily, she thinks: “I don’t want my daughters to
live with a hand clasped over their mouths like Premi and I had to” (59).
She does not like her daughters to be silent sufferers. Sumi has no hatred for her husband. Aru is
not ready to forget and forgive her father’s action. She wishes even her mother not to forget it. She
asks her mother to consult the lawyer and to do something against him. Sumi does not go with her.
She just laughs and says:
Gopal has outsmarted the law. He’s given us all that he had. And he has nothing now, not even a
proper job… So what can the law make him do? … Do you want to punish him, Aru? I don’t. I’m
not interested. I just want to get on with my life… Let him go, Aru, just let him go. This is not good
for you(61).
Gopal’s abandonment creates a vacuum in Sumi’s life. She traces out the clues in the past acts
and utterances of Gopal. During her search for the house, she happens to meet her husband for the
rst time since the day he left home. They cannot speak freely, and they feel the burden of unsaid
things. They become speechless when they look at each other. She realizes:
We can never be together again. All these days I have thought of him as if he has been suspended
in space, in nothingness, since he left us. But he has gone on living; his life has moved on, it will
go on without me. So has mine. Our lives have diverged; they now move separately, two different
streams. (85)
Sumi proves herself to be a woman of daring, self-possessed, dignity, self-suf ciency and self-
ful llment by taking care of her daughters without the help of her husband. She manages her
family in her adversity. Though she has full of grief and humiliation, she makes herself calm and
controlled.
Gopal’s departure makes the whole family into collapse. This unexpected crisis in her life gives
her a chance to prove her inner strength and potentiality. She patiently accepts the role of a deserted
wife. She does not encourage any discussion over it and prefers to be silent. Her self-respecting
nature and self-trust do not allow her to accept any monetary help from her close relatives. She
is ready to face the challenges of her life. She never expects pity or concern from her family
members. Sumi’s decision to learn to ride the scooter indicates that she is con dent enough to live
her life all by herself.
A Matter of Time is not about only Sumi or Gopal; it portrays the life of four generations of
women. Manorama belongs to the  rst generation is dead, but her presence is always felt, Kalyani
is of the second generation, Sumi is of the third generation, and Aru is of the fourth generation.
Manorama was the daughter of a poor man and was married in a very wealthy family. Kalyani,
Sumi, and Aru are the direct victims of patriarchal society. Sumi, after Gopal’s desertion, gets
a new identity. She changes herself into an independent woman. Aru, the fourth generation, is
constantly trying hard to come to terms with reality.
She has to overcome this shock and establish her life in society. Sumi bears everything with
silence. She does not ask the reasons for her husband’s desertion. Sumi longs to be independent.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
80
She transforms her emptiness into meaningful to rede ne her identity. She began a new phase of
her life and dedicated herself to her job and her children. In Indian society, A woman has a happy
life when she has got the dependent marital life. But Sumi revolts against this tradition. She starts
writing and her  rst play, The Gardener’s Son, becomes successful.
Sumi gets a job and decides to go to Devgiri. Aru is shocked when she knows about it, but Sumi
says, “Be happy for me, Aru. This is the rst thing in my life. I think that I’ve got for myself” (220).
Only when Sumi attains economic freedom and immerses herself in creative writing, she becomes
more dynamic. Sumi meets with an accident while riding a scooter with her father, Shripati. Both
Sumi’s and Shripati’s bodies are found heavily injured. Sumi dies just before she is going to start
a new life. But she has proved her identity and found a meaningful existence before her death.
Traditionally, marriage is the “only means of support and the sole justi cation” of a woman’s
existence. But Deshpande has revealed that a woman can also nd meaningful existence even
outside marriage. Sumi’s daughters also establish their identity. Aru is going to be a lawyer, and
Charu is on her way to becoming a doctor. They are loved by two capable young men -Rohit and
Hrishi. When Sumi is ready for a fuller life, it is an irony of fate that her life cut off in the prime. It
is a pity that Sumi dies when she gets a job to support herself and her daughters. She would have
become an economically independent woman with a modern and matured outlook towards life; and
at the same time, a loving and responsible mother.
The novel illustrates how women are being treated in India. Though Deshpande brings out
the submissiveness of her women characters, she enables them to move in a positive direction to
maximize their potential.
Works Cited
1. Deshpande, Shashi A Matter of Time. New Delhi: Penguin Books Ltd, 1996. Print.
2. Amur, G.S.Preface ‘The Legacy and Other Stories.’ Calcutta: Writers workshop. 1978. Print.
3. Gangadharan, Geetha. ‘Indian Communicator’: An Interview. 20th November, 1994. Print.
4. Interview with Shashi Deshpande, “Denying the Otherness, “Indian Communicator, Sunday
Magazine, 20 Nov, 1994. Print.
5. Maureen Mclane, Review of A Matter of Time, New York Times Book Review, 8th August,
1999. Print.
6. Swain, S.P. “Feminism in Shashi Deshpande’s Novels New Delhi: Sarup, 2005. Print.
7. On-line Article Khardagale, S.R. In the country of Deceit by Shashi Deshpande. The Book
Review 16 (2010) n.p. web. 2.4.2018 <https://vishytheknight.wordpress.com>.
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An Atlas of Impossible Longing: A
Study from the Green Perspectives
T.Cinthiya, M.A.,M.Phil.,
Assistant Professor of English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women, Tiruchendur
Abstract
This article seeks to examine the relationship between man and his environment.
Anuradha Roy portrays man as a part of an ecosystem. The characters in the
novel are a part of an intricate system. Anuradha Roy shows that if man is to be
complete and content, he should view himself as a part of the natural world. This
article illustrate the eco critical consciousness of the novelist and how the nature is
treated in this novel. The novelist portrays characters as searching comfort in the
nature and characters grew with nature. The novelist presents nature as one of the
characters in the novel.
Keywords: Intricate system, Natural world, Ecosystem, Nature.
Anuradha Roy, one of the well- known Indian women writer. She
gained fame as a novelist. The novel An Atlas Of Impossible Longing
sets in the outskirts of Bengal, Amulya and his family lives in their
big new home. Kamal and Nirmal are the two sons of Amulya and
Kananbala. Nirmala’s wife died during the childbirth and gave birth
to Bakul. Mukunda, orphan boy is adopted, who helps Amulya.
Anuradha Roy in her novel, An Atlas of Impossible longing
describes about the relationship between the human beings and the
nature through the portrayal of its characters. The novel begins with
the life of Amulya in Songarh. Amulya is a family man with a young
wife and two children. His family abandons the Calcutta life and
lives in Songarh town where he can co- exist peacefully with nature.
This decision to settle in Songarh was taken by Amulya himself
because while Amulya came to visit the fort and the town, it gave
energy to him and when Amulya walked over the little town he felt a
connection with the town. The idea of living in the town came to him
as a benediction. He was not stopped from thinking about Songarh
and felt that his life would be completed if he would live in Songarh.
He liked and wished to enjoy the silence in nature.
Anuradha Roy throughout her novel uses ruined fort and wilderness
into the characters to show that how nature is interconnected with
characters. The ruined fort and the forest in Songarh gave spirit
to Amulya. As years passed the nature also grew with Amulya’s
family. The ruined fort was in broken condition and even in its
ruined condition; fort gave a fresh and peaceful feel to him. A few
walls and one domed watchtower, which were in the fort was enough
to feed Amulya’s fantasies.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Cinthiya, T. “An Atlas
of Impossible Longing:
A Study from the Green
Perspectives.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 81–84.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457013
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
82
Amulya has a very deep and strong relationship with nature and forest. He woke up early in the
morning and enjoyed the cool air and purple sky and felt that the forest was his only solace. When
he came to Songarh the place was lled with weeds and bathua. Now the place is grown with “soft
carpet of droop grass” (67). Amulya has a garden too. There is also a kitchen garden,which is dark
with trees. Tall jackfruit trees and green coconut trees, like the green patches of his cultivation,
have left their despairing signs in the abundant lush greenery when the saplings were planted the
twigs were with four or ve leaves. After twenty years those saplings are thirty feet tall and the
branches seek place in the sky which is not visible under their garden and the afternoon stillness
is broken by the falling of fruits from the trees. He speaks to the plants and nature is the only true
companion for him. He walks all around the garden and sits in the garden swing. Every day
he inspects them tenderly and pats those making strokes and he sees the plants as if it were pet
animals.
Amulya converts the wilderness into garden by clearing the weeds and planting fruit trees,
owering plants and creepers. He selects plants to grow in his garden, and disregard the pink
Kachnar and orange become plants. He planted his garden with owers that bloom in darkness
which gleamed white in darkness and scent the night time air. He allowed only one coloured
owering plant, that is yesterday – today – tomorrow colour plant,in which the  ower turns from
purple to white over during days and spreads fragrance. The rest of the garden was lled with
pure white ower,Magnolia grandi ora, a plant which spreads its creamy petals against the shining
green leaves. He also grows Jasminum pubescens, Jasminum sambac, Nyctanthe sarbortrists,and
Cestrum nocturnum. The earth, Anuradha Roy presents, is one where little things matter.
Amulya  nds solace in nature. At times when he was  lled with thought he failed to notice the
changes in nature. He also found solace in the ruined fort, the fort comforted him and gave him
spirit and the nature calmed his mind. Amulya was on his way to the ruined fort. It comforted
him to sit soundless among the fallen stones, thinking of nothing in particular waiting for his
sense of calm to return. The fort was his ivory tower; he went to it whenever he needed to think
anything through in solitude. Perhaps it was the suggestion of evanescent empires, the gaittiness
of centuries. Old stone or perhaps the memory of people who, in those ruined rooms and dark
passage, had lived lives as real as his own. It might have been the twisted grey-brown bark of tree
with its suggestion of the Buddha’s face.
Amulya reached the rim of the fort and sat on a block of fallen stone, a tall, greying, angular
gure watching the blue shallow pool at the edge, which at that time of year had some water still.
The folds of his dhoti spilled wave like on this stone, lifting a little at times in the breeze, picking
up the dust which he did not notice. When the sun began to set the birds would know and began to
call out each other. He willed himself to listen to the birds and think of nothing else. After the death
of Amulya the garden was left unnoticed and it went back to wilderness, the garden was tended
for a time but by an itinerant garden who had to be sacked after it was found he who nurturing
a ourishing failed of cannabin in a sunny corner. Soon the grass was knee-high again and wild
bushes of berries at the edges were attracting birds and noisy monkeys.
Anuradha Roy gives the relation between humans and the natural world in literature and how
characters behave when they are in harmony with wilderness. Nature is represented as a comfort to
the characters in the novel. Kananbala wife of Amulya also has relationship with nature. Kananbala
is a house wife,who had to be in her house all alone, there was no neighborhood and there is no-
one to talk to her.So Kananbala wanted to disappear into the trees. She looked out through the
window the moonlit trees. Once Kananbala and Larissa Barnum, the neighbourhood white lady
went to the ruins of the fort. Kananbala though she is mentally ill she walked fastly to the old stone
walls, touched the stone and saw the enormous banyan tree with hundreds of aerial roots. Barnum
liked nature and said “Thus tree is supposed to bring people peace. It certainly does me” (81).
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Kananbala was lled with happiness and her smile was lled with radiance. When she saw
a shallow pool of water she ran towards the water like a child. She sat dipping her toes and let
the feet slide in the water. In the ruined fort Mrs. Barnum tells the background of her life. But
Kananbala was unable to understand anything.
Anuradha Roy represents characters as a peace gives. The physical and geographical settings in
the novel also intermined with nature and characters. Nirmal, son of Amulya and Kananbala also
interested in garden who also went to Songarh ruins. Excitement and happiness lled Nirmal when
he walked into the ruins. While Nirmal was in the ruins he also accepted the birds as part of the
nature. Nirmal went to Rajasthan as a part of his job. He liked the desert sky in Rajasthan.
Anuradha Roy portrays pet animals and birds in the novel. The pet animals and birds also play
a part as a character in the novel. It is to discover the roles have been played by literature in the
ecology. Nirmal grew a pet dog, and he did not want to leave his dog alone. His wife is Shanti,
who is also interested in growing plants. She named her daughter “Bakul”. She was named by the
tree which was found near her room. Bakul was also interested in gardening from her childhood.
Mukunta another character in this novel named his son as “Gowtam”, he named his son after the
Banyan tree in Songarh ruins. Meera, a widow who was in Songarh to look after Bakul, was
interested in feeding animals. She walked all the way to the ruins to feed the stray dogs, she felt
bothered about the dog’s foe those days when she did not come to feed the dog. When Meera
decided to leave Songarh and go to new place she came to take a last look at the ruined fort and
also to see the dog and its pups for the last time. Nirmal and Meera thought that the dog’s family
would be waiting for her every day. Meera also liked walking to the beautiful places in Darjeeling
there were beautiful places to walk and had hills, beautiful orchids.
Suleiman Chacha, was the history teacher and house owner. Mukunda stayed in his house.
Suleiman Chacha grew a parrot called Noorie. It looked as all parrots do, bright green, with a
scarlet-purple band around the neck which seemed to be able to swivel a full circle as it watched
people from its cage. Every night, Suleiman Chacha would cover the cage with a cloth, all the while
muttering to the bird in a coaxing tone he used only with it. During the day, Chacha and Chachi
would take turns to tempt the bird with curly green chillies and grain. The cage was large with a
swing in it, which was kept in the wide upstairs verandah overlooking the trees, so that “Noorie
could envy her free compatriots at leisure” (189).
Suleiman Chacha loved the parrot so much that the bird was let y free in the house. He after
completing his morning prayers goes to the cage and left cloth “with a ourish, making chucking
noises at the bird” (189). The bird too loved the family and it responded to the family with a series
of clicks of its beak and a soft word or two. Suleiman Chacha had taught the bird to say his name
and half a dozen of other words. “As parents do with young children, he would coax the bird into
speech for his visitors” (189). Suleiman and Noorie had been together every morning. Mukunda
and Noorie had a good relationship. Noorie talked to Mukunda and he felt that Noorie was his
constant companion: “It was only to her that I could con de how my success made me” (205). It
would be on the door or on Chacha’s shoulder or in Mukunda’s shoulder.
Suleiman Chacha and Chachi decided to leave Calcutta. Chachi brought crisp green chillies
and half a kilo of the grain which the bird liked to eat. Chachi said to Mukunda, “You know
the sound Noorie makes when she wants a Chilli don’t you?” (191). Suleiman Chacha
asked Mukunda to keep the cage clean and talk to Noorie every morning: “Talk to her every
morning, before you leave for work. She will be lonely with nobody in the house. She’s not
used to it” (98). After SuleimanChacha and Chachi left the house parrot did not come out of the
cage.
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Barababu, Shanti’s father and Mukunda’s father- in- law, once he came to Suleiman Chacha’s
house. Barababu looked at the garden and as soon as they entered the house Barababu jumped
to the corner and climbed up in the mango tree. He said that you don’t know how much my soul
longs for this. He said in rapture, looking down through a fringe of leaves on a high branch. “The
village, our trees, the fruits I plucked as a boy” (195). Through these it is evident that Barababu, a
minor character in the novel also portrayed as a lover of nature.
In another one incident Anuradha Roy made her character found comfort in nature.Mukunda
went to Nirmal house. His heart beats uncomfortably and he wanted to slow down his breathing
and calm him. So he looked back into garden, and saw “A madhabilata was in full  ower on one
of the walls. It had not been there before – a pink owering intrude in the garden of whites. The
mango trees had grown and small green fruit were visible even at a distance” (222). Mukunda
walked into the garden and wandered towards the well. The white jasmine next to it was still
there, still scattering the water with its owers. He felt that it was a beautiful garden lled with
old fruit trees, fragrant bushes and creepers. The incidents in this novel illustrate the ecocritical
consciousness of the novelist and how nature is treated in this novel.
Work Cited
1. Roy, Anuradha. An Atlas of Impossible Longing, India: Picador, 2008. Print.
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An Outlook of Ecoregionalism in
Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide
S.Bharathi, M.A., M.Phil., B.Ed.,
Assistant Professor of English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women, Tiruchendur
Abstract
The purview of this article is to promote the voices of Amitav Ghosh regarding
the environmental issues. In The Hungry Tide, Ghosh examines the landscape, the
ora, the fauna and the tide people who settled in the Sunderbans, a reserved forest
area. Expect Lucibari and Garjontola, the other places such as Canning, Gosaba,
Satjelia, Morichijihapi, Emilybari… etc are real one where a wide variety of rare
species from the microscopic sh to the endangered man eating tiger live. The
biotic life of the Sunderban is shaken by the invaded human beings. That leads to
reduce the growth of the species. This height of ecological insanity creates a con ict
between men and animals. Fear conquers the mind of the sunderbans. To survive
in their allotted place, the animals struggle from the inhabitants. Tiger encounters,
crocodile attacks, natural disasters… etc become common in that place. Nature as
well as man function both as a preserver and destroyer. Ghosh creates an awareness
among the readers about the ecology through Piyali Roy, the cetologist, who studies
the dwindling breed of Irrawadoly dolphin. Unlike other naturalist, Ghosh shapes
the ecoregion in new dimensions. He views the Sunderban region as a domain of
consciousness. Thus, The Hungry Tide becomes a milestone of Ghosh to establish a
new ecological ethics and environmental justice.
Keywords: Biotic, ecoregionalism, ecological insanity, dwindling, cetologist.
Ecoregionalism is a philosophy that originated in the western
America during the 1970’s in response to the modern environmental
crisis. ‘Ecoregionalism’ refers to the fullness of all earthly life
existing in mutuality. Here, Regions are de ned not by legislation,
but by nature with a commonality of climate, geology, hydrology
species and earth forms. From the perspective of ecoregion, it is a
geographical area of similar climate where similar ecosystems and
groups of species are found on similar sites.
Amitav Ghosh, the great genius in Indian literature, proved his
talent of writing in his novels such as, Sea of Poppies, River of
Smoke, The Circle of Reason, The Shadow Lines, The Glass Palace,
In an Antique Land… etc. His biocentric vision is exempli ed in his
most famous novel The Hungry Tide which was published in 2005.
In this novel, Ghosh portrays the biotic life in the Sunderban forest.
The word ‘Sunderban’ means ‘the beautiful forest’ which derived
its name from the common species of mangrove-the Sundari tree.
A mangrove forests unique in nature and thereare no giant trees, no
ferns, no wild  owers and no chattering monkeys or cockatoos. The
leaves in mangrove are laugh and leathery. A wide variety of species
from the endangered Royal Bengal tiger to microscopic sh live in
that Sunderbans.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Bharathi, S.
“An Outlook of
Ecoregionalism in
Amitav Ghosh’s The
Hungry Tide.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 85–88.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457065
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
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In this novel The Hungry Tide, Ghosh pictures Suderbans as a densely populated archipelago
of islands situated on the border between India and Bengal. The primary locations, in the novel,
Lusibari and Garjontala are ctitious of the author. But the secondary locations such as Canning,
Gosasa, Satjelia, Morichijhapi and Emilybari are real one.
In The Hungry Tide Piyali Roy, the cetologist, comes to the Sunderbans with an aim to study the
dwindling breed of Irawaddy dolphin. She recounts the richness of the sunderban fauna. A mother
and calf pair of dolphins swim in a ‘corkscrew pattern surface frequently and shooting the water
with their mouth. The ‘spitting behavior’ is characteristic of toss the sh into the air before catching
that. Later, she discovers the presence of an underwater pool, where the dolphins are seen to herd
sh and hunt them, “much like rabbits uprooting a harvest of carrots, the dolphins were picking the
sh from the riverbed”(167).
Piya discovers that the dolphins adapt their behavior according to the ebb and  ow of the water.
As a committed cetologist. Piya wants to protect the dwindling species of river dolphins. But she
has to face many hurdles like asking permissions from the higher of cers to do any action for
saving the dolphins. She has to ght for the suf cient nds from the Government. Piya loves her
profession and spends her hours by watering the animals and she thinks, “It would be enough; as
an alibi for a life, it would do. She would not need to apologize for how she had spent her time on
this earth” (127).
Ghosh compares the past populated species with the present reducing one, through the character
Piya. On seeing the Orcaella in the underwater pool, Piya recollects a past incident when two
shermen got a school of sh towards their boat in order to catch the dolphins. While prey the
herd of sh, the shermen caught the dolphins and sunk them in the soft oor of the river Piya
wonders, “Did there exist any more remarkable instance of symbiosis between human beings and
a population of wild animals?”(169).
In this novel, Amitav Ghosh traps the human inhabitants in the forest area. Kanai Dutta, a Delhi
businessman comes to Lusibari to visit his aunt Nilima Bose. His uncle Nirmal Bose has leftsome
papers for Kanai at the time of his death. In his papers, Nirmal wrote about his life in morichjhapi,
a forestland. In this tide country, he became a close friend of Horen and often visited the house
of Horen who lived with his wife Kusum and his son Fokir. Morichjhapi is a place where the
Bangladesh refugees settled, but they were evicted the place by saying that it was a reserve forest
to save tigers. “Morichjhapi was a protected forest reserve and they had proved unbending in their
determination to evict the settlers” (119).
The poor settlers had a great attachment towards every species in the Sunderbans. They lived by
interacting with the land, by  shing, by planting the soil and by loving the animals. While evicting
the poor refugees, Kusum outburst with pain,
Who are these peoples… who love animals so much that they were willing to kill us for them…
the whole world has become a place of animals and our faults, our crime was that we were just
human beings. (262).
Finally, the settlers of Morichjhapi were overpowered, huts burnt, women raped and thrown to
the water by the forest of cers. In contrast, the rich and powerful Scotsman, Sir Daniel Hamilton
bought thousand acres of the Sunderbans with an aim to establish a society. The Government
encouraged his activities and supported his schemes. This inequal justice promotes the novel to
have the central issue-man-animal con ict. “Not a day passed without the news of someone being
killed by a tiger, snake or crocodile” (79). In the Island of Lusibari, the silence of the night was
broken by the growl of the Tiger. So Nilima states with fear:
I know that in this day and age in the twenty rst century, it is dif cult for you to imagine
yourself being attracted by a tiger. The trouble is that over here it’s not in the least bit out of the
ordinary. It happens several times each week. (240).
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Every day, Man has to struggle for survival from the animals and the animals have to struggle
for survival from the human beings. Man killing the animals and the animals killing the men are
often happening scenes in the Sunderban. The mind of the people is always haunted with the fear
of animals.
In the novel The Hungry Tide, Ghosh presents the physical and psychological fear of the people
about the forest clearly. Though the characters of the novel, Ghosh makes the readers to feel the
fear. Inorder to stimulate the fear of Kanai, the native sherman Horen says, “Because it’s the fear
that protects you, saar, it’s what keeps you alive. Without it the danger doubles” (244).In the visual
hallucination, Kanai seas the tiger, “The upper parts of its coat were of a colour that shone like gold
in the sunlight, but its belly was dark and caked with mud” (329).
According to the belief of the village folk in the Sunderban, to see a tiger is to be as good as
dead. All the deaths that happen by tiger attacks occur only in the off stage of the novel expect the
death of Kusum’s father. While searching for rewood, Kusum’s father rowed across the river and
he was unable to see the tiger hiding in the trees. On seeing the tiger, Kusum, who stood on the
bank, cried and gathered the villagers to catch the attention of her father. But all her efforts failed
because of the blowing of wind in the wrong direction. The tiger killed her father in front of her and
dragged the corpse into the forest. The family couldn’t claim any compensation as it was a reserved
area.
J.Fayrer, the English naturalist, who coined the term ‘The Royal Bengal Tiger’, states that in
a six years period between1860 and 1866, 4,218 people were killed by tigers in the West Bengal.
Ghosh in this novel enumerates the reasons for tiger attacks. The foremost reason is the human
settlement in the forest area. Secondly, due to the shortage of the fresh water, the tigers prefer
human  esh. Though the forest department provides pools of fresh water that make no difference.
As a conservationist,Piya voices for the wildlife protection without concerning the human beings.
So Kanai raises his volume by saying,
If there were killing on that scale anywhere else on earth it would be called a genocide, and yet
here it goes almost unremarked: these killings are never reported, never written about in the papers.
And the reason is just that these people are too poor to matter. We all know it, but we choose not to
see it. Isn’t that a horror too-that we can feel the suffering of an animal, but not of human beings?
(301).
But everyone in the Sunderbans fails to accept the truth of their settlement in the dwelling place
of animal. Ghosh presents the geological description about the Ganges that ows into the forest.
It’s a place of the crocodiles which drag their prey including the human beings into the underwater.
“A crocodile, it’s said, will keep you alive until you drawn; it won’t kill you on land; it’ll drag you
into the water while you’re still breathing. Nobody nds the remains of people who’re killed by
crocodiles” (328).
The novel sprays some details about the cyclones that make the people to lose their lives.
Human beings and animals are suffered by the natural calamities like the Storms, Tsunami, high
temperature, ood… etc. the nature also taking revenge against the habitants for swindling the
peace of the forest. When Piya faces the dangerous cyclonic attack, she prays, “Let it be on land,
whatever happens, let it be on land, not the water please. Not the water” (372). Ghosh succeeds in
showering the idea that the nature is the preserver as well as the destroyer.
In this novel, Ghosh makes awareness to the tide country people through the cetologist Piya
with a great pleasure; she has to quit the place for submitting the current condition of the Irrawaddy
dolphin to the higher authorities. With a voluminous hope of returning to Lusibari to do project
with the funds from conservation and environmental groups,Piya advices the population to project
the wild’ life. Dolphins become victims in the trade market because, “These dolphins were hunted
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88
with ri es and explosives and their carcasses were hung up in the sun so that their fat would drip
into buckets. This oil was then used to run boats and motorcycles” (306). The fast moving motor-
boats hit the dolphins that lead to death in dolphin habitats. All kinds of  sh dwindle because of the
use of nylon nets that drag the eggs too. As the result of these activities, the river is polluted and
mass of  sh disappear. So the entire ecosystem becomes shapeless.
Nirmal records the ecological changes in the Sunderban-once the sky was crowded by the  ock
of birds at sunset, and the mud banks were lled with the swarming crabs. But now the entire glory
visions start to fade. “That colour began to fade long ago and it is never seen any more. Where had
they gone, I wondered, those millions of swarming crabs, those birds” (215).
Acknowledging its biodiversity, the Sunderbans has been identi ed as a world Heritage site
by the International Union for the conservation of nature. Yet, illegal activities like deforestation,
poaching the animals, destroying the various species of sh, polluting the water, swindling the
land…etc lead the food chain of the ecosystem to breakup step by step. For sustaining their
livelihood in the forest area, everyman with his monstrous ego believes that no other species is
more superior to him. Finally, nothing will be left to him. Once he starts to kill all the species that
paves his way to kill another man. Morality becomes weaker.
Thus, in this novel The Hungry Tide, Ghosh directs the human mind towards eco-consciousness.
The novel is a milestone which establishes the new ecological ethics and environmental justice.
Works Cited
Primary Source
1. Ghosh Amitav, The Hungry Tide, London: Harper Collins, India 2005.
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Lack of Familial Gusto in Mahesh
Dattani’s Where There’s A Will
C.K.Uma Devi
Assistant Professor of English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
J.U.Gayathri
M.Phil Scholar
Aditanar College of Arts and Science
Tiruchendur
Abstract
Mahesh Dattani is one of the distinguished Indian English playwrights whose
penetrating insight into Indian urban society is widely extolled. His play Where
There’s a Will is based on an upper-middle class industrial Gujarati family and
its relation to individuals. Hasmukh Mehta is the protagonist of the play who had
overriding in uence over his family members until his mistress Kiran overrode his
unpleasant and annoying attempts to destroy  lial harmony. Hasmukh’s dominance
over his family members compelled him to believe that he is superior to all and
he considered his son as dull as ditch water. He also feared that his son would
override him. So he created rifts in the family to exercise his patriarchal dominance
over others. After the death of Hasmukh, he ruled over his family through his ‘will’
that denied property rights to his family members. He made Kiran as his trustee
who was a victim of circumstances but she rose to the occasions and created
successfully a peaceful space in the ‘unhomely home’ of Hasmukh. Because of the
nature of Hasmukh, there was no happiness, emotional attachment, enjoyment and
understanding among the family members.
Keywords: Familial gusto, Will, Patriarchal. Marginalise, Postmodern.
Mahesh Dattani is a renowned playwright in Indian English
literature. His play, Where There’s a Will (1986) explores socio-
cultural dynamics of postmodern society. The play is an insight
depiction of the underlying tensions, interpersonal relations, and
power fabrics existing within an urban middle-class Gujarati family.
It is a type of unique critique on the changing ethos and relations
in urban India. Moreover, the play exhorts a thoughtful response
to gender roles and gender-based power equations existing within
present society.
Hasmukh Mehta, the protagonist of the play, wants to control the
life of everyone who surrounds him. He not only controls the life of his
family members while he was alive but also makes an arrangement to
control their lives after his death through his ‘will’. Ajit, Hasmukh’s
son, says his father wants members of the family to dance to his
tunes. The ‘will’ acts as a whip and its agent is Hasmukh’s mistress
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Uma Devi, C. .., and
J. .. Gayathri. “Lack
of Familial Gusto
in Mahesh Dattani’s
Where There’s A Will.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 89–93.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457015
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
90
Kiran Jhaveri. Hasmukh’s power of money and greed for absolute control over his family members
has fractured the interpersonal relationship within the family. Like a typical modern family, there is
a lack of emotional attachment, and understanding for one’s views and opinions. Here, the politics
of patriarchy not only marginalizes the female but also the male. According to the ‘will’, Ajit has to
attend of ce nine to  ve daily and has to learn about business tactics from Kiran for which he will
be getting an allowance. Similarly, Preeti will be getting an allowance after she becomes a mother
and Sonal will also get an allowance. But they all have to act accordingly to get the bene t. On
the surface level, it appears that Kiran too was subordinated by Hasmukh but her vibrant speech
to Sonal reveals the truth. Kiran pities Hasmukh and says that he depended on her for everything.
She asserts that he was not the decision maker. She also says that Hasmukh did not really want a
mistress; he wanted a father. He saw in her a woman who would father him. She also says men
never really grow. Sonal was docile with Hasmukh whereas Hasmukh was submissive with Kiran.
This shows that Hasmukh held Sonal in the margins and Kiran was beyond it.
The setting of the play Where There’s a Will is the lavish house of Hasmukh. The word ‘lavish’
denotes sarcastically that the house is full of properties. In the play, there are not only properties,
but the characters also are mere properties. Every traditional Indian business man wants his son
to take over the business. Hasmukh is the patriarch and a promising business man. He regards
everyone in the house as useless. At rst, Hasmukh feels his son Ajit to be bankrupt at the age of
twenty three. When Ajit wants ve lakhs to modernize the company, the MD father regrets his birth
and for a moment even wishes him to be dead. Immediately, he realizes his mistake and modi es
his prayer as “God make him a vegetable so that he will not interfere in my way” (8). Hasmukh
does not give him liberty to even use the phone at home. When the play begins, Ajit is talking over
the phone and Hasmukh enters through the main door. He says, “Ajit, I am expecting a call, you
can talk to your friend later” (5). Moreover, the dialogue between Hasmukh and Ajit shows the
dominance of Hasmukh over his son:
HASMUKH . Wrong! I Hasmukh Metha, have every right. It’s my phone
you are using in my house, and it’s my business secrets you are
leaking to government of cers, and my typists your friend is  irting
with.
AJIT. Don’t I have any rights at all?
HASMUKH. You have the right to listen to my advice and obey my
orders. (6)
Hasmukh is a dictator who tells his son, “listen to my advice and obey my orders and polish
my shoes every morning” (6). He has a general opinion about women that they are false assurers.
Dattani gives a very lively statement to prove the concept. Hasmukh says “if you ask them if
breakfast, lunch or dinner is ready, they say yes but it is never so” (4). He calls Preeti, his daughter-
in-law as brilliant. According to him, she is after his money, that is the reason why she married
Ajit. At a glance one feels that, Hasmukh is a man of steel with correctness at every step. His health
chart shows that he is terribly weak. He suffers from high cholesterol and blood pressure as well
as an enlarged heart. He says he gets indigestion and ulcer. He blames the family members for his
illness: “In the olden days, if you said someone had a large heart, you meant he was generous and
loving. Today it means he is receiving high aggravation from his twenty-three-year-old son and his
scheming daughter-in-law” (4).
Hasmukh also says that, his son Ajit is a big zero and if at all Ajit makes sense, it is because the big
zero has a one in front. The number one is unmistakable Hasmukh himself. In this manner another
earning member of the family is criticized. For both Ajit and Hasmukh, their family relationship
is secondary when compared to money. This is the reason for Ajit to expect his father’s property
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after his death and for the same reason, the ‘will’ is a great disappointment. Ajit says on the phone,
“Actually I don’t give a damn. I mean one day it’s all going to be mine. And then I can do all the
things I’ve wanted to do. All the changes, I’ve been thinking of making” (4-5). But the ‘will’ of his
father disappoints him a lot.
Hasmukh Mehta has no respect and love for his wife Sonal. She is to him good for nothing.
In fact, she is a chaste and obedient wife, but what Hasmukh expects from his wife is something
disgusting one. He says; “Then I should be very happy man. I’ve got a loving wife who has been
faithful to me like any dog would be” (23). His words throw ample light on the fact that Hasmukh’s
notion of faithful wife is as good as faithful dog that acts as per provided training without using her
own discretion. Actually, Sonal is an innocent and ignorant woman who doesn’t know about his
sexual lust and his enjoyment with night women. She is a devoted and decent wife, but her husband
is perverted and a rude creature. At the end, Sonal and Kiran join hands to eradicate the evil of
sexual colonialism. They are gifted with the ability to assess and subsequently shaking off unjust
shackle of patriarchy.
Sonal does not have any of the above mentioned aspects of married woman. Hasmukh is highly
dissatis ed with the manner in which his life has been spent with no one living up to his expectation,
the way he had lived up to his father’s expectation. Hasmukh’s aim is to seek revenge through his
‘will’, which will be released only after his death. He suffers from blood pressure, cholesterol,
diabetes and salt in the urine. He was prone to so many life risks due to his disorders, but he blames
his family members for his physical sufferings. He does not expect death which confronts him very
soon.
As a matter of fact, all troubles come out of Hasmukh’s false notions of joy and happiness of
life. He considers domination as the only and nal system which can bring joy and happiness in
the family. Ironically he fails to understand that domination kills the joy of human heart and soul.
Domination  ourishes killing other’s self and identity. It is, in fact, biggest hurdle in building up
the premise of happiness.
After sometime Hasmukh is dead and he lazes around as a ghost. From this onwards, instead of
Hasmukh, his ghost speaks. He sees his ad in obituary as ‘Garment Tycoon Dead’. As Hasmukh
mentions all are in anguish, but at the same time, they are all waiting for the next thing to happen.
Exactly after one week, the concerned of cers come to read out the ‘will’. The family members are
drenched in a shock. Through the following conversation among the family members, Dattani has
shown the agony and distrust of their mind:
SONAL. He has ruined us! Minal will be shocked when she hears this.
PREETI. To hell with Minal! As if it makes any difference to her!
SONAL. If I wasn’t so exhausted, I would stop you from talking about my
sister like that!
AJIT (groaning also). He has ruined us! The old man has taken us for a nice
ride. (28)
Preeti accuses Sonal that if she had been nicer, it would not happen like this. She says he wasn’t
nice to her but she adjusted. Sonal leaves an open statement that she would have left him if she knew
he had a mistress. They very soon nd out that they were not liable to make use of the property
immediately. Preeti wants to contest the ‘will’. Sonal says he must be mad to do this to them. Preeti
says, they could get the certi cate to prove that he was a senile. She goes still further and says that
they could prove through Doctor Jhunjhunwalla that he was ill for the past few months. Very soon,
Kiran enters the house and gets herself self introduced.
Then Ajit recaps the ‘will’. It dissolved when he is forty  ve years old, the year when his father
feels him to have attained complete maturity, he can do what he wants with that money. Ajit tells
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Minal that his mother was not at fault. Usually, it is the lady who is blamed for men’s fault. This
is patriarchy, this is domination and thus it means suppression. He says that his father has formed
a Charitable Trust. He has donated all his property, nance and shares to the Trust including the
house they live in. They would all get an allowance from that Trust monthly. Sonal reminds the
family members that Ajit has to attend of ce every day at 9am and he can only leave at 6pm. He
even has to have his lunch there. The ‘will’ also stated that no new business project would be
sanctioned for Ajit, and Sonal continues to say that, if they do not abide by the ‘will’, Kiran tries to
make them understand that she had no hand in this issue. Sonal becomes weary and Preeti stresses
the point of suppression of the whole family. The whole family stood subordinated to the lady
Kiran as per the ‘will’ and it was publicly noticed by everyone.
Kiran declares that there is no proof for their relationship. Preeti pronounces that they must
contest the ‘will’. She makes it very clear that she is only the trustee and not the owner. It is her job
and she gets a salary for it. Kiran says that everything rightfully belongs to three of them provided
they follow of ce as usual. Mrs Mehta shall get a regular allowance to run the house and little more
for her personal expenses. Preeti too will get an allowance, when she becomes a mother. When her
child is twenty-one, the Trust automatically dissolves. Its holdings will be transferred to Ajit and
his heirs. She also tells them that her main duty is to run the Mehta group of companies on behalf
of Ajit, and she has the authority to make all the major decisions in the interest of the companies.
Her duty also extends to train Ajit and delegate responsibilities to him in phases. Most importantly
of all instructions, she must leave her husband and stay here as part of Mehta family. Sonal feels
terribly irritated. She feels that Hasmukh had planned the presence of Kiran, just to remind her of
her inadequacy. She feels that it was his master plan.
At last, they have no choice but to allow Kiran to stay back at home. They decide to make her
stay outside the house. But Sonal decides to make her stay in her own room. She says, “She can
share my room! Mrs Jhaveri and I have a lot to discuss” (43). In her short stay, Kiran  nds out the
crime committed by Preeti. She had interchanged the tablets for BP and vitamin, which Hasmukh
used for his health. Kiran enquires about the issue to Preeti and Preeti immediately agrees. As
Hasmukh himself mentions, Preeti married Ajit only for his money.
Hasmukh Mehta’s parental authority was a tension not only for Sonal and Preeti, but also for
Kiran. She confesses that she managed her relationship with an old and erratic man like Hasmukh,
only for money. Here Dattani explores the Post-colonial and multi-cultural India. It has been
adroitly clear that due to his lack of ethics and sexual transgression, Hasmukh Mehta was ung
out of the frying pan into the re. Hasmukh died many times, his corporeal demise was seen when
he was enjoying cigar that the best treatment was given by the playwright to an egoist having self-
pride. While Kiran made a full stop to all types of friction in the Mehta family, his ghost could not
stand with a re-energized home free from his hellish dominance.
Mahesh Dattani’s entire work may be seen as a depiction of con ict between the older and the
younger generations. He has accorded greater importance to those issues which largely remain
hidden in our society. He has the unique capacity to read the rumblings of contemporary Indian
society and smell the unceasing clash between tradition and modernity. Family relations are the
keys to the plots of Dattani’s plays. He basically deals with issues which are considered to be
invisible taboo by the Indian society like gender discrimination, homosexuality, transgender,
patriarchy, communalism and so on. He takes his subjects from within the complicated dynamics
of modern urban families. Families are composed of unique individuals. That uniqueness stems
from the fact that every individual has creativity and free will and he/she is able to make his/her
own choices.
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References
1. Dattani, Mahesh. Where There’s a Will. New Delhi: Surjeet Pub., 2014.
2. Sharma, Laxmi. An Exploration of Mahesh Dattani’s Play: Where There’s a Will. New Delhi:
Literary India, 2009.
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Lack of Familial Love and
Affection in Sashi Deshpande’s
The Dark Holds No Terrors
P.Subashini, B.A., B.Ed.,
I M.A English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
This paper studies the novel The Dark Holds No Terrors, where Sashi Deshpande
explains, how a deserted attitude is kept for a girl child by her own parents and how
that girl becomes a psychiatric patient and permanent sufferer till coming over by
own declaration. Novel presents the suffocating feeling of a girl, who never gets love
from her parents and looks marriage as a heaven on the earth, but after marriage
she nds dichotomy between her prospect and reality. It is a story of internal and
external distressing experiences of a middle-class educated working woman, who
is a famous physician and working person. Her dichotomy breaks out with self-
realization and con icts the entire situation. She takes a lengthy expedition painfully
with sour experiences to come over this situation.
Keywords: Suffocate, annihilated, petri ed, patriarchy, mirage.
Shashi Deshpande is an Indian novelist who was born in 1938
in Karnataka and educated in Bombay and Bangalore. Deshpande
has written four children’s books, a number of short stories, and
nine novels, besides several perceptive essays, available in a volume
entitled Writing from the Margin and Other Essays. Her rst novel,
The Dark Holds No Terrors, was published in 1980. In most of her
works Sashi Deshpande depicts the pity state of women.
God has created everything in this world in a beautiful manner.
God’s every creation in this world has its own signi cance. He
created everything such as plants, animals, birds and many other
things in this world. But those creatures were not created according
to the resemblance of God. Think how God has love upon the human
beings. But God is really upset with present evils in this society. God
not only creates a man, he also creates a women companion for the
man from his own bone. Every religious scripture praises the wife,
the women and they don’t consider them as inferior.
In Bible when Salomon writes about a “virtuous wife”, he comments
like this: “For her worth is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). Quran
says like this “Women shall with justice similar to exercised against
them (men)” (Quran 2:228). Lord Krishna Says,“Men can achieve
purity, prosperity, grace, fame, glory, endurance, patience and
intelligence through women”. Thus all religions provide a signi cant
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Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Subashini, P. “Lack
of Familial Love and
Affection in Sashi
Deshpande’s The Dark
Holds No Terrors.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 94–96.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457017
95
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http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
place for women. But in practical life the real state of women is very different and pathetic. Women
are considered and treated submissive and inferior in the society. They are denied of their own
rights. They are harassed and abused. They are considered only as an object and a toy for pleasure.
No one understands her own feeling and emotions. Even in much Family the treatment between
boy and girl is different.
In this novel “Dark Holds No Terrors”, Sashi Deshpande depicts how the tender heart of Saru
longs for love and care from her parents. Saru is projected as a victim of childhood uncertainty.
Parental love is essential for the development of a child, but Saru lacks it. She has no kind word
or word of appreciation and affection for her father or mother. The father is a sign of apathy
indifference. Saru has no word of honour for her mother. As long as the mother is alive, there
is no love and affection between among mother and daughter. She is unable to put-up with the
mother’s excessive fondness shown towards her brother. She feels envious of her brother to see
him receiving all the parental care and consideration. Her mother is a kind of woman who believes
a girl to be a legal responsibility and a boy an asset. Here, to her mother, the boy is more signi cant
than the girl. Her father takes least interest in her studies or development. His dissimilarity can be
analyzed as an oblique expression of patriarchy that is emotionally harmful. She is not given any
signi cance. No parental love and care is poured on her.
Saru is the main character of this novel, who married Manohar against her parents’ wish. So she
leaves her home has no contact with her parents.When Saru returns to her parents’ home after the
dispute with her husband she feels that many things have changed in her home. Her father smiles at
her for the rst time, which is a different act towards her. Saru mentions that, “He gave her a smile.
The  rst smile she had for him” (18). But her father’s rst smile was not a replica of his love and
affection; it is only a way of apologizing to Saru for not putting up his dead wife’s photograph. This
shows the relationship between Saru and her father. From this we can understand that she doesn’t
enjoy the shade of her father’s love. She feels that after the death of her mother, her father has
changed completely. Before her mother’s death her father doesn’t bother about the family activity.
It is said,
During Saru’s childhood days she doesn’t have much attachment
with her father, like Dhruva. Saru longs for her father’s love. “It
had been Dhruva sitting on Baba’s lap and talking to him. And I
thought …I must show Baba something, anything to take his
attention away from Dhruva sitting on his lap. I must, make him
listen to me, no to Dhruva. I must make him ignore Dhruva”. (32)
Saru thinks that her father must ignore her brother. This shows that how much she was denied ,
avoided and uncared by her parents for the only reason of being a ‘girl child’. This makes the little
soft heart of Saru suffocate. When Saru  nds Madhav talking with Saru’s father about his college
activities she feels for that because her father never asks her in her childhood about her school or
college activities. She says, “He never took any interest in my school or college. He left it all to
her.And she never really cared. Not after Dhruva’s death. I died long before I left home” (32). Her
mother hurts her more when her brother Dhruva died. Her mother says, “Why didn’t you die? Why
are you alive and he dead?” (34). This shows how indifferent her parents are with her.
When Saru is arranging the things in the cupboard she nds a bundle of photographs. She
searches for her individual photograph but fails to nd any of that. But she is able to nd a photo of
her, but it is not an individual one. It is the photo taken with her brother Dhruva. She feels for that
and thinks she is annihilated. It is said, “There was no photograph of herself, she noticed without
emotion. As if she had indeed been annihilated” (59).
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When Madhav asks Saru to keep her mother’s sari with herself she replies abruptly that she
doesn’t have any good memories of her mother: “I don’t have any good memories of my mother”
(59). This shows the improper relationship between Saru and her mother. Each and every child is
beautiful and special to its mother.
Every mother considers her own daughter or son as princess or prince. But Saru’s mother is an
exceptional case. She tells to her own daughter that she is very ugly and she won’t be good-looking
even in her future: “You will never be good looking”(61). This shows the ruthless character of her
mother.
She also hurts Saru for her dark complexion. It shows the cruel nature of her mother. She doesn’t
have soft corner for Saru in her heart. After the death of Dhruva, Saru is taken by Mashvi, a
neighbour. Mashvi cares Saru very much; she plaited her hair with lots of love and care. After few
days Saru’s mother asks Saru to return home, but Saru is not ready to go home. She says, “I don’t
want to go. Not today” (74). Through this incident we can understand the tender heart of Saru, who
is longing for affection from her parents.
Saru’s choice of marriage is a comfort against the resentment of her parents. The slackness of
mother, indifference of father and the burden of the guilt of the death of brother, forced Saru to
depart her parental home and to seek spaces in professional life. The shade of the brutality of her
mother, who emits her off from the family and let her stroll in void with her own deserted fate,
makes her restless. The fear of being betrayed or being discarded remains rooted in her notice. Saru
leaves her parental home in uenced by the romantic fancy of Manohar who says, “When we’re
together, its heaven, wherever we are” (38).
After marriage Saru enjoys better economic and social status and also enjoys a pleasant-
sounding relationship as Monohar’s wife but after she becomes a lady doctor, equation changes.
Both Manohar and Saru travel not only in different directions but even in opposite directions. In
everything, be it intellect or occupation or success or ambition she surpasses her husband. Slowly
Saru’s social and economic status grows far beyond those of her husband. She is a demanding
successful doctor in difference to Manu who is an under-salaried lecturer in a third rate college. She
establishes herself as a career woman, and her job satis es her ego, but this brings her no gladness
at home.
Manohar’s sense of inferiority changes him into a sadist, who gets pleasure by insulting his wife,
harassing and, hurting her sexuality. She is two persons in one woman; she is a successful doctor
during day time and a terrible petri ed trapped animal at night. The sour understanding dawns upon
her that the idea of the concept of love in marriage is a mirage, and an delusion. She considers that
marriage is nothing and says,
Love... There was no such thing between man and woman.
There was only a need which both fought against, futilely,
the very futility turning into the thing they called ‘love’.
It’s only a word, she thought. Take away the word, the idea,
and the concept will wither away (72).
The only reason for her love affair is the lack of parental love and affection. Thus Sashi beautifully
depicts the various state of Saru who longs for love, care and affection in her work The Dark Holds
No Terror.
Work Cited
1. Deshpande, Shashi. The Darks Holds No Terrors, New Delhi: Penguin Books, India 1990.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashi_Deshpande.
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Subjugation and Suppression of
Women in Khaled Hosseini’s A
Thousand Splendid Suns
R.S.Namirah
I M.A. in English Literature
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
Khaled Hosseini, in his novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns has depicted the pathetic
condition of women. It is being suppressed by abusive men who torture them in
daily life. It describes the problems and cruelty faced by Nana, Marian and Laila,
Afghani Women who were under the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. Society always
keeps shaping women to be subordinate, submissive and to obey the men as a slave.
This Novel shows the deep feeling of women’s tear, and their struggle from layer to
layer. It is written in the third person’s point of view. In this novel, Khaled Hosseini
reveals the real face of an abusive husband and the look of society.
Keywords: Illegitimate, Polygamy, Marginalization, Suppressed, Subjugation.
In 1965 Khaled Hosseini was born in Kabul where his father
was a diplomat, and his mother taught Farsi and history. After the
1978 coup and the ensuing Russian invasion, the family ed from
Afghanistan for the United States, receiving political asylum in 1980.
They settled in SanJose, California where his father found work as
a driving professor. Hosseini is a doctor and lives with his wife and
two children in Northern California. The Kite Runner, his  rst novel,
has been met with great critical and widespread acclaim.
A Thousand Splendid Suns follow the novel the struggle of two
women characters, Mariam and Laila due to the torture and violent
behaviour of their cruel husband. They suffer through hardship, and
they are treated very severely, both physically and mentally. Their
Continuous af iction leads hope to fade away. Anxiety, stress and
fear make Mariam and Laila move away from the country.
Nana was raped by Jalil her servant and Mariam was born as an
illegitimate daughter. She was called Harami, which means unwanted
thing. In the society of Afghan, Women are not allowed to go out to
learn. So Mariam learns at home with the help of Mullah Faizullah,
and she learns to read and write Koran. She requests her mother
to allow her to go to school, but her mother asked her to endure
life. “ What’s the sense of schooling a girl like you? And you’ll
learn nothing of value in those schools” (18). Being an illegitimate
daughter, she longs for love, kindness, the family house and the
acceptance of society. Which all other legitimate claim and she was
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Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Namirah. “Subjugation
and Suppression of
Women in Khaled
Hosseini’s A Thousand
Splendid Suns.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 97–100.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457019
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cornered and marginalised for the status of being Harami. “A man’s heart is a wretched thing,
Mariam. It isn’t like a mother’s womb. It won’t’ bleed; it won’t stretch to make room for you. I am
the only one who loves you. I’m all you have in this world, Mariam and when I’m gone, you’ll have
nothing. You’ll have nothing. You are nothing!”(27).
In the Patriarchal society, all men, including Rasheed and Jalil, give importance to their
reputation. They can move to any extreme to protect their fake name as the right person. Nana
becomes pregnant. Jalil is much afraid of society. He makes Nana and her child move away from
Herat and causes them to stay in the small hut which is called rat hole by “And so, Your father
built us this rathole”(Pg: 8). Nana, while all other wives of Jalil are living luxuriously and happily
in Herat Nana, advised her daughter that men will always nd fault with women. “ Look at me,
Mariam”. Reluctantly, Mariam did. Nana said, “Learn this now and uncover it well, my daughter:
Like a compass needle that points north, a mans incriminating nger always nds a woman,
Always, you remember that, Mariam”(7). Due to the frustration, regret and harsh treatment of her
husband, Nana commits suicide.
After the grave of her mother, Mariam is married to Rasheed when she is 16 years old, and
Rasheed is at least twenty- ve years older than Mariam. An abusive man who relishes having
power over women, Rasheed depicts the worst of men in a patriarchal society. A widowman who
lost his only son to drowning, and he hides this truth to Mariam and forces her to bear him another
son. Since Miriam’s gets pregnant seven times but loses the babies each time, due to the health
complication, she cannot take any baby. She was tortured by him physically and emotionally as
Mariam is powerless she cannot think of anything but only a dread, frustration and fear of Rasheed
while he enters the home and eventually he seeks to marry a second, much younger wife, Laila.
In Afghanistan, men are allowed to do polygamy with four wives if the husband can treat their
wives equally. Gender discrimination starts when the wives are mistreated by their husbands. In the
novel, Laila looks more beautiful, Rasheed makes Mariam be the servant of Laila.
He orders his wives to wear the full burqa to keep their honours; Afghan women should wear
the burqa. When Laila and Mariam wear the burqa they feel uncomfortable to see, eat and walk. It
is massive, and they think hard. The women are the suns that hide behind the wall.
The forced marriage of both Mariam and Laila make them live with the cruel husband whom
they do not love. Thus Afghan women have no right to choose their husband. Rasheed continuously
torturer Mariam by slapping her, beating her, punching her, and kicking her. He always nds
fault with Mariam even though she tries to avoid all her mistake. This clearly shows the gender
discrimination and subordination Rasheed criticises Mariam’s cooking. He says that all that Mariam
has given him in the marriage is terrible food. Rasheed forced Mariam to chew pebbles as he thinks
the rice is not boiled well.
“Get up,” he said. “Come here. Get up.”
He snatched her hand, open-end it, and dropped a handful of pebbles into it.
“Put these in your mouth.”
“What?
“Put. These. In your mouth.”
“Stop it, Rasheed, I’m___._”
His Powerful hands clasped her jaw. He showed two ngers into her mouth and pried it open,
then forced the cold, hard cobbles into it. Mariam seeks against him, mumbling, but he kept pushing
the rocks in, his upper lip curled in a smirk.
“Now chew,” he said.
In the mouthful of grit and pebbles, Mariam mumbles a case. Tears were leaking out of the
ridges of her eyes.
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“CHEW!” he bellowed. A gust of his smoky breath crashed across her face.
Mariam chewed. Something in the back of her mouth broken.
“Good,” Rasheed said. His cheeks were shaking. “Now you know what your rice tastes similar.
Now you know what you’ve presented me in this matrimony. Bad food, and zero else. Then he has
gone leaving Mariam to spit out pebbles, blood and the fragment of two broken molars. (102-103)
As Laila announced that she is pregnant, Rasheed is ecstatic. He prayed for a boy and held Laila
in even higher esteem. They consider the boy baby as their blessing and great pride, but Laila gives
birth to a girl baby, named Aziza. Rasheed soon neglects the baby and feels disgusted by the smells
and sounds that  ll the house. This implies that he knows the baby is not his, and he becomes rude
and cruel to Aziza. Rasheed judges to have sex with Laila before six weeks after birth that during
which the doctor had warned to abstain, Laila refuses, and Rasheed gets angry and tries to seduce
her.
All the women in this novel suffered from great hardship in their lives. In Afghanistan, Women’s
value is honoured by their ability to bear boy baby. Laila, due to Rasheed’s cruelty, gives birth to a
second child, Zalmai. Rasheed shows treatment to Aziza. He buys toys, and clothes for Zalmai this
shows his preference towards boy child by neglecting the girl baby. “I haven’t had a decent night’s
sleep in two months,’ Rasheed said. “And the room smells like a sewer. Shit clothes are lying all
over the place. I stepped on one just the other night” (230).
The Taliban comes to power, and strict laws are framed for women. The rules are even more
severe than Rasheed has been. Taliban beat the women who do not wear burqa and who laugh in
public and, all their freedom has been taken away.
Singing is forbidden.
Dancing is forbidden…270.
You will not, under any situations, show your face. You will come with burqa when external. If
you do not, you will be rigorously beaten.
Cosmetics are forbidden.
Jewellery is forbidden.
You will not wear charming dresses…271.
Girls are forbidden from frequenting school. All schools for girls will be closed instantly.
Women are forbidden from working.
If you are found criminal of adultery, you will be stoned to death.
Listen. Listen well. Obey. Allah-u-Akbar 271.
All together with Mariam, Laila and her children plan to escape and move to Pakistan. When
they try to run away, they are caught by police and returned home. Hence Rasheed tortures them by
beating and locking them in various places without food, shelter and light for several days. “Azan
rang out a second time, and still Rasheed had not given them any food, and worse, no water. That
day, a thick, suffocating heat feel on them. The room turned into a Pressure cooker.” (288). He
threatened them if she attempts such an act again, he would kill Mariam  rst, then Aziza and then
he would kill Laila.
The novel “ A Thousand Splendid Suns” tells about the life of women Afghanistan, one of the
famous countries in the world. The book tells particularly about the women suppression and the
culture that is followed in the country. The novel tells that every human being has a speci c limit
to bear the pain but Nana, Mariam and Laila being female they cannot be able to take the pain, and
they are not even treated as the human being. This novel gains popularity due to its content, which
tells about the society which is not written by any of the other writers.
In Afghanistan women are being suppressed in many forms: Women are not allowed to go
to school, Women are forced to Marriage, and the feelings of women are not respected and not
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even heard of, the girl child is considered as a curse and sons are believed as a blessing. Women
are restricted in their way of dressing; Women are oppressed in polygamy. All these cruelties to
women are excellently portrayed in A Thousand Splendid Suns.
Work Cited
1. Hosseini, Khaled. A Thousand Splendid Suns, Great Britain: Bloomsbury 2007.
.
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A Tale of Gender Discrimination
in Mahesh Dattain’s Play Tara
J.Jency Amirtha, B.A., B.Ed.,
I MA English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
Mahesh Dattani’s play Tara deals with the theme of gender discrimination in the
society. The present paper discusses and analyses how Dattani’s has shown the
issues of marginalization of women in this play. It is a moving story of conjoined
twins, Tara and Chandan. The play highlights how much a boy is given more
importance than a girl in an Indian family. Dattani considers gender discrimination
as unnatural and moral beliefs connected with principles bring out complex and
multi-dimensional nature of issue. The play pictures the unacceptable and strong
in uence of giving importance only to men in the collective awareness of society
.These values of socialization which makes women weak physically and emotionally.
Men always treat women cruelly without giving them the same freedom and rights.
In the play, Bharati the mother of Tara spoils life of her daughter and later suffers
from the guilt of her inhuman act. Her guilt leads her to madness and creates
problem in the family also. Dattani also expresses the innoscent attitude of society
towards the differently abled persons. The misuse of science and technology is
expressed through the character Dr. Thakkar.
Keywords: Discrimination, Marginalization, Conjoined, Multi-dimensional,
Transplantation.
Author
Mahesh Dattani is a famous Indian Writer. He was born on 7th
August 1958, Bangalore, India. He is also a playwright, screen
writer, lm maker and stage director. As a writer, he was awarded
the prestigious Sahitya Academic award in 1998. His works are,
Final Solution (1993), Dance Like a Man (1989), Bravely Fought the
Queen (1991), On a Muggy Night in Mumbai (1998), Tara (1990),
30 Days in September (2001), The Big Fat City (2012), The Murder
that Never was (2000), Where There is a Will (1988), Brief Candle
(2009). Tara was one of the  st Indian plays in English to highlight
the dangers of gender discrimination in our society.
Atale of Gender Discrimination
Tara is a unique play in Indian Writing in English. The play moves
around the life of the conjoined twins of different sex. Doctor says,
the conjoined twins are usually of the same sex. The play TARA
gains the attraction of the audience because the conjoined twins are
of different gender. Dattani has woven into the play are issues of
class and community and the clash between traditional and modern
lifestyle.
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Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Jency Amirtha, J.
“A Tale of Gender
Discrimination in
Mahesh Dattain’s
Play Tara.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 101–04.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457021
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The play is divided into two acts. The play starts as Chandan from London where he is known
Dan, he is narrating his childhood days and the movements that he spent with his sister Tara. He
thinks to write about his childhood but when he takes the pen, he gets diverted and writes the story
of Tara. The whole play revolves around Chandan and Tara; they are Siamese twins at birth.
DAN: Is it a rare phenomenon?
DR. THAKKAR: Twins as such are not so rare, the chance…..
DAN: What about Siamese twins?
DR. THAKKAR: Conjoined twins are quite rare. I think one in every fty thousand twin
conceptions could have a probability of containing this….defect. (11)
The play throws light on the increasing incidents of the crime, killing a baby and widening the
space between the male and the female child. This play is not only a story of the protagonist but it
is the life of every girl child born in Indian family whether it is a village or in a city.
The play is about the separation of the conjoined twins and the problem faced by the protagonist
is also highlighted. The idea of separation of the twins arises to the parents because they are of
different sex. It becomes necessary to separate the twins where there is no reason, but their parents
thought that it would be a bene ted one for their daughter and son. After their separation they
could lead a happy and wonderful life. They thought Tara and Chandan could have a bright future
without depending on each other both physically and emotionally.
The main aim of the separation of the conjoined twins is motivated favor of the boy Chandan. In
this play Mahesh Dattani expresses the fact that even now the educated parents of the 21st century
have the different motives and ideas for a girl and a boy. Where Tara becomes the prey for their
parents activities in order to support Chandan.
They have planned for the major operation between Tara and Chandan. But the doctor have
discovered three legs between both instead of four legs. The doctor mentions to their parents that
the two belongs to Tara and another one belongs to Chandan. The doctors suggests that Chandan’s
another leg should be replaced by the arti cial leg. But Tara’s mother and her grandfather wants
Chandan two legs and the one should be borrowed from Tara. The doctor explains that it is so risk
to do like that. Finally Dr. Thakkar and his team had accepted to take risk of separating the leg
from Tara and transplanted to Chandan.
Dr. Thakkar accepts to perform the operation willingly because of his own personal bene ts.
The family members of Tara wanted to make Chandan stronger physically. Tara and her future is
not given importance by her parents.
The reason for preferring male child is that he will carry all the burden and he will be the
bread winner of the family. On the contrary, the word ‘girl’ means “dowry, burden, and lot of
expenditure”. This situation becomes worse when, the child is physically challenged or if the girl
has any other mental disorder. The mentality of the society is that if a girl is physically challenged or
mentally disorder means they think that giving dowry is of no use. She prefers to remain unmarried
and they feel that she is a burden to the family.
Finally, the surgeon is ready for operation because of money. After that they fears about the
operation which results in Chandan becomes disability while Tara is already a disabled one. The
thing which hurts Tara the most is the preference given to his brother Chandan because he belongs
to the gender male. Tara also realizes that she is not given any opportunity to be treated as a normal
human being because she is female. This play deals with the real circumstances in which all the
girl child born in Indian family are facing so many problems if there is a boy in the family, the girl
child is ill treated consciously or unconsciously by giving all the privileges to the boy child. Erin
Mee says,
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“Tara is the story of a conjoined twins separated at birth, by a surgical procedure intended to
favor the boy over the girl. Told through boy’s re ections on his childhood memories, Tara’s story
is also a re ection of the feminine struggle for expression both physically and emotionally in a
patriarchal Indian society”(319).
Tara feels that her father’s favorite is Chandan, most of the time his father talks about only
Chandan’s career and his going to Abroad. This highlights how the gender con icts and gender
differences are to be realized by Tara unconsciously. There was kidney transplantation for Chandan,
after nishing the transplantation; he wants to go the college. Chandan does not want to go without
Tara to the college. He is not ready to go alone but he wants Tara to accompany him. Tara and
Chandan do not think about gender discrimination. But Mr. and Mrs. Patel do not think that both of
them are equal. But Chandan is not like that, he has a special concern towards her sister Tara, and
he thinks that both are equal.
TARA: Yes, but I will soon be going in for surgery.
ROOPA: Oh, how sad! On your leg.
TARA: No. A kidney transplant.
ROOPA: Gosh! (18).
This play shows how the girl who is physically challenged has to sacri ce herself to the family.
This makes herself to feel distressed and feel lonely. She feels dejected because her father does
not care for her and her future. She asks her father that she need to meet Chandan and spent some
time with him her father says that how it is possible. Tara feels that her father is only worried about
Chandan and his career.
Bharati: I wish your father would pay more attention to Tara.
Chandan: He does, he doesn’t like to show his affection.
Bharati: Don’t tell me about your father, he is more worried about your career than hers (28).
In this play Dattani expresses how the girl child is not given importance and made to be under
the control of someone and the decision of their own is not given any importance.
Dr.Thakkaar: Our greatest challenge would be to keep the girl alive. Nature wanted to kill her.
We could not allow it.
Roopa: Tara! Come on out! We want to talk to you! (56). though Tara is the main character of
the play, she has been a target to the social favor against woman. She also has all the capacity of
a new developing woman. She is more interested, active to achive something in her life. She has
high thoughts and aims to achieve but it becomes impossible because of her physical problem .She
stands as feeling angry against the society. She has some kind of hatred towards the society. Tara’s
world is too small, that is her parents and brother. Tara likes to live a shining life. But she does
not get any opportunities as her brother gets. She thinks about the modern society, with all sorts of
technical development. Even though her parents are educated, they showed difference between the
boy child and the girl child. Tara’s father particularly feels that giving equal opportunities to a boy
and a girl is not applicable in the society.
Tara is a girl who becomes as a prey to the family members by accepting all the decisions taken
by then. In this Play Tara Mahesh Dattani has intertwined two theme which makes the play more
powerful. Firstly Tara is suppressed in all the activities and the importance is given to a boy child
than the girl child. Secondly, He also shows the greed of the doctor. Thakkar in this play. The
play Tara swings to the actions in the past in Mumbai where Chandan and Tara had spent their
childhood days. Erin Mee says, “The main point remains in Tara is the play about the bias of the
parents towards a girl child. In it Dan discovers the neglected half on himself as a means becoming
whole”.
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Dattani’s Tara presents the real life situation of women in the Indian family. And how they are
controlled by the male. In India gender discrimination plays a vital role in the modern society. Tara
has so many aims to achieve in her life. But she does not even get any opportunity to prove herself
in the world. In this play even Tara’s mother does not support Tara. Her mother also supported
her son Chandan; she gives importance only to him. In the modern society also people think that a
woman or a girl should be under the control of the man and she should obey all their commands. In
the present days all women are obeying others and controlled by father or husband or son and they
are losing their own identity.
Work Cited
1. Dattani, Mahesh. Tara, New Delhi: Ravi Dayal Publishers, Bangalore 1995.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org>wiki>maheshdattani.
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Role of Untouchability and
Superstitious Beliefs in U.R.
Ananthamurthy’s “Bharathipura”
K.Rukmani Viji & M.Sinthiya
II MA., English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
This paper deals with the major problems, which are prevailing in India for many
centuries. Untouchability and Superstitious beliefs are the dominant crisis which
cannot be erased from the minds of the people. The people of low caste suffer a
lot by the oppression of high caste people. Untouchability and superstitious beliefs
are the major themes portrayed by Ananthamurthy in his work “Bharathipura”.
This novel exposes the caste discrimination between the people who worship Lord
Manjunatha and the people who worship Lord Bhootharya .Though Holeyaru the
low caste people endure a lot, the upper class people didn’t allow them to come
forward. They face lots of humiliation in their life but they still strive for their
existence.
People distinguish themselves under the name of God. Even the superior creator is
not an exception from untouchability and superstitious beliefs. Education is the only
remedy which can remove this idiotic thought from the minds of people. These are
the aspects which are to be discussed further in this presentation.
Keywords: Untouchability, Superstitious beliefs, Marginalization, Self-identity,
Tradition and Custom, Existence.
Author’s Note
Udupi Rajagopalacharya Ananthamurthy was a contemporary
writer and critic in the Kannada language. He was born on 21
December, 1932 in Thirthalali Taluk. He is considered as one of the
pioneers of the Navya Movement. Ananthamurthy’s works have
been translated into several Indian and European languages. He is
the sixth writer to be awarded with Jnanpith award for the Kannada
language. In 1998, he received the Padma Bhushan Award from the
Government of India. His main works include Samskara, Bhava,
Bharathipura and Avasthe.
Most of Ananthamurthy’s works deal with the psychological
aspects of people. His writings supposedly analyse aspects ranging
from challenges faced by Brahmin families of Karnataka to
bureaucrats dealing with politics in uencing their work.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Rukmani Viji, K., and
M. Sinthiya. “Role of
Untouchability and
Superstitious Beliefs in
U.R. Ananthamurthy’s
‘Bharathipura.’”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 105–09.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457023
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Untouchability and Superstitious Belief
Untouchability in its literal sense is of practice of obstracising a minority group by separating
them from the mainstream by social custom. Superstition is any belief or practice that is accepted
to be irrational or supernatural. The word superstition was rst used in English in 15th Century,
designed after an earlier French superstition.
Thematic Analysis
This novel mainly re ects the theme of untouchability and how the Holeyaru, the lower caste
people are treated by the people of lord Manjunatha. The novel begins with the protagonist,
Jagannatha who completed his studies in England and returns to his hometown Bharathipura. The
circumstances in Bharathipura remain the same, when he leaves to England for his studies. Even it
is worse now. He was worried on seeing the pathetic and pitiable condition of the Holeyaru people.
As Jagannatha’s father was the head of Manjunatha temple, after his demise, the authority went
into the hands of Seetharamiah, Jagannatha was also given the equal status as his father. The rst
thing, he wants to do, after visting home is to meet Sripathi Rao, his father’s friend.
On his way to Sripathi Rao’s house, he comes across his school. He has nostalgic on seeing the
school. He remembers one particular incident which was said by Rao to him:
Once, Gandhi had visited, arrangements had been made for his stay there. But Gandhi, on
reaching the town, had headed straight to the Holeyaru settlement on the outskirts. And so, even
Jagannatha’s father, as an elder of the town, had had to go there to be with him. Later, he had gone
through the Panchakavya ,a ritual cleansing. Gandhi was the only person who had visited the town
without making a visit to Manjunatha. (4)
Thus, people think that it is evil to enter into the streets of Holeyaru people. They don’t even
prefer to touch them. Though all human beings are created by God, the people of high class regard
them as superior to all human beings.
Jagannatha being a graduate wants to change the situation prevailing in Bharathipura. But he
did not have the proper guidance and support to help him. Though he belongs to upper class,
his education teaches him to treat people equally. Another important threat discussed here is
Superstitious belief. The Holeyaru people were denied of the rights to enter into the temple. It is a
belief that if the Holeyaru enter into Manjunatha temple, they will spit blood. It was not real and it
was just a rumour. As the Holeyaru people are uneducated beings, they accept and agree whatever
the high class people says. They don’t raise words against the high society people. It is all due
to lack of education among the Holeyaru. Jagannatha says that those people live in the world of
illusions:
People believe that Holeyaru will spit blood and die if ever enter the temple of Manjunatha.
They are convinced that Bhootharya will hold such people by their feet and drag them around until
they spew blood. Even the President of the country believes in the power of Manjunatha. Unless
such faith in the power of this God is destroyed, Indians will never take responsibility for their
lives: they will never learn to be accountable….(30).
The superstitious belief is prevailing all over the world. Since years passed by and as people
get education, they start to ignore such beliefs. In this novel too, Jagannatha tries to educate the
people of Holeyaru inorder to abolish the thought from their heart and mind. Jagannatha tries to
create a revolution among the people of Lord Manjunatha. He plans to bring the holeyaru into the
shrine of lord Manjunatha. Throughout the novel, a silent character occurs, Margaret, the ladylove
of Jagannatha. He used to write letters to her about the incident happening in Bharathipura. She
advices and supports him in every way.
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Dear Sir,
I have decided to lead the Harijans into the temple of Shri Manjunatha, famous all over the
country, on that day, devotees from all over the country gather here in Bharathipura. There is a
belief that Holeyaru who enter the temple will spew blood and die. If we can prove to them how
baseless this belief is, I am very sure a different mode of thinking will down in the minds of these
people. For this purpose, I request the support of progressively-minded people. (31)
Jagannatha was trying hard to demolish this caste discrimination and superstitious beliefs from
the minds of the people. As soon as he published the news, all he got was a negative comment
on his action. He was depressed at  rst but he did not lose faith. He was stubborn in bringing the
Holeyaru into the temple. “I must take the Holeyaru into the temple. I must change the traditions of
centuries with that one step” (60).
He wants to change the tradition and custom of people. He wishes them to forget their petty
thoughts from their soul. He tries to bring a change in their attitude. He got an idea that he must
educate the people and so he invites them into his house. Untouchability was in its high pitch
and so the Harijans would not even enter into the streets where the high caste people live and if
they see any people coming on in their way, they hide themselves and leave the place only after
their departure. Jagannatha wants to change this. “They would come only to the edge of the front
porch. Jagannatha would talk to them. He would say ‘Think for yourselves, take decision and act
responsibly” (60).
He was able to say it in words but failed to put in action. When he informed about his plan
to Sripathi Rao, he mocked at it. Rao says that the revolution would result in failure. But a
thunderstruck arrives when Nagamani, committed suicide as she cannot bear the torture of her
father-in-law. It affected him very much and he thinks that he would also commit suicide if he
failed. This was a heavy blow to his heart and mind. The story moves on and Jagannatha starts
to teach the Holeyaru people. He invites them to his house but it was disliked by Chikki. She did
not like them to be in her house as they were Holeyaru and she thought that the purity in her house
was polluted by them. Jegannatha says that it is not an offense to touch them.He hates that even the
high society people were ready to touch the Holeyaru but the Holeyaru people hesitates and avoids
to touch them because of the belief that is incorporated in their blood which cannot be changed.
They feel worried for treating them as untouchables but they are the main reason to be treated like
that. It is not their fault. It is their fear which makes them to act in that way. The appearance of
the Holeyaru people makes us feel pity on them. “Reddish dust in their matted black hair; black
blankets thrown over their bare bodies; nothing but the loincloth to cover them” (134).
To bring a change in the minds of the Holeyaru people, Jagannatha gave them each a white shirt
and dhoti, so that they would also look like the people of Lord Manjunatha. Every man who wore
that really felt happy. Next, he made them to touch the Saligrama, which is the precious stone of
Lord Manjunatha. “This is just a stone. Touch it and see, you’ll know. If you behave like this,
you’ll remain idiots forever” (159).
He pleads them to touch but all in vain. The Holeyaru fears that if they touch that stone, something
ill will happen. Though he says them it’s just a stone, they think that it’s something precious which
is only for the people of Lord Manjunatha. Not only Jagannatha’s effort will bring victory but
also the Holeyaru should co-operate with him. It is also the political leaders who are responsible
for the low caste people to remain submissive. If they start to support the Holeyaru people, they
fear that the upper class people would not support them as they are large in number comparing to
the Holeyaru community. As Jagannatha was busy with his plan of taking the Holeyaru into the
temple, there came a terri c fall in his life. He received a letter from Margaret informing him that
she has been married to Chandrasekhar, his one and only friend. This was a second blow to his
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plan. But he did not lose heart and he comforts him by saying that if he wants to forget her, he
wants to fully enroll him in his action. “If I don’t take myself in hand now, all that I’ve worked for
all these days will come to nothing. The only way forgot it is through action”(198).
Everything was on full- edge and it is to be executed by the Holeyaru people. This is not only
for the sake of their life but for the whole community all over India. It is in their hands to strive
hard for their existence. They should feel that, if they fail to take a single step for their progress
then there were will be a great loss not only for them but also for their upcoming generation. They
should not think them as others. They should be aware of the things happening. They should come
forward to question their rights to the upper caste people. “They should take responsibility for their
lives. If only they could take that one step into the temple, these who have always been outcasts”
(219).
The Holeyaru people are getting ready to y into action. But the upper class people, thinks it
was such a mere act, threatens the people that they will be expelled them from their work. Being
afraid, the Holeyaru begs to the high class people as it was their means of their livelihood. This
shows how they are subservient to the upper class people. The upper class people use Holeyaru
people only for cleaning their area. They are the one who clean the area surrounded the temple, but
they are denied to enter into the temple.
The New Moon day arrived and so Jagannatha along with the Holeyaru people, dressed neatly
as the upper caste people, nally entered the temple. But they were afraid that something might
happen to them. But Jagannatha gave them courage and he asked them to move further into temple.
“It was seven when a procession of young Holeyaru, clad in white, and their leader, Jagannatha
Rao,reached the chariot street to destroy the glory of Manjunatha” (249).
It was not Jagannatha’s wish to destroy the glory of Manjunatha or the upper class people, but he
toils for the rights of the Holeyaru people, to be given equal status. As an educated lad, his ideas
were perfectly good and if every educated man is to abolish untouchability and superstitious belief,
then surely there will be a great revolution in India. As soon as the Holeyaru people entered into
the temple:
The devotees make way for the protestors, taking care not to touch the Holeyaru less they be
prevented from pulling the chariot. The processions winds past the decorated chariot and up the
steps of temple. Whispering everywhere, a village woman screams in frenzy, ‘There’s no way the
Holeyaru can get in. Bhootharya will drag them by their legs. He’ll make them spit blood. (250)
The people have strong faith in their traditional belief. They still can’t accept the Holeyaru
people being treated so wildly. Though Jagannatha achieves in bringing the Holeyaru people into
the temple, his revolution was fruitless. He was in great shock to see that the idol of Manjunatha
was missing. It was taken away by Ganesha Batta, the Purohit’s son to save their honour and
identity.
Manjunatha disappeared knowing the Holeyaru would be coming… people danced in exultation,
believing that Bhootharya has entered Ganesha Batta and through him had transported Manjunatha
to the river the previous day so that he may not be desecrated through the entry of the Holeyaru into
the temple. The faith of Indian is so deep that…. (252-253)
Conclusion
Thus people believe that the upper class people always have an upper hand and the lower class
people being treated submissive. Though some of the youngsters get education, they are blind to
reality. It is in their hands to uplift the life of people. People should erase the thought of superior
and inferior from their mind and they should have the mentality to treat them as equal. The strong
belief in untouchability and superstitious belief should be removed completely from them. The
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people of previous generation may still believe in it, but the educated should come forward to
remove this rubbish thought. Thus Ananathamurthy, on seeing the atrocities done to the low caste
people, cannot bear this situation and so he has put all his thoughts into action by words in his work
“Bharathipura”.
Works Cited
1. Ananthamurthy, U.R. Bharathipura, New Delhi: Oxford India Paperbacks, 2012.
2. https://en. Wikipedia.org/wiki/U._R._ Ananthamurthy.
3. https://en. Wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchability.
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A Critique on Shashi Deshpande’s
The Dark Holds No Terrors
T.Anitha & S.Alagu Santhana Mari
II M.A., English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
This paper deals with the critical analysis of Shashi Deshpande’s The Dark
Holds No Terrors. This novel delineates about women subjugation in patriarchal
society Sarita (Saru), the combatant of the novel faces the problem of gender
discrimination, which affects the Indian women in general. Saru doesn’t get any
kind of solace in her childhood. She yearns for freedom but after her marriage, she
is physically and mentally tormented by her husband Manohar. She cannot tolerate
the beast like behavior of her husband. So, she restitutes to her parental home. Due
to her elopement, Saru lost the love of her father and mother. Mother died without
exonerating her. She feels emptiness in her mind. This novel, manifestly, structures
the quest for life and self identity of Sarita.
Keywords: Subjugation, Self-identity, Patriarchal domination, Gender discrimination.
Shashi Deshpande, a famous Indian feminist writer, who has
contributed much to gender studies. She was born in 1938 in
Dharwad, Karnataka. She is the second daughter of the famous
Kannada dramatist and writer Sriranga. Educated in Bombay and
Bangalore, Deshpande has degrees in Economics and Law. In
Mumbai, she studied journalism at Vidya Bhavan and worked for a
couple of months as a journalist for the magazine On Lookers.
She published her rst collection of short stories in 1978. Some of
her famous novels are If I Die Today (1982), Come up and Be Dead
(1989), Roots and Shadows (1983), Matter of Time (1996), Small
Remedies (2000), The Binding Vine (1992), Moving On (2004), In
the Country of Deceit (2008). She won the Shakitya Akademi Award
for the novel That Long Silence in 1990 and the Padmashri Award in
2009. Her novel Shadow Play was short listed for The Hindu Literary
Prize in 2014. Deshpande has written four children books, number of
short stories and nine novels besides several perceptive essays. Her
rst novel The Dark Holds No Terrors was published in 1980.
Sarita (Saru) is the protagonist of the novel. She is well educated
and reputed doctor. She is a sincere social worker praised by
everyone in the surroundings. Her childhood is not much happier
than other children around her age. Even in her marriage life, she is
not happy as expected by her. The novel opens with Saru’s return to
her parental home after fteen years. Saru is an unwelcomed guest in
her own home. She feels alienated, because her father loves Madhav,
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Anitha, T., and S.
Alagu Santhana Mari.
“A Critique on Shashi
Deshpande’s The Dark
Holds No Terrors.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 110–13.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457025
111
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
who is not even his own blood. She has become emotionless women. She did not feel sorry for
her mother’s death. Though she cares for her children, she abandoned them because of husband’s
tortures. One day she meets her childhood friends Smita and Nalu. Smita a married woman totally
dependent on her husband economically. Nalu is a spinster and a working woman. Saru compares
herself with her friends and nds that she is better than the two. Finally she is bound to realize
herself and returns to Manohar and her children.
Characterization is an important factor to develop a full length plot. Shashi Deshpande has used
both round and at characters in this novel. Saru, the heroine of the novel is a round character.
The incidents in this novel almost revolve around the life of Saru. Through Saru, we come to know
the minor characters of this novel. At rst she has no con dence and grip in her life. As the plot
develops she gradually moulds her and becomes a full- edged woman in the nal part of the novel.
Manohar, the husband of Saru, is a at character in this novel. Though, Manohar and Saru have
had love marriage, their marital life is not a successful one because, Manohar plays a dual role at
home. He behaves like a beast at night and a normal being in the morning. “You cook and he
cleans, it’s a partnership, wordless, uncomplaining and perfect. A tacit understanding. As all good
partnerships should be. How does it feel when your wife earns not only the butter but the bread as
well?” (35-36).
Manohar behaves like a sadist. He feels humiliated when people give more respects to Saru.
He thinks that he is belittled by others. He feels inferior when he thinks that he cannot compete
Saru economically. Saru’s mother is portrayed as a dominating woman. She used to suppress her
husband to such an extent that, Saru’s father is reduced merely to a log of wood at home. He does
not show any kind of reaction to the insults of his wife. And so, when Saru returns home, her father
does not ask her anything, he does not even care to ask about his grandchildren. At rst Saru
cannot understand about the incidents happening in her life. But when she is left idle and alone in
her home, she becomes gradually aware of the fact that the faults lie within her. And she feels that
she shall not behave like her mother. She should not violate the masculinity of Manohar which
leads him to behave like a sadist.
Saru, often thinks about her brother Dhruva in this novel, who died long ago during his childhood
days. Dhruva is a younger brother to Saru. Dhruva, as a child was very much scared of darkness.
He used to sleep near Saru because of his nightmares. After the death of Dhruva, Saru often has the
nightmares about Dhruva. But she cannot discuss it with anyone. She is guilty, about her brother’s
death. Although, she knows that she did not kill him.
You killed your brother.
I didn’t. Truly I Didn’t. It was an accident. I loved him, my little brother. I tried to save him.
Truly I tried. But I couldn’t. And I ran away. Yes, I ran way, I admit that. But I didn’t kill him.
How do you know you didn’t kill him? How do you know? (146)
Even though, she abandons her children Renu and Abhi for a short time. She is always thinking
about them in her home whether they eat properly or not. The only communication between them
is letters.
Smita and Nalu are the friends of Saru. Shashi Deshpande has created Smita as very feeble
character who is submissive to her husband and she borrows money from Saru without the
knowledge of her husband. This shows the pathetic condition of Smita. Nalu, who is a spinster
economically independent, has not experienced one aspect of life and has no respect in the society.
Some other minor characters are Boozie, Prof. Kulkarni who play a very little role but Deshpande
has used these characters to enhance the plot.
Shashi Deshpande gives more importance to mother-daughter relationship in this novel. It
is based on gender partiality. Saru, the daughter of the family is deprived of parental care and
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fondness. Her mother is deeply attached to her younger brother Dhruva. Saru has been accused for
the death of her brother Dhruva. Saru’s mother never rendered any kindness towards her rather she
complains that Saru killed her brother. “You killed him, why didn’t you die? Why are you alive,
when he’s dead?” (191). This incident creates a permanent rift between Saru and her mother. This
makes Saru go against her mother in her matrimonial relationship.
Gender discrimination is an important factor which the protagonist endures throughout the
novel. According to Indian family conventions and traditions parents always prefer a boy child to
a girl child. Saru’s family is an orthodox Brahmin family. From childhood, Saru undergoes several
kinds of restrictions. When Saru starts protesting, her mother retaliated that,
Don’t go out in the sun, you’ll get even darker.
Whocares?
We have to care if you don’t. We have to get you married.
I don’t want to get married.
Will you live with us all your life?
Why not?
You can’t
And Dhruva?
He’s different. He’s a boy. (45)
This novel shows the typical minds of Indian families and depicts the gender discrimination.
The Dark Hold No Terrors not only represents the patriarchal domination in the society but also
the women-over women domination. Indian girls in the society generally do not have any rights
and equality in choosing their education and life partner. Saru wishes to study medicine but her
mother is against her wish. When Saru wants to marry Manohar who belongs to low caste her
mother rebuked her for being in her own way, not being submissive to her parents. Her mother is
illustrated as the representation of male chauvinism.
Deshpande’s feministic perspectives can be seen through the discussion on Shaskespeare,
the greatest dramatists for all times. She illustrates that Shakespeare plays are men oriented.
Shakespeare has painted all the men characters stronger but women characters are dependent to
men. “It is the way he made the woman’s personality merge into the stronger colours of a man’s
personality. Look at Hamlet, Lear, Othello. And look at Ophelia, Cordelia, Desdemona. Poor,
feeble shadows” (156).
Self-realization is a most signi cant aspect in this novel which modi es the life of Saru. The
author painted the theme of self-identity in the nal part of the novel. She is fabricated into the
enigma of human existence. She has been battling with her thoughts of salvation. She has to kill
the horror of thoughts that haunted her often. She later realizes that she is responsible for the savage
behavior of Manohar towards her. She is economically better than Manohar which makes him
feel inferior. She relates her life with mathematic equation, later she apprehends that there is no
possible way to get equality in the Indian society.
a+b they told us in mathematics is equal to b+a. But here a+b was not, de nitely not equal to
b+a. It became a monstrously unbalanced equation, lopsided, unequal, impossible. But is that the
only reason, or would it have happened in any case, what happened to us later, he being what he is
and I being what I am? I have a feeling I will never know the answer to that one. (42)
Saru’s parental home helps her to nd her own identity. So she returns to Bombay and restores
herself the pride of being a physician. She accomplishes the assertion of strong will and con dence
in her own self. Thus she grasps to trust herself. “My life is my own…somehow she felt as if she
had found it now, the connecting link” (220).
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Narrative technique carries a special place in this novel. It helps the readers to understand the
plot well. Shashi Deshpande has used the rst person narration in this novel. It is through the
eyes of Saru, the readers can see other sub-characters in this novel. This story shifts from past to
present and from present to past. This plot has been interwoven with retrospective techniques. This
novel is divided into four parts.The novelist has used simple language in her work. In the end Saru
accepts the life as it is, she does not attempt to change the character of Manohar but the changes
take place within her. These aspects fascinate the readers towards the novel.
Shashi Deshpande is a feminist as well as an anti-feminist in the same novel. Saru is a rebellious
child and wife. In the beginning, the views of feminism can be seen through the words of distressed
Saru. When Saru’s mother speaks about her grandmother she says, that the grandmother has been
forsaken by her husband and so she is left alone with her daughters. Her father takes them home
and helps them. During those times, women used to accept the life as it is without complaining
about life. They tell that they suffer because of their fate. “If only I could say that. My luck. My
fate. Written on my forehead. Will that help me to accept, to passively endure?” (70). Saru feels
irritated and question that why women should endure everything without complaining about life.
This shows the feministic approach of the novelist.
But later in this novel, Saru understands that women should not violate the masculinity of men.
And, I assure you, it isn’t worth it. He’ll suffer, you’ll suffer and so will the children. Women’s
magazines will tell you that a marriage should be equal partnership. That’s nonsense. Rubbish.
No partnership can ever be equal. It will always be unequal, but take care that it’s unequal in
favour of your husband. If the scales tilt in your favour, god help you, both of you. (137)
From this passage the anti-feministic views of Shashi Deshpande can be seen.
Saru leaves Manohar for a while. Her short time stay in father’s home helps her analyse
herself and it leads to self-realization. This novel gives the full picture of Sarita. The character of
Sarita represents the whole womenfolk of the society who generally undergo such evils – gender
discrimination, patriarchal domination and physical violation. Her quest for identity shows the real
position of women in the Indian society. Thus, Shashi Deshpande’s The Dark Holds No Terrors is
a typical Indian novel.
Work Cited
1. Desphande, Shashi. The Dark Holds No Terrors, New Delhi: Penguin, 1990.
2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/ShashiDeshpande.
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Critical Analysis Thakazhi
Sivasankankara Pillai’s
Chemmeen
P.Ezhil Deivalakshmi
II MA English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
The paper critically analyses Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s Chemmeen. It mainly
deals with the struggle and the tragedy of the poor sher woman Karuthamma and
the tradition of shermen community in Kerala. The central theme of the novel
Chemmeen is myth making. The myth is about chastity. The sherman passed the
myth of chastity from generation to generation with strong belief. Then it also talks
about the love affair of the protagonist Karuthamma. Chemmeen is not only a story
of tragic young love but raises issues of individual morality and action, economic
condition and social belief. Chemmeen is a realistic  ctional tragedy which focuses
on the life style of shermen folk in Kerala, the south part of India. The incidents
of the novel are as realistic as it happens in the real life of poor  shermen in India.
Keywords: Customs and Tradition, Myth-making, Morality, Chastity, Transgressor of
Tradition, Realism.
Thakazhi Sivsankara Pillai is one of the famous novelists in
Malayalam. He was born in April 17, 1912 and died in April 10,
1999. He received Padma Bhushan award in 1984 and he won the
Jnanpith award for the epic novel Kayar (coir 1978). He wrote 39
novels and more than six hundred short stories. He also wrote four
autobiographies: Ente Balykala Katha (My Childhood Story, 1967),
Ormayude Theerangalil (On the Shores of Memory, 1985), Oru
Kuttanadam Katha (A Story of Kuttanad, 1992) and Jeevtathinte Oru
Edy (A page of life, 1993). Chemmeen is a master piece of Thakazhi
Sivasankara Pillai. It was rst published in Malayalam in 1956. In
1962, Chemmeen was translated into English by Anita Nair. The
translation work of Chemmen is simple to read. His writings focus
on the oppressed class of the society.
Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai’s Chemmeen has mainly reconstructed
the myth. The myth is about  sher women’s chastity. If the married
sher woman was in del when her husband was in the sea, the Sea
Goddess would consume him. This is the myth, strongly believed
in Kerala shermen community. The wild description of sea shore
makes the readers discuss under the topic of ecology. Chemmeen is
T.S.Pillai’s best novel which expresses the struggle in the lives of the
sherman in Kerala. In this novel Pillai gives many traditional beliefs
and customs. The shermen tradition is broken by Chembankunju
and Karuthamma.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Ezhil Deivalakshmi,
P. “Critical
Analysis Thakazhi
Sivasankankara Pillai’s
Chemmeen.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 114–17.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457029
115
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Chembankunju is portrayed as the transgressor of tradition and customs. Chembankunju’s
buying a boat and nets is an offence against customs of sherman community. Only the Valakkaran
is allowed to own boats and net. Valakkaran is a high caste in shermen community in Kerala.
Chembankunju does not follow the age old rules. He gets new boat and nets.
The children of the sea are  ve kinds: Arayan, valakkaran, mukkavan, marakkan
and  fth caste of no particular name… only valakkaran is allowed to own boats
and nets. In fact, in the east the protector of the shore, the shore master, would
permit only the valakkaran to buy the boat and nets. (31)
From this act of Chembankunju readers can understand he is a transgressor and he is brave
enough to break the law of shermen community. By owning boats and nets Chembankunju is a
new trend setter to next generation.
Throughout the novel Chembankunju is described as a greedy man and a villain in some aspects in
the novel. Greedy is one of the seven deadly sins which are the ways of going to hell. Chembankunju
marries Pappikunju after the death of his wife Chakki. His rst daughter, Karuthamma got
married. Even after the marriage of his daughter, Chembankunju secondly marries Pappikunju,
a young widow. His second daughter Panchami is a young girl leaves her father because of the
new arrival of her step mother. After Panchami lives in Karuthamma’s house but Chembankunju
does not bother about it. This shows Chembankunju does not affection towards his daughters.
Chembankunju’s only goal in life is to own a boat and a net. He is a strong minded person nally he
owns boat and nets with the help of Pareekutty, a young Muslim trader. Who helps Chembankunju
with one condition that the  sh tug by the bold will be sold to Parrekutty. Chembankunju does not
follow condition. So Pareekutty has to face economic problems only because of him.
When you have a boats and nets, will you sell us the sh? If you give us a good
price. We will Kalikunju and Nallpennu were grumbling. They had to buy  sh
from shack owners…. He had a great deal of money in his hands. Life had a
whole new radiance. He was treading new path. (59)
Chembankunju’s mind is changed after earn lot of money it shows his greedy nature. How
people are running behind money, in this path they lost their morality. Chembankunju is a hard
worker, he always work twice as much as others. But his lack of morality and cheated Pareekutty
make the readers to bad impression on him. Chembankunju is represented poor sherman economic
condition and his only thoughts Chembankunju is reveals important of money making in the world.
Karuthamma’s marriage decision is taken by Chembankunju. He does not ask any opinion from
his daughter. It shows old tradition and male domination. When he sees Palani in sea expeditions
suddenly he makes a decision to arrange marriage between Palani and Karuthamma for his own
pro t. Chembankunju is not at all a good father and good person. He is a typical money minded
person in poor shermen community. Chembankunju embraced Palani with the intention of
amassing a lot of money: “He said “you are the sea’s prince; my boy? Palani didn’t speak. That
day it was Palani’s catch which fetched the best price. And so Chembankunju suffered a small
loss” (81)
Chembankunju’s attitude shows that at any way he wants to attain high position in his community.
We come cross such a characters in our life. It shows T.S.Pillai’s characterizations are realistic
and it has depicted accurately the sherman community and their economic problems. Through
the character of Chembankunju the novelist has excellently portrayed the economic condition of
shermen community.
This novel also focuses on the religious attitude of sherwomen. The shermen community
worships the Sea Goddess (Kadalamma, literally means Mother Sea). In early part of the novel
Karuthamma work ships the Sea Goddess has blessed us. The mythological facts also depend
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on the Sea Goddess. It the married woman has an affair when her husband is in the sea. The Sea
Goddess will destroy her husband people have deep faith in Sea Goddess because they work in the
sea. They get all things from sea and everything in their life is given by sea God. The Sea Goddess
also gives protection to them.
Chakki, mother of Karuthamma completely follows old tradition. She is a sher woman born
and brought up on the seaside. And an inheritor of a tradition of sea shore. In this novel Chakki
continuously tells to Karuthamma about virtue of sherwomen Chakki says:
How did he escape the tempest? Why wasn’t he swallowed by the whale… only because a
chaste wife had stood on the seaside, praying and waiting for her husband’s safe return…‘Do
you know why the sea cries at times? The sea knows that if the sea mother gets angry, all will be
ruined. But if she is pleased she will give you everything my child. There is gold on the sea, my
daughter, gold! Virtue is the most important thing, my daughter. Purity of the body and mind! “A
sherman’s wealth is his  sher woman’s virtue. (8-9)
From this conversation between Chakki and her daughter T.S.Pillai adds strength to myth and
virtue of  sher women. In this novel there is no word about men’s chastity. Only women have to
be virtuous. Men need not be virtuous. From the ancient time onwards only the female have purity
and virtues. No, one talks about male’s chastity.
Chemmeen is also a novel about forbidden love and barriers of sherman. Karuthamma loves
Pareekutty a young Muslim. But she marries Palani, an orphan, young talented man. Karuthamma
lives with Palani happily. When she hears the cry of Pareekutty there is a turning point of her life.
Palani’s wife Karuthamma goes to see Pareekutty at one night while her husband in the sea. Their
old love is awakened. Palani is bitten by a whale and he is swallowed by the sea. The dead bodies
of Pareekutty and Karuthamma locked in an embraced are found on sea shore. This is the end of
the forbidden love story.
In this novel Chemmeen shermen community people gossip about Karuthamma and Pareekutty.
It really wounded Palani. Every time there had been rumors about shack owners who seduced
women. “No one really knew the gravitas of that relationship could a Muslim shack owner be in
love with a sher girl? No one said love couldn’t happen. But it had never happened before that’s
the fact (215)”. “The gossip about Karuthamma trickled into his ears. What a disaster! A fallen
woman’s husband going to see in his boat. (175)”
In Indian society people always gossip and are hypocrites about women. Likewise here people
create some rumors about Karuthamma and Pareekutty. Hypocrisy is well  ourished in rural and
folk villages.
Chemmeen also shows oppression of women both physically and sentimentally. Here
Karuthamma suffers from women’s suppression. She is emotionally blackmailed by her mother
Chakki. For the sake of her mother and father Karuthamma rejects Pareekutty and sacri ces her
love. Chembankunju and Chakki do not accept love affair of Karuthamma and Pareekutty because
Pareekutty is a Muslim boy. If they get married it is an inter-caste, inter-religious marriage the so
called society does not accept them.
Now day’s honour killing is a serious issue in Tamil Nadu. The government of Tamil Nadu
takes step to avoid honour killing. In spite of that numerous young couples are killed in this case.
Society is a reason for the separation of Karuthamma and Pareekutty. Only for the sake of the
society that parents do not accept their love. Chemmeen is a re ection of social evils.
The novel Chemmeen is a tragedy. It creates a sense of pity and fear in the mind of the audience
or readers. The novel ends sadly and it creates pity for Karuthamma and Pareekutty and sorrow for
Palani. Just like Indian epics this novel revolves around the main theme of the chastity of women,
which is the main aspect in the myth of  shermen community.
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Work Cited
1. Pillai. Thakazhi Sivasankara. Chemmeen. Trans, Anita Nair, Uttar Pradesh: Hrper perennial,
2011.
2. https:// en Wikipedia. Org/wiki/ cheemmeen_novel.
3. https:// www good rewads.com/book/show 1389285_chemmen.
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A Critique on Mahasweta Devi’s
Bayen
A.Harrin Ashney & S.Praiselin Milcah
II MA., English
Govindammal Aditanar College for Women
Tiruchendur
Abstract
This paper is an attempt to critically analyse the play Bayen by Mahasweta Devi.
It deals with the theme of ‘Gender Discrimination’ and spots out the ways in
which the social position as a ‘Bayen’ is imposed through continuous abuse and
vicious humiliations. Mahasweta Devi speaks about the subjugation of women in
patriarchal society. While forcing a woman of her duties, her right to live her life
is repeatedly buried in the Patriarchal Society. Chandidasi, the protagonist, is
presented as a ‘Bayen’ and is separated from her husband, Malindar and her son,
Bhagirath because of the superstitious belief. Eventhough she wants to quit her job,
she is completely trapped in her ancestral tradition. According to the tradition, a
‘Bayen’ is a woman who feeds the dead children, guards the graves and has the
capacity to damn others. Mahasweta portrays the condition of a tribal community
and the position of woman called ‘Bayen’ in the society. Till the end of her life,
Chandidasi  ghts for her freedom, justice and true identity as a mother in the cold-
hearted society.
Keywords: Chauvinism, Patriarchal, Subjugation, Alienation, Marginalization,
Discrimination.
Mahasweta Devi (1926-2016) is a paramount Indian Bengali
woman writer, social activist and journalist. She was born in 1926
in a middle class Bengali family at Dacca, Bangladesh. But after the
partition of India, their family moved to West Bengal. She raised her
voice several times against the discrimination of tribal communities.
The Indian government honoured her with various literary awards
such as Sahitya Academy Award (1979), Jnanpith Award (1995),
Ramon Magsaysay Award (1997) and also civilian awards like
Padmashri Award (1986), and Padma Vibhushan Award (2006). After
her schooling she studied the life history of rural life communities in
the Indian state of West Bengal and also the women and Dalits. On
28th July 2016, she died of multiple organ failure in Belle Vue Clinic
in Kolkata. Bayen is an important play of Mahasweta Devi which
speaks about the subjugation of women in patriarchal society. It
highlights the life of a bayen in a tribal community of India. The play
begins with the obvious picture of Chandidasi: “The curtain goes up
on an empty stage, with lullaby droning offstage, till Bayen enters,
singing. She looks utterly exhausted and despondent at the end of
her tether, dragging her reluctant feet like some condemned ghost
debarred entry into human society” (97).
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Harrin Ashney, A., and
S. Praiselin Milcah. “A
Critique on Mahasweta
Devi’s Bayen.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 118–21.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457031
119
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Chandidasi, the protagonist belongs to the descendant of Kalu Dom clan who gave protection
to the great King Harishchandra and was gifted with all the cremation grounds of the world. It
is portrayed by a voice in the play: “All the cremation grounds of the world are yours. All the
cremation grounds of the world are yours. All the cremation grounds of the world are yours,
yours, yours”. (103) After the demise of her father, Chandidasi inherits her family profession of
becoming a ‘Bayen’. But when she is married to Malindar Gangaputta and gives birth to Bhagirath,
she goes through a psychic disturbance. She is ripped off between the maternal love and her familial
duties. At the end of the play, she lays down her life to save the passengers of the train, which in
turn brings her son Bhagirath proclaiming her as his mother and not a Bayen.
In Bayen, the characters describe the qualities of social norms. The character of Chandidasi is
examined to enclose a woman’s emotional turmoil in the male chauvinistic society. She is depicted
as a genuine heroine in the real life. She is a woman who abides in her ancestral tradition though
her heart agonizes for her son. On the other hand, Malindar Gangaputta, the husband of Chandidasi,
is depicted as a weak character. Even though he loved Chandidasi, he doesn’t stand by her through
all her humiliations. He is very proud of his government morgue but his modern education doesn’t
help him in any way.
Bayen relies upon superstition and encapsulates the construction of gender inequality. The
element, ‘Gender Discrimination’ is emphasized in the paternal society. Mahasweta Devi condenses
the distressed life of women and their con icts for survival. She criticizes the hypocritical society
that emphasizes more superstition than the human being itself.
Chandidasi, who is a professional grave digger, decides to leave her ancestral profession in
order to spend her time with her son Bhagirath. But the community expels her on the charge of
becoming a Bayen. Chandidasi says, “It hurts to do the job these days, the job handed down to me
by my ancestors, my hands rebel, and yet I have to go on doing it. Can you tell me what I should
do?” (107). These words of Chandidasi show us how duty conscious she is, and also the pathetic
condition of her in the male dominated society.
Gender discrimination is the main cause of all the women’s subjugation and enslavement. Being
a lactating mother, her breasts ache with milk for her son Bhagirath. She loses her mental balance
because of her subjugated state. Her illusions as a dog Jhumra is nowhere to be seen.
MALINDAR. Where’s Jhumra? (Scared) whom do you call?
BAYEN. He’s right there. Can’t you see him?
MALINDAR. Don’t you remember, Jhumra’s long dead?
BAYEN. It that so? Then how do I see him hovering about me all the time? Is it all illusion?
Come dearie, come come! (100).
She leads no sophisticated life in the graveyard. She is provided with meagre rations on
Saturdays with rice, salt, lentil and oil. The pathetic condition is that there is only a little rice, the
salt all mixed with dirt, worms in the lentil. Once in a year, she is provided with two saris. When
Bhagirath meets her, he sees her saris in shreds. It reaches an extreme level of exploitation. This
shows how a woman was exploited, ill treated and suppressed by the male domination society.
Gourdas brands her as a witch and forces her to lead a solitary life as a social untouchable. When
she needs the love of her husband, he too is stained with the stain of the patriarchal society. And so
she is compelled to lead an isolated life.
Malindar is an exact example of male chauvinism. When Chandidasi is accused as a Bayen,
he does not oppose the villagers but rather beats the drum and shouts at the top of his voice:
“I… Malindar Gangaputta … Strike my drum …to declare that my wife has turned into a bayen,
a bayen!” (115). Chandidasi is unable to revolt against the unjust society. Even her husband
Malindar tries to mock her as a Bayen. Malindar says, “Rubbish! How can you be a witch? Those
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who bury children turn into bayens, when they are possessed, not witches”(109). Thus Chandidasi
becomes a prey to the male dominated society.
The play deals with the agony of a mother who is marginalized by the society. The reaction
of the villagers when Tukni dies changes her life completely. She is held responsible for Tukni’s
death. She loves Tukni as her child before Bhagirath’s birth but the villagers accuse her of casting
an evil eye on her. Chandidasi says, “They say I have an evil eye. The little ones die of summer
heat, winter’s cold and small pox, don’t they? And is it any fault of mine?” (108). These words of
Chandidasi show how she is ill treated and humiliated by her family members, too. Malindar’s
cousin Pakhi accuses her as a witch, when Chandidasi asks her about the condition of Tukni.
Chandidasi says “Now Tukni has small pox. I asked Pakhi, How’s the child? And imagine what she
had to say! She said, Begone, you witch! (109). Above incident show us that though Chandidasi is
a bayen, her heart is broken by each and every one of the society
Mahasweta Devi examines the social space that separates the mother and son in patriarchal
system. The density of the mother’s love for the son is not reduced with social restrictions. Her
breasts ache with milk for her son Bhagirath, when she guards the grave at night. Chandisasi cries
“When I guard the graves through the night, my breasts bursting with milk ache for my Bhagirath
back home, all by himself. I can’t, can’t stay away from him”. (108).
Malindar Gangaputta never understands the state of women like chandidasi who is alienated
from her infant. She is labeled as a Bayen by the male dominated society. Therefore Chandidasi
accepts her status as a Bayen, when she speaks with her son Bhagirath. She tells her son, “Oh my
God! What do I now? What do I do? The Gangaputta’s son should never again come to the tracks
in the evening. I promise, I won’t cry again (118). Chandidhasi is treated inferior in the patriarchal
society. The whole community comes against her when she forbids her ancestral duty. On the other
hand, when she does the duty, she suffers from alienation and marginalization.
The death of Chandidasi is an act of protest against the superstitious society. The real triumph
comes in when Bhagirath announces Chandidasi as his mother. Though he is forbidden from
communication with Bayen, he is the only one who shows the true concern towards Chandidasi.
While Chandidasi is brave enough to immolate her life, her son Bhagirath is brave to declare her as
his mother. The train guard says “She’s been brave. A brave woman. A brave deed. The Railways
are sure to award her a medal, posthumous of course and a cash reward too… Who’s she?” (121).
Bhagirath gives her identity as a mother. Thus the universal phenomenon of motherhood is depicted
in Bayen. When the train guard enquires the crowd about the details of the dead woman, Bhagirath
replies,
Bhagirath. Yes sir. My name Bhagirath Gangaputta…My father, the revered Malindar
Gangaputta…residence, Domtoli, village Dharhati… my mother (pauses for a while, then vey
distinctly)…my mother, the late chandidasi Gangadasi (suddenly breaks in to loud weeping)…my
mother, the late chandidasi Gangadasi, Sir. Not a bayen. She was never a bayen, my mother. (122)
Mahasweta Devi has not used any type of theartrical settings in Bayen. The play moves from
the present to past and past to present very smoothly. The character in the present itself acts as a
character in the past seems more realistic. There are only minimum characters that bring about
the whole play. Bayen has a very simple and elegant structure. The play is precise and has well
executed scenes.
Bayen portrays the effect of superstitions on the blameless individuals. We can see Chandidasi
Gangadasi as a woman and mother who have been suppressed to the state of abandoned, alienated,
ill-treated and marginalized in all forms of male chauvinistic society. She goes through a nostalgic
experience when she guards the graves through the night.
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In India, there is a considerable part of residents who are immersed in unawareness and
superstitions. The majority in the male dominated society consider females as an item of sex, as
child bearers and money makers when required. The voice of the women remains unheard in the
society. There is a very little thought to respect the personal self of a woman. The woman has to
depend on man for all her source of requirements. It is the illiteracy that caused several damages in
the play Bayen. We must be grateful for the modern India, because the literacy rates are increasing
and the superstitious beliefs began subsiding. Only by shedding all such superstitions, India will
become a wonderland to live.
Works Cited
1. Devi, Mahasweta. Five plays.Trans.Samik Bandyopadyay. Calcutta: seagull book pub, 2011.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahasweta_Devi.
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The Ecological Impacts in the
Select Novels of Chitra Banerjee
Divakaruni
V.Packialakshmi
Assistant Professor of English, Vysya College, Salem
Abstract
The word Eco Criticism was coined in 1978 by William Rueckert. Cheryll Glotfelty,
one of the chief originators in the study de nes Eco Criticism as, “the study of the
relationship between literature and the physical environment”. Many Indian writers
like Raja Rao, R.K.Narayan, Anita Desai, Shashi Deshpande, and Arundhati Roy
contributed considerably to eco criticism. Chitra Banerjee uses the diverse basics of
nature in the  rst novel, The Mistress of Spices. She makes use of aquatic life as the
setting. Indian Spices are entwined in the novel, used by Tilo skilfully to cure and
restore to health, the Asian community in Oakland. Nature is presented in the full
cycle of creation, preservation and destruction. In the second novel, The Palace of
Illusions she presents man as self-centred and how he surpasses Nature. The Palace
of Illusions is a re-reading of the Mahabharata, from an Eco critical standpoint.
She censures men’s ego and insatiable greed resulted in the destruction of both his
kind and nature in the War of Kurukshetra. This present paper aims to study multi-
faceted ecological aspects in the myths of India from the perspective of The Mistress
of Spices and The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
Keywords: Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Ecological, Ego Vs. Eco, Existentialism,
Exploitation, Myth, Eco criticism, migrant, narrative, relocation, rural, urban,
South-Asian American, translation, transnational, women’s literature.
Eco Criticism is the study of relation between environment and
living organisms in their natural environment and their relationships
with that environment. It also concerns man’s relationships with his
physical environment are mirrored in literature.
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is born on July 29, 1956 in Kolkata.
She is an Indian-American author, Poet, Novelist, Short Story writer,
Children’s ction writer, Book Reviewer, Columnist and the most
noted woman writer of Indian Diaspora. Her works deal with the
themes of diaspora, gender discriminations, magic realism, fantasy,
identity crisis, and ecological in uence, etc. The Mistress of Spices
(1997) is her debut novel which depicts the daily life of immigrants
living in California. In the novel, Chitra Banerjee employs a lot of
natural elements to make the descriptions more vivid. The whole
novel revolves around the relationship of the protagonist with
spices. Tilo, the heroine validates the power of sensing spices.
Spices are personi ed to portray their predictable role in the novel.
Nature is God’s gift to Mankind. It is omniscient and consider as
a creator, preserver, protector as well as destroyer. Nature holds
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Packialakshmi, V. “The
Ecological Impacts
in the Select Novels
of Chitra Banerjee
Divakaruni.” Shanlax
International Journal
of English, vol. 7,
no. S1, 2019,
pp. 122–25.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457033
123
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
an unsurpassable place in one’s life. The Life of human beings is highly interlinked with the
environment they live in. As literature scrutinizes human life it has recorded the importance of
nature in it.
The Mistress of Spices
Eco-criticism serves as a connection between literature, nature and human beings. In The
Mistress of Spices, Tilo, the protagonist is an adept in perceiving the secret powers of spices, and
dedicates her life to it. Her pro ciency helps her in sensing the problems of people. Tilo (Nayan
Tara) was born in India, was neglected by her family members. When her mother fails to feed due
to fever nature becomes Tilo’s mother and feeds her. Tilo becomes closer to nature and interweaves
her whole life with varied elements of nature from her birth. She is considered special as she has an
innate magical power of predicting the future which solved the problems of the villagers. Nature
brings change in her life. As her recognition goes overseas pirates kidnap her and make her the
queen of pirates and call her as ‘Bhagyavathi’, meaning a ‘harbinger’. She does not like to be a
pirate queen. So, she sends her calling thought over the water and it helps her with a typhoon. She
is saved by the serpents of under water and takes her to an unknown world of spices and magic led
by the serpents. She is engaged to a mystifying island where she is trained by the First Mother to
use spices as healing elements. She gets elected by the First Mother as the spice girl and named
as Tilo after sesame, the spice of nourishment which means life -giver, and restorer of health and
hope. Tilo’s life is highly tangled with nature as she has the unique power of understanding the
spices. She discovers herself as a mistress of spices. She acts according to the instruction given
by the spices around her. Later, Tilo runs a famous spice bazaar in California. All spices in her
shop bow to her command and surrender their magic powers and their properties. Every Indian
spice found in her store could interact with her. It serves as a companion to Tilo it has the rights
to warn and punish her. As red chilli is a symbol of danger it warns her when she thinks about the
American guy, Raven. In order to give importance to spices, Chitra Banerjee has personi ed the
spices. Spices are depicted as an embodiment of the native culture.
The novel The Mistress of Spices is divided into fteen chapters of which, except two, are
named after different spices and also presented an astonishing story on spices with a mix of nature.
Thus, Nature becomes an essential part in the setting of the novel. It helps her to describe her
thoughts majestically. It also helps her in portraying the emotions and the feeling of the narrator
and re ects the tradition of the land the spices belong to. The First Mother lives on the island where
Tilo lands and spends her time in the mystical island to learn from the old one. From the magical
island Tilo is transported through the re of Shampati (the Eastern Phoenix) to Oakland. Chitra
Banerjee uses the fundamentals of nature to outshine the world of nature. The novelist uses similes,
metaphors, and adjectives from the nature to bring profundity to her narrations and explanations.
Nature is lled with colours and has its own connotation. Chitra Banerjee employs colours to
describe de nite things. Yellow colour signi es the new-year where green suggests harvest, and
red denotes the good fortune of bride. The ve elements of nature - the air, water, earth, space, and
re are masterly interwoven in the story. Nature serves as a deciding authority in the novel. Raven,
the lover of Tilo is a wealthy alcoholic man. His life is renewed by the guidance of a raven which
he sees in a hospital. Raven is instructed to meet Tilo which brings him the joy of life. Maya, the
name given by Raven to Tilo, reveals the reality of her thinking over earthly paradise. However,
they detain that a new world can be created from the remnants of the ustered world. Thus the
nature’s cycle comes closely beside with the whole plot from the beginning till the end. From the
birth of Nayantara alias Tilo as a foreseer, Nature is preserved and re-instituted towards the end
of the novel. The powers given to Tilo are taken back and is exploded as she violates the rules of
getting emotionally and physically attached to Raven. Towards the end, the devastating earthquake
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signi es the Indian philosophy of creation, preservation, and destruction completing the nature’s
cycle. The earthquake comes to conclude the critical situation of Tilo. The earthquake terminates
everything but not her faith. Nature is the great healer of life. It can protect, it can devour, and it
can revivify life from the obliteration.
The Palace of Illusions
The second novel The Palace of Illusions (2008) is a re-writing of the Indian epic, Mahabharata,
from an eco-critical perspective. It is half-history, half-myth, and wholly magical which is narrated
by Draupadi, the protagonist. An exploration of the narration highlights the novel as an assessment
of war and environmental destruction. She reprimands men whose ego and unappeasable greed
resulted in the colossal destruction of both his clan and nature in the War of Kurukshetra. In her
mythic tale, Divakaruni clearly voices her concerns for nature and criticizes man’s anthropocentric
attitude. The novel traces Draupadi’s life from her birth to her the path of the great departure and
presents the entire chain of events that led to the War of Kurukshetra resulting in death of millions
and widespread destruction of man and his environment, and thereby marking the end of Dvapara
Yuga. This novel gives grave awareness of Nature, its relationship to humankind and the human
attitude towards it. The Great War causes mammoth chaos to human civilisation leaving behind
rotting corpses, wailing mothers, widowed brides and orphaned children as well as the destruction
it caused to nature. The entire story revolves around Man’s ego and its consequent war, Divakaruni
brings in the attention to nature. War from prehistoric times has bewildered nature and by time its
devastation has increased multifariously.
The author recounts how Yudhisthir went into dejection after his victory in Kurushetra. This
hostility against man-made damage nds its most irrefutable tone in Vyasa, the author of the
epic itself. Divakaruni is also in uential of the greed and obnoxious vein in man that destroys,
overpowers and exploits nature for his sel sh needs and to satisfy his ego. Arjun’s act of setting
re to the entire forest in Khandav is an evidence of it. So all-encompassing is the knocking down
that scarcely any cries of animals are heard when the Pandavas came to build their kingdom,
Indrapastha, in it. Any type of settlement in the backwoods is anthropocentric. By using natural
resources according to their whims and fancies, man reduces nature in a hierarchy, as if they survive
for humans. This human attitude that reputes nature as its supplementary is strongly found guilty by
Eco-criticism. During their banishment in forest, the Pandavas thoughtlessly used forest resources
for their survival. In the novel, Draupadi relates how Nakul and Sahadev brought fawns for her
to pet. They did not feel repentant to separate a new born from its mother, thereby re ecting their
anthropocentric attitude. Nature brings the ideas of freedom from the constraints of life. Draupadi
often dislikes her existence within the concrete palace walls of Kampilya and Hastinapur. She
wants to escape to a world of  owers, trees and birds for her company. Even when Dussasan tries
to unclothe her after her husbands, the Pandavas lost her in the dice game, she thinks of Krishna
and  nds herself in a tranquil garden.
Nature is a healer of pain as well as a residence of freedom. Draupadi after witnessing the
devastations of cruel war, the horrible ends of her loved ones as well as her foes learns to let go of her
ego. She no longer tries to govern over affairs but discusses things with her elders, even with Kunti
whom she has disliked intensely ever since she gets married to her sons. Thus, this transformation
is obvious in her attitude towards nature for she no longer tries to domesticate neither men nor
nature. Additionally, the relationship of Bheeshma with Nature justi es a critical investigation in
the novel. Bheeshma is the son of the river-goddess, Ganga, so a cherished relationship between
him and Nature is perfectly suggested. The depressions and reluctances resulting from the court
affairs and chie y the enmity between the Kauravas and Pandavas often led him to  nd peace and
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comfort in Nature. Divakaruni’s retelling of the epic raises serious trepidations about environment.
The author seems to give emphasis to the root of the problems of man and environment, the human
ego. She attempts to bring out the issues of environment as voiced and treated as a serious issue in
this novel.
Thus, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s both the selected novels are lled with the diverse facets and
the elements of nature and its preordained role in the life of the people and in the Indian Myths.
Work cited
1. Divakaruni, Chitra Banerjee. The Mistress of Spices Great Britain: Doubleday. 1997. Print.
2. The Palace of Illusions Noida: Picador. 2009. Print.
3. Glofelty, Cheryll and Harold From. (ed.) The Eco-criticism Reader: Landmarks in Literary
Ecology. Athens: The University of Georgia Press 1996. Print.
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126
An Ecocritical Reading of William
Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey”
Dr.G.Somasundaram
Assistant Professor of English
Alagappa Arts College, Karaikkudi
Abstract
Upholding Nature has become a prime concern of every person in the contemporary
world. The natural calamities of late, have alarmed everyone that any human
action towards destructing Nature will yield total devastation of humanity at large.
Subsequently, the study of Nature has formed an integral part of various academic
disciplines. The centre given to Nature in literature is conceivable in the literary
theory known as ‘eco-criticism’. Wordsworth’s “Tintern Abbey” provides a detailed
and penetrating account of the three stages of Wordsworth’s attitude to Nature in
the light of eco-criticism, and the depiction of the payment for love of Nature. The
study focuses on an outline of eco-criticism and the intimidations, strength as well
as the person being faced in the world that William Wordsworth lived in. William
Wordsworth’s excellent nature poem, Tintern Abbey (1798), sheds light on the way
nature affects Wordsworth’s memory and the ways his philosophical insights with
a view, which enables him to accomplish mental growth. Through an eco-critical
study of the poem, the clash between the Yale School critics, the New Historicists,
and the eco-critics can be examined, and it exempli es how the internal relationship
between man and nature in Wordsworth’s poem grants humanity and peace of mind.
Similarly, climate change provoked alterations to the direction of waves can change
how much sand they move along the coast. The foundation built on the beach, or
offshore, is sensitive to these different characteristics of waves which lead to a series
of menace.
Keywords: Tintern Abbey, Metamorphosis, Eco-criticism and Nature, Wordsworth,
Romantic poets.
Eco-criticism is the study of the relation between environment and
living organisms in their natural environment and their relationships.
It also concerns man’s relationships with his physical surroundings
are re ected in literature. Though eco-criticism as literary theory is
of current origin, the elements of it are found in the works of several
journalists in the earlier period. Romanticism, in this regard, is a
representation of the bare bones of eco-criticism. The Romantic
poets attempted to revive the secrecy and wonder of the world and
tried to institute a meaningful bond between literature and Nature.
To them, Nature was the foremost cause of inspiration and pure
enlightenment. William Wordsworth, who belongs to the  rst period
of the Romantic poets, is regarded to be a Nature poet, who surveyed
Nature as a living body, and believed that Nature was gifted with
feeling and purpose. Wordsworth’s poetry, “Tintern Abbey”, which
is “an auto-monologue with a setting and an auditor”, is a typical
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Somasundaram, G. “An
Ecocritical Reading of
William Wordsworth’s
‘Tintern Abbey.’”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 126–29.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457035
127
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
eco-critical work. Nature serves as both “a locus of imaginative energy” and “a potent source of
intellectual ideas” that acts as the inspiring instrument for the Romantics. As various critics have
pointed out, Wordsworth’s approach to Nature in his “Tintern Abbey” can be pigeonholed into
three stages such as boyhood, youth and stage of metamorphosis which can be analysed from an
ecocritical point of view.
Wordsworth, at the stage of boyhood, which is also marked as the publicity of the body, was
unconscious of the value of Nature and therefore did not apprehend and acknowledge its beauty
and worth. At this stage, he had only the insight judgment of the dramatic beauty of Nature, and
thus, Nature did not manipulate his mind. Consequently, he could not enjoy the entertainment and
happiness offered by Nature. He was lled with remorse rather than rejoice. This is visible in his
poem:
“…when like a roe I bounded o’er the heights, by the sides of the dark rivers, and the empty
streams, Wheresoever nature led: more like a man Climbing from something that he dreads than
one Who tried the thing he loved”. In the beginning, the primeval people were very close to
Nature. With the coming out of globalisation and transformation, the people in the recent past had
forgotten to recognise the value of Nature and had become uninformed of its importance to their
existence. Therefore, in the name of modernisation and actual progress, they had been imposing
on Nature, all kinds of distress in the form of deforestation, nuclear tests, pollutions, over-use of
natural resources, and so on. Consequently, Nature has begun to retort against humanity in the way
of natural calamities like tsunami, earthquakes, global warming, melting of glaciers and climatic
changes and it has already started to be a terror to human beings.
In his youth, which is respect as a stage of mind, Wordsworth was obsessed with the external
beauty of the colours and forms of Nature. His communion with Nature had mellowed him and made
him feel for the distress of his fellow beings. However, he did not rationalise at his ‘thoughtless
youth’. This stage represents the present state of affairs in the world. People have become aware
of the essence of Nature to their continuation, and they have obtained after the tsunami and recent
climatic  uctuations that human life is not permissible outwardly Nature. However, the strengths
that have been taken in the world at present are not satisfactory to protect the earth from the
ecological emergency that is prevalent.
The third stage of his life is of transformation, wherein Wordsworth begins to trim down why he
should feel for the distress of his fellow human beings? When he begins to downsize, he discovers
that the same principle which is in him is present in all other people. In other words, there is ‘one
underlying opinion’ which is pervasive in all creatures:
And I have felt
A presence that disturbs me with the joy
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime
Of something far more deeply interfused,
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,
And the round ocean and the living air,
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:
A motion and a spirit that impels
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,
And rolls through all things. (Green, 2007, p. 77)
Wordsworth’s connection with Nature has made him experience the unseen dogma. That is why,
whenever he looks at Nature, he is reminded of the sufferings of his fellow beings, and he resents
for them. Like Wordsworth, there is a need for each somebody in the present world to notice the
animating code of the world, so that intimacy with Nature may be developed, and thus Nature and
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humanity may be protected from all sorts of perils that would ravage them. Some critics refer to this
teaching as God and relate it with pantheism. To avoid besides oppositions on this, the animating
criterion could be regarded as a fundamental value and worth of Nature. Whether one considers in
God or not, one cannot deny the indispensability of interrelationship between human beings and
Nature. Therefore, somebody in this world is required to recognise and grasp the worth of Nature
in his or her life.
The classical Cartesian dualism, Greek humanism, the Judeo-Christian concept of the great
chain of ‘Being’ and anthropocentrism has emphasised the supremacy of humans over Nature.
This feeling of superiority and command is the primary cause of environmental debasement.
Wordsworth, who had encountered the divine principle that seems to permeate in the entire creation,
was antagonistic to the claim of human authority. This is remarkably testi ed by R. O. C. Winkler
who, noting on the above-quoted passage, contends that “the dichotomy between the material and
mental worlds which logicians had frequently taken for granted since the seventeenth hundred was
to Wordsworth (as to Kant) wholly antipathetic, and he regularly in his verse endeavours a general
statement of the basis of their unity” (as quoted in Durrant, 1970, p. 95).
Thus, Wordsworth stands as a bridge between humanity and Nature. Wordsworth’s third stage
of life that is portrayed in “Tintern Abbey” is symbolic of an ideal stage that is yet to be achieved.
Like Wordsworth, every individual in this world should love and appreciate Nature and should
recognise the divine beauty in it. Everyone should realise the essentiality of Nature in his or her
life and should contribute to its protection. All the nations should make a combined effort to put an
end to all that is detrimental to Nature and should go for alternative policies that would preserve
both human beings as well as Nature. The civilised world must develop respect and regard for the
natural world.
Throughout the poem, the light-heartedness of memories and interconnection with nature is the
saviour of the poet’s mind and life in the alien days of adult life clouded with early modernity.
Creating a barrier between oneself and one’s society is out of the question because humans are as
much the product of their social surroundings as their natural environments. In this sense, nature
is the negotiator that guides humans’ souls and inspires the poet’s creativity. Likewise, this poem
unearths Wordsworth’s concern about man’s neglectful treatment of nature. For such eco-critics as
J. Bate, J. McKusick, and K. Kroeber, the verse explains “how all parts of human nature and physical
nature interactively contribute to an inclusive vitality of being multiform but not hierarchized”
(qt. in Tovey 53-4). To counter, the effect of the Enlightenment models that separated humans from
nature in a hierarchal tradition and brought about a gap between them whose offspring was the
dominion of man over nature, Wordsworth, sought to originate a concordant relationship between
humans and their environment based on holism and respect. The notion of the mastery of man over
nature stems from the three convictions that consider humans superior to life: rst, classical Greek
humanism grants superiority to human beings over animals due to their rationality; second, the
Cartesian mind/body dualism maintains that human beings, because of keeping souls, are superior
to animals; and  nally, the Judeo Christian notion of creation as a “Great Chain of Being,” views
human beings as superior to animals and plants due to the hierarchal concept that God has given
man an excellent position in the “Great Chain of Being” (Britto 721-2). This single poem is an effort
to counteract such beliefs and goes to great lengths to emphasise that the respectful correlation of
man with nature inspires a love of self and natural surroundings that comes not only from the
observation of view but also from the emotional interaction with it. If the pecking order between
man and nature is abolished, or at least questioned, the division between man and nature is shattered,
and a cooperative relation comes into fruition. To establish a harmonious bond between man and
nature and emphasise the practical effect of the environment on man’s becoming experienced.
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Wordsworth sought to stress the real value of view as a result of “passionate experience”. If the
observer tries to “watch and receive” nature open-heartedly, an understanding of the self and the
ecological environments can be achieved. So, by rejecting socially built forms of knowledge, one
can reach an in-depth experience of nature, which is not achievable “in the dull and endless strife”
of book learning (Tintern Abbey 9).
Wordsworth, through the creation, “Tintern Abbey”, has shown a way to establish a better world
and a better life, and has taught how a close association with Nature could be created to give
birth to a peaceful and friendly presence in the world. He advises everyone to learn from the past.
This is discernible in the words of Geoffrey H. Hartman (1964), who claims that “Wordsworth’s
poetry looks back to look forward the better” (p. 29). Thus, the verse, “Tintern Abbey”, is a typical
eco-critical work which strives to promote a relationship between Nature and human beings. It
also secondhand encourages every reader to look back and see how human beings have behaved
towards Creation in the past, and what the outgrowths of their anthropocentric attitude towards
Nature. It also persists on the need to take proper measures to establish harmony with Nature.
Works Cited
1. Barry, P., Beginning theory: An introduction to literary and cultural theory. 2017: Oxford
University Press.
2. Rueckert, W., Literature and Ecology. The ecocriticism reader: Landmarks in literary ecology,
1996: p. 105123.
3. Bate, J., Romantic Ecology (Routledge Revivals): Wordsworth and the Environmental
Tradition. 2013: Routledge.
4. Durrant, G., Wordsworth and the large system: a study of Wordsworth’s poetic universe. 1970:
Cambridge University Press.
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The Problem of Identifying One’s
Identity and its Explosion in
Indian English Literature
S.Nandhini
Assistant Professor
Vysya College, Salem
Abstract
Why should we entail identity? Why should everyone run behind something and
achieve greatness? It is all because they want to represent themselves as a superior
identity. Hence character plays an essential role in our lives. Therefore what is a
personality? It is like a name that everybody possesses on themselves. Some can
explore it outwardly because they have given chances to do so. Some will  ght for it
because they are deprived of it due to so-called societal issues, and some exceptions
are there that they don’t even know what their identity is? In that case, some
representation of them will show what their status is? Some people never allow
fellow beings to blossom as an individual. They keep those buds under them and
keep hiding their blooming. The victims of this identity crisis will mostly be women.
Because they can ever be allowed by this patriarchy to expose what they are, and
what they inherit within themselves. In this paper, I am going to  ashlight upon the
identity crisis of women in Indian society and Indian novels and to picture how some
female characters in Indian books represent their identity.
Keywords:Identity, Social construction, Norms, Ideology, Intersectionality, Stereotypes,
Prejudice, Bias, Sexism, Racism, Heterosexism, Classism, Ageism.
Understanding Identity
When does someone ask who you are? We will say our name. We
think its identity. But that is not. Because the character is something
that helps people to understand what we are; what we inherit. It can
either be wealth or potentials of our knowledge. Depending on these
credentials, people judge our identity. If you are sound in wealth, it
doesn’t require your identi cation. Your money will represent your
identity. When you are not sound in wealth but talented, you will not
be recognized in society because society gives priority to the paper
of value but not to the proper human. Knowingly and unknowingly
money pays a reasonable sum of dominance to others to recognize
your identity. Some identity calamities evolve around the society
since ages. That is nonentity but female identity. Are we sure that
women are prearranged chances to explore their characters? By the
way, I am not talking about the exceptional. I need to insist on the
female subjugations and to broaden certain females who represent
themselves exceptionally well in society by tearing their weird mask
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Nandhini, S. “The
Problem of Identifying
One’s Identity and Its
Explosion in Indian
English Literature.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 130–33.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457037
131
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
of dependency. I want to let the fellow females like me who only speak through words in the paper
but not articulating it orally, to understand their inner self and to make an emotional journey that
dwells upon their identity.
Social Construction
Identity is a socially and historically constructed perception. We come to know about our status
and the character of others through many mediums of dealings like family, friends, and relatives
and the organization, peers, and the media. In spite of these many identity criteria, we still keep
some deprivation in identifying others and force our discriminating dominance towards others in
the name of sex, wealth, appearance, family background, social class, and age. There are still many
issues therein, representing our identity to gain a socio-cultural status. Especially females in the
society are facing gender bias that keeps them in the margin. There is a unique social construction
of identity laid on females. They are: that they have to be someone’s daughter, mother, and sister
or whatever the roles they gain from the family and society. The name is given to her only for the
convenience of others to call upon. The community has accustomed to this prior identity that only
a male can go with his name that speaks everywhere about his particular personality. That is why
Kamala Das speaks beautifully in her poem ‘Spoiling the Name’, “ when you say, Don’t spoil your
name, I feel I must laugh, for I know I have a life, To be lived, and each nameless corpuscle in
me, has its life to be lived…” In her case, the name is the identity that should be chosen by herself,
not by anyone, and she has all her rights about her life and how to live on it. She doesn’t like the
identity name and adjusted it for thirty years already but not a minute once she decides that she
doesn’t want to live with it. So when someone states ‘don’t spoil your name,’ she ridicules on it.
There are certain characters who do not want to live with the coiled identity that has driven to her
socially but want to enlarge their crushed status into a neatly ironed and straight one, I mean to
say in terms neatly rolled that they gradually recover from their crushing nature and bring some
straightened identity that shows who they really are.
Norms and Ideology
Where do we learn these ideologies and norms in establishing an identity, especially for a
woman? It is not an emerging trend; it is an already existed crime that we do and internalize them in
the course of our life. Everyone in society is bound to be a happy individual. But ideology we share
with our peers, friends, and organization and even the Media framing certain norms to categorize
the people with their identity. These values are signi cant because they generally come from places
of supremacy, but also because we internalize them and take them for granted; they seem natural
and the way things should be, and in turn, silhouette the way we see and understand the people,
objects, practices, and institutions in our lives.
Our gender, race and civilization, sexual orientation, class, disability, religion, and age can play
a considerable role in determining whether or not we have social, political, and monetary power.
While many presume that anyone can accumulate social, economic and political power if they
have talent, ability, and hard work, we also need to admit the way historically implanted prejudices
are built into existing institutions and structures and consider how they create barriers and limit
opportunities. But the prominent phenomena is one’s self will never accept speci c internalized
identity instead will pose the society with their gigantic inner self at one point of their lives. Like
the female characters in Indian English novels which have unveiled from their de cient socially
constructed mask identity to articulating self.
Society has xedly framed the blueprint of life for a woman much before she takes birth
and xed identities for her. It con nes her survival through two-fold divisions between the
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universal conception of men and women de ning her as feminine as opposed to the masculine,
the distinctiveness marked in the con guration of gender by society. Further, the connection of
negativity with the features which fall into the pool of females, such as passivity, infantilism,
emotionalism, and irrationality as opposed to adventure, determination, and rationality in male,
considered positive virtues, do great harm to her self assessment and individual improvement.
Moreover, the private sphere assigned to women in the patriarchal organism limits her role as a
daughter, sister, wife, and mother and also facilitates the control of her body by the opposite sex.
Within women themselves, divergence is established as a natural phenomenon.
Woman as a question with her own sets of emotions and desires at the conscious as well as the
unconscious level remained less talked about, till the treatment of such issues by Anita Desai. In
the identical year as the publication of the previously discussed novels in 1963, issued Cry the
Peacock that brought out, with great sympathy and empathy, the hitherto unexplored space of
female psyche- her annoyance, maladjustments and Breaking the Stereotype psychotic disorder
which more advanced psychologists like Sigmund Freud had attributed to the organic determinism
of women. In the novel, Cry the Peacock, Maya loses her reason at the disconnected and apathetic
attitude of her husband. Driven to schizophrenia and the no acknowledgment of her un inching
and excessive love for life depicted through her intense emotional responses to the nature around
her, she ends up killing her husband and taking away her own life.[5] In Indian society, where the
marital world is the ultimate world promising happiness and succor for a conventional woman
who has interiorized this kind of concept since her childhood, an atmosphere of separation and
loneliness, can prove to be harmful not only for her but for other members as well. The examination
of the dark and unknown recesses of the female self was a breakthrough in the realization of her
prejudice and individuality destabilizing the societal expectations and stereotypes established on
her status of otherness. In another novel titled Fire on the Mountain (1975) by Anita Desai which
won her the Sahitya Academy Award, the author takes a peek into the psyche of her protagonist
Nanda Kaul whose muteness at the face of her adulteress husband and the burden of looking after
the great household teaming with children and grandchildren, nally goad her to search her own
values away from the societal obligations as a wife, mother and a grandmother at the family house,
Carginano, at Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh. However, Nanda Kaul’s seclusion from the family
does not make her droopy towards the rest of the society which is evident from her re-establishing
the link with Raka, her granddaughter, who like her, a recluse and freedom-loving person, comes to
live with her after the separation of her parents. Nanda is equally empathetic towards her old friend
Ila Das, a social worker who often visits her and later on is raped and killed by the villagers for her
intrusion in child marriage. The novel succeeds in smashing the stereotype of self sacri cing and
self effacing woman, a mother and a wife in the character of Nanda Kaul in her refusal to carry
with her the accounts of “too many servants, too many visitors... and too many children going to
different schools and colleges at different times and too many tutors” [6] in search of her real self to
the place of her new domicile. This real self of woman is not self-centered and isolated from society
but the one that is well stuck in social certainty and has learned to care for itself. Long conserved
notions of mother-daughter intimacy, adoration of woman’s power of tolerance and her silence
over private issues got dissolute in the ctional works which followed. Shashi Deshpande in her
novel titled The Dark Holds No Terror makes her female protagonist Saru, a doctor by profession;
share her mental agony for the sadistic sexual behavior of her husband, with her father as she comes
to meet him after the death of her mother. Unlike the conventionally held image of the mother-
daughter closeness, Saru’s mother had never cherished her daughter and had never overlooked her
for the childhood incident concerning the drowning of her younger brother in the village pond on
the day she followed him. Saru comes back home to contract with the guilt, fear and emotional
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confusion she has been undergoing as a daughter and the wife of a person called Manu, whose now
brutish behavior during the nights that seems to be the projection of his restraint as a male at the
greater social and trained placing of his wife, has left her complex and traumatic. Saru’s physical
coldness from her husband and sharing her anguish with her father at her parental home ease down
her mental and emotional anxiety cleanses her vision and helps her emerge stronger and more
con dent to face life back home. The stereotype of the sexual frostiness in women has always been
treated in ambiguous terms by society. The control over one’s sexual desires and the averting of
any overt display had been the hallmark features of an Indian woman. Poems have been written
and sung in praise of women in literature and entertainment media to glorify such traits in them.
However, ironically, sexual discretion on the part of a woman in a relationship with her husband
offers enough bases for the justi cation of the male deviation on the ground of the wife’s inability
to please him. Indian literature in English has documented such false and unmerited images and
sought to rectify them through the rendering of real women with real physical desires; she has
every right to express and ful ll like any other free person. Shashi Deshpande takes up this issue
in her novel Roots and Shadows where Indu, as she comes to her helping her right over the family
house after the death of her great aunt Akka, contemplates over the futility of her married life
with Jayant that has pounded her identity. It is at this point that she learns to claim the right over
her body and her passions as she enters into a relationship with Naren, a distant relation. Even in
the novel, That Long Silence, the interrogation of the preventive effect on marriage on women,
is dealt with through the character of Jaya. The issue of rape within marriage destroying the old
belief of the happy and peaceful marital continuation of our older generation crops up in the novel
The Binding Vine where Urmi, the female lead comes transversely the letters of her dead mother
-in -law only to reveal the dreadful and brutal nature of her marriage. Like these suppressed and
suffocated women who have gone through many nuisances and I call them a menace to become
out of this thwarted boundaries to achieve their selfhood. At last, it is their selfhood, which will
help them to efface their  lthy mask of dependency in the name of social norms to that of the male
counterpart.
I, through this paper, insist every individual confront for their rights to gain their selfhood.
Identity is the one which will elevate us as a persona in the world of drama. As Shakespeare
proclaimed, the world is a stage, and we are the actors in it. Hence we have our roles to play on.
We need not play the role of others. Let us stop dancing for other’s tune. We are our composer,
we are our director, and we are our destiny. Let us not include anyone to interfere and interpret
our identity. Dear women and the marginal, please hold your head high, it is time for the identity
world — no character then no independence. Alarm your heart and psyche that you are no more
dependent and alert your identity you have to the new world to live on it. Never worry for the
nostalgic nuisance of going behind the superior, a step ahead with your own identity that will bring
you success at every step you take. Promote identity and perish dependence.
References
1. Anita Desai, Fire on the Mountain (England, Penguin, 1997) 30.
2. Kamala Das, Spoiling the name.
3. Shashi Deshpande’s That long silence.
4. Shashi Deshpande’s The Binding Vine.
5. Shashi Deshpande’s Dark Holds No Terror.
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Empowerment of Women in
Chetan Bhagat’s Novel Revolution
2020 and Two States: The Story of
My Marriage
S.Rajaprabu
Research Scholar (Ph.D), Department of English
Government Arts and Science College
Komarapalayam
Dr.G.Keerthi(Guide)
Assistant Professor, Department of English
Government Arts and Science College
Komarapalayam
Abstract
Chetan Bhagat is a contemporary writer who exposes the empowerment of women
and creates a new image for modern women through his novels. He lightens the
power of women in every  eld such as education, politics and decision making etc.
In the novel Two States Ananya Swaminathan, a Tamilian girl falls in love with a
Punjabi boy Krish Malhotra, the protagonist of the novel. She moves to Delhi and
persuades Krish’s family and get acceptance for their marriage proposal. Chetan
Bhagat expresses that women are given respect and they gets succeed in their life.
Aarti, the female protagonist of the novel Revolution 2020 had a pre-marital sex
with Gopal and later married Raghav. It proves the world that both the men and
women are treated equally. The women are given freedom to choose their life
individually. Chetan Bhagat implies that the time has changed from treating men
as superior and women as inferior to both the sex are equal. It shows that women
deserve a respectful place in the society. Thus, the paper represents the identity of
women in Chetan Bhagat’s novel.
Keywords: Empowerment, Identity, Freedom, Equality, Respect.
Full Paper
Women empowerment refers to the complete emancipation of
women from socio-economic shackles of depency and deprivation.
Empowerment of women would mean encouraging women to be
self-radiant, economically independent, have positive self-esteem,
generate con dence to face any dif cult situation and achieve
participation in socio-political development endeavours. The person
who tries to empower women is called Feminist and the process is
names as Feminism. It has gained more importance in the 21st century.
Feminism is not only giving equal rights to vote and assets but also to
choose their own life. Chetan Bhagat explained this concept through
the novel Two States. Similarly in the novel Revolution 2020, Aarti
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Rajaprabu, S., and G.
Keerthi. “Empowerment
of Women in Chetan
Bhagat’s Novel
Revolution 2020 and
Two States: The Story
of My Marriage.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 134–36.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457039
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the female protagonist of the novel is portrayed as a tuned girl towards her ambition. She starts her
job as an air hostess in Indian Airlines. She has turned into a working woman and started to earn. It
shows the modernized women surviving in the 21st century. Besides working as a air hostess she
gets engaged in “Aviation Academy” to  ght for the freedom of women as a feminist. Through the
character Aarti, Chetan Bhagat tries to explore that parent also acceptable to send their daughters
to various job  elds.
At rst Aarti worked as an air hostess and later she joined as “Guest Relations Trainee.” In
earlier days women hesitates to work as a guest relations trainee but now the scenario is changed.
Aarti has a love affair with Raghav and Gopal, who were her childhood friends. Initially she have
crush towards Raghav but he doesn’t have enough time to spend for Aarti. So, Aarti turns her love
towards Gopal without any hesitation. Gopal and Aarti started to visit cafes, hotels, movies and
parks twice or thrice in a week at Varanasi. Through these incidents Chetan Bhagat explains that
women are treated equally and their status has become equal to men. The novel also enacts the
theme that women are getting empowered equal to men. She also had drinks with her friends in
social places.
Empowerment of women is not only getting equal status to vote, assets or gender. A woman gets
empowered when she chooses his own life without anyone’s in uence. Aarti being a modern girl
wants to have luxurious life. She is very gel to adopt for a modern style. While Aarti is working as a
receptionist, she had a sexual relationship with Gopal. At the time she asked to check Gopal if other
co-workers of Aarti are watching her visit to the room. It exposes the practical thinking of Aarti.
Chetan Bhagat shows women characters as intelligent, smart and con dent. The novel Revolution
2020 also represents that women also started to use technologies such as messages and e-mail to
converse one another. Chetan Bhagat also implies that modern women also feels excited to have
relationships with two persons and to have pre-marital sex. It shows that women started to cross the
restrictions given by the family and society. They have started to live their life for happiness and
enjoyment.
Later, Aarti also started to involve in politics with the help of Gopal and the MLA Shuklaji. She
started to meet politicians along with Gopal and took a part in the life of MLA. She also visits so
many villages along with other politicians. It makes the reader to get aware of women involving
in politics. Thus, the novel Revolution 2020 proves that women have started to engage in every
eld and strong enough to lead their own life. Aarti is a good looking women and her description
is given in the beginning of the novel Revolution 2020. It is expressed in the following lines
I sat up straight and craned my neck to see Aarti Pratap Pradham, roll number one. She wore a
white skirt, white shirt, red cardigan and had ribbons in her plaits, and she faced the teacher more
seriously as she sat down.
‘Eww’, Aarti screamed and jumped up. She picked up a chocolate-stained
ruler from her seat. The back of her skirt had chocolate stains. ‘Oh my
God!’ Aarti’s shrill voice made the entire class take notice.(11: Rev 20)
In the novel Two States, the female protagonist Ananya Swaminathan who is a Tamilian girl
is depicted as a woman of empowerment in the 21st Century. She belongs to a Brahmin family,
a middle class background. She is a suitable girl to t for their customs and traditions. She gets
educated to bring her parents dream in to reality. She has sincerely involved in relationship with a
Punjabi boy Krish Malhotra who is from New Delhi. The love affair of Ananya towards the north
Indian boy irritates her parents. Ananya as a 21st Century women don’t want to elope and get
married with Krish. She needs to marry Krish with her parents’ consent. Ananya moved to Delhi
to convince Krish parents. There she attended Krish’s cousin marriage. Unfortunately the marriage
was to break because of the inability of Krish family to pay the dowry. Now, Ananya interfered and
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136
make the situation calm by her intellectual speech. The way she convinced attracts Krish’s parents
and the allowed Krish to marry Ananya. Ananya’s persuading speech in the marriage is given
below
‘Sit down,’ Ananya said. Duke compiled instantly. Ananya turned to
everyone. ‘Listen, all brothers and sisters of Duke, there isn’t going to be
any Accent. The elders have shown their true colours, now it is down to
Duke and all of you. If he wants to take Minti with respect, he should say
so. If he doesn’t then he is just a schmuck and we don’t wasn’t the
wedding.
‘Ananya beta. . . .’ Raji mama came to us as the youngsters’ meeting had
gone for too long.
‘Almost done, uncle,’ Ananya said. ‘Five minutes, Duke. Make up
your mind.’
Everyone fell silent as Ananya Swaminathan, brand manager HLL,
MBA, rated best girl by popular vote at IIMA and rated best girlfriend
by my own vote, forced the younger generation in Duke’s family to
think. (214: Two States)
Ananya Swaminathan is a girl of clear thinking. She asks Krish to come her room for study.
Once they talk about their future Krish says that he want to become a writer. He expected that
Ananya will laugh at his desire. But to the change Ananya accepted his dream whole heartedly
and encourages Krish. He feels that he is lucky to have her girl Ananya who gives respect to his
dreams and guides him in a good way. Ananya being a 21st Century modern woman is deeply
rooted with Indian culture. She has achieved in her life. She feels proud to be a woman and still ties
to her family bonding. Both the families did not accept for their marriage at rst. Later, Ananya
convinced Krish’s family and Krish convinced Ananya’s family. At the end of the novel, Krish
and Ananya get married with their parents’ consent. It proves that women of 21st Century are
intelligent and con dent. Thus, Chetan Bhagat represents the power of women through his novels.
Works Cited
1. Revolution 2020, New Delhi: Rupa publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2011.
2. 2 States, New Delhi: Rupa publications India Pvt. Ltd., 2009.
3. https://learn.culturalindia.net/essay-women-empowerment-meaning-important.html.
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Sufferings of Working Class
people in Aravind Adiga’s The
White Tiger
Dr.M.Sathyaraj
Guest Lecturer and Head, Department of English
Periyar University Constituent College of Arts & Science
Sendamangalam, Namakkal (Dt)
Abstract
Adiga’s debut novel The White Tiger is subjectively de ned concept in the sociology
and political hypothesis focused on model of social strati cation in which individuals
are gathered into a lot of various leveled social classi cations, the most widely
recognized being the upper, center, and lower classes. A guideline contrast among
class and position is that class in open for all and social versatility is conceivable.
In the station framework the vertical portability is beyond the realm of imagination
position in India has religious foundation and everyone attempts to satisfy the rank
obligations, however in class arrangement of social strati cation religious has
place. There the physical and mental characteristics are progressively signi cant.
The White Tiger is a novel conceived in that minute moment of anguish. Adiga
overviews the dark detachment of an India where the con scated and the special
are not saturated with the generalizations of battle and control. The tale gives a
dim humorist perspective on advanced life in India through the portrayal of Balram
Halwai, the hero. The primary topic of the novel is the likeness between India’s
ascent as an advanced worldwide economy and the common laborers individuals
who live in overpowering natural neediness.
The White Tiger is the tale of Balram who dreams to mock every
single social restriction so as to make a situation in the realm of the
individuals who have detained his locale for a long time. Through
Balram‘s tale Adiga exposes two different worlds existing within
India, an India of gloominess and an India of light. The India of
gloominess represented through Laxmangarh, a small village in
Bihar, was presided over by feudal lords. Different topics addressed
include pay off endemic to Indian culture and governmental issues
tribal versus power religious strains among Hindus and Muslims, and
the commonality of repeating to India in the wake of living pay in
America, globalization, and the pressures among India and China as
superpower nations in Asia. The name Balram alludes to the sibling
of the Hindu god Krishna. His last name, Halwai, is gotten from
“Sweet producer” in the position framework.
Balram’s intelligence was esteemed by the school checker and he
named him as The White Tiger, the rarest of creature, the animal
that lone comes once in an age. He was so dazzled by Balram that
he vowed to mastermind learnedness for him. Be that as it may, the
devastating destitution constrained Balram into tyke physical work.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Sathyaraj, M.
“Sufferings of Working
Class People in
Aravind Adiga’s The
White Tiger.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 137–39.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457045
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In spite of the fact that, India bans brood under fourteen from lling in as residential workers,
in sustenance slows down, or anyplace else yet millions are supported to be utilized. Indeed, even
a brilliant understudy like Balram was driven away from the school and was sent at a teashop, to
pay the cash owing taken for his cousin sister’s marriage. The ground reality recommends until and
except if one comes to good and political holds, with the truth of neediness, with the gap among
rich and poor, the battle against the youngster work will fail out.
Balram needed to get away from the sad lth and horrendous conditions existing in Laxmangarh,
where his rickshaw puller father passed on of tuberculosis in an administration emergency clinic
that was useless in light of endemic de lement. Balram and his sibling Kishan hung tight for the
specialist with their dad who was hacking blood. The specialist in the administration clinic, who
was being paid to deal with the poor in Laxmangarh, worked in some private medical clinic to make
a couple of additional bucks, so he didn’t turn up till the night and their dad was forever relieved
of his tuberculosis. After his dad’s passing the tainted blood on the oor was likewise tidied up
by the poor young men. There were no legitimate instruction focuses, medicinal of ces, sewage,
drinking water and other essential needs of acculturated society, popular government appears to ll
no need of inspiring poor people. Here individuals in power make a joke of world’s biggest popular
government. Balram, a minor, was compelled to be an eighteen-year-old, the lawful age to cast a
ballot, by the incomparable Socialist Party, independent of his assent.
When he was working in the tea shop he sees the dissimilar kind of persons. Every morning
in before the tea shop everybody was sit and chat about the lm actress needless. Balram noticed
every morning one truck was coming in front of the tea shop and choose the manual labor for their
work. He was very curious to know about that; he too gets interest to join the building construction
work. Balram pushed back. After the fth and sixth clash of the day Balram at last meet the face to
face with the truck driver. A man with big blue turban and his hand he held a wooden stick.
‘Everyone!’ he shouted. ‘Take off your shirt! I’ve got to see a man’s nipple before I give him
a job!
He looked at my chest; he squeezed the nipple - slapped my butt -glared into my eyes - and
poked the stick again my thigh: ‘Too thin! Fuck off!’
‘Give me a chance, sir - my body is small but there’s a lot of  ght in it -I’ll dig for you, I’ll haul
cement for you, I’ll- He swung his stick; it hit me on the left ear.” (55)
Because of the background, body condition and appearance the rich truck driver refuses to give a
job to the poor. Poor was suffering lot and lot of struggles they were faced. He started learning about
India’s government system and economic condition through the conversations of the customers.
Later he decided to be a driver. After that Balram quit his job in tea shop and then he interested to
learn a drive. In Dhanbad, he learns drive from a taxi driver he orders him that he needs to pay three
hundred rupees, plus a gratuity to learn driving. Balram accepts to pay the charge and also gratuity.
Both Balram and the driver are practising in a minicab. Every occasion he makes error with the
gears, he slaps him on the cranium. At last the old driver abandons him. Next day morning Balram
has walked from one house to another house, and thud the gates and front door of the rich people.
Contrast between the rich and poor is visible through their proximity to one other, one night,
Pinky madam has drunk to forced Balram to leave the car so that she can drive. In a drunken state,
she hits something and drives away; Balram is forced to inform that he was driving the car and he
killed a child. They make him sign as a confession saying he was driving just in case the police
decide to press charges. It is taken as matter of course that, as their servant, he would only be too
glad to go to jail for them.
The class difference comparing to Ashok, Pinky was very poor but Ashok does not consider
that he married Pinky and also he gives the full freedom to Pinky but she was not loyal to him. Her
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motive is full of money she has taken money from him. He realized that she got married with him
for the sake of money not for love. When Ashok informs it to his father, he mentions the caste of
Pinky and blames her. His father tells though he marries her by not considering her caste, she has
done treachery to him and this is the regular activities of those low class people.
Even high class people used to do such kind of things, but his father refers her caste to blame her
wrong deed which shows the mind set of high class people about the low class people. Both rich
and poor people run behind the money. Rich people’s already they had enough money with them
but they thought to need more money. Rich was always a rich and the poor was always made as
poor.
As Balram broods, his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he could become part of
this appealing new India – to slay his employer, Ashok, and escape from servitude. He starts his life
as a driver in low clan and suffers a lot. When the same person becomes a rich man, he shows his
power over others. Even the low class person comes to the high class; he behaves differently like
them and forgets his own past. This situation is occurred and existed in the world.
The White Tiger, juxtaposes the extremes of modern India through Balram’s exploitation as a
driver. The sloppy impulses of his master, Mr. Ashok, often have devastating penalty for Balram.
Ashok carelessly plays games on his cell phone while his driver contemplates the end of his life as
he has known it. Through the life of the protagonist, Adiga exposes the supreme devotion of the
servant class.
Balram develops to see the bias of picking among family and self, subjugated the ace and
independence. There appear to be two fates accessible: “In former times there were one thousand
standings and fates in India” yet in present days we group classes as large midsections (rich) and
little paunches (poor). Halwai’s exercise in The White Tiger is that neediness makes beasts, and he
himself is simply such a beast. Aravind Adiga takes on some heavy issues: the discouraged division
of social classes into haves and have not. Topic of the novel is the quali cation between India’s
ascent as an advanced worldwide economy and the working individuals who live in pulverizing
provincial neediness. India is as yet confronting neediness because of pay off. The legislature and
its workforce all are degenerate so the plans drifted by the administration for the improvement of
poor are not effectively actualized and in light of the fact that de lement becomes an integral factor
the award progressed to the poor does not contact them and they wait the equivalent thus does the
issue of neediness. It is authentically underneath each stone you turn.
Balram turns out to be quick associate with, and be required to deal with, the mistiest of
circumstances that include kill, bamboozling, de lement, and burglary. The truth of this is even the
honorable like Balram need to stoop to vanquish. The epic veri ably brings to fore the shameful
acts and neediness present in the fair sparkling India where poor are being dismissed in the midst
of the publicity of monetary blast and riches. It gives a voice to the poor organization who has
consistently been burdened of instruction and monetary self-government life lines of advancement
in this day and age. It is absolutely an eye opener for the exclusive class and arrangement creators
of India, on who rests the responsibility to conciliate developing harshness in the littler advantaged
part of the country.
Works Cited
1. Adiga, Aravind.The White Tiger. HarperCollins Publishers. India, 2009 Print.
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Shakespearian Tragic Traits in
Bharathiraja’s Muthal Mariyathai
Mr.K.Gopinath
Assistant Professor of English
Periyar University Constituent College of Arts and Science
Harur, Dharmapuri- DT
Abstract
This paper will illustrate the Shakespearian tragic traits implied in the Tamil movie
Muthal Mariyathai, directed by Mr P. Bharathiraja. There is always a touch of
poetic emotions and sublime experiences. In the words of critics, the tragedies are
nothing but a tale of sympathy. Generally, in a tragedy, the protagonist suffers a lot.
Besides, there are some usual characteristics observed almost in all tragedies for
instance supernatural elements, the role of con ict, poetic justice, fate, change in
character, comic relief, weakness of the hero, use of irony, catharsis of emotions,
etc.
Keywords: Tragic traits, Status of hero, the role of fate, con ict, suffering, weakness of
the hero, supernatural elements, suffering, tragic  aw, source of calamity.
Introduction
This article focuses primarily on the development of Shakespearian
tragedy as a literary genre. This paper explores the tragic traits
of Shakespeare illustrated in the famous Tamil movie “Muthal
Mariyathai” directed by P. Bharathiraja. Muthal Mariyathai is a
realistic portrayal of different relationships between man and woman
on one side, and sensitive exploration of romance on the other.
With Bharathiraja masterfully helming his script and Illaiyaraja’s
melodious music and acting into one sweet whole. The plot of this
movie moves along in a series of ashbacks, featuring signi cant
episodes of the dying man’s life. In a decrepit hut on the banks of a
river, the village headman, Malaichami (Cast: Sivaji Ganesan) lying
sick (both mentally and physically), on his death bed. It includes the
presence of a boatwoman named Kuyil (Cast: Radha). The protagonist
is discontentedly wedded to a shrewish spouse by the maiden name
Ponnatha (cast: Vaduivukkarasi) and seeks comfort and support in
a friendship with Kuyil. The amity raises eyebrows, and at times
socially unacceptable and complicated for both Malaichami and
Kuyil. It is the talk of the villagers that he had been their headman.
The villagers have all gathered at his wife Ponnatha’s place pleading
her to shut her upper lip and to bring him back home. The villagers
are sure that Malaichami is very stubborn about not returning home.
Ponnatha’s voice goes up in righteous anger as to why they are
blaming her. She hoped that some of the elders of the village would
have left to bring Malaichami back. The mob moves to the river-by
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Gopinath, K.
“Shakespearian Tragic
Traits in Bharathiraja’s
Muthal Mariyathai.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 140–44.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457047
141
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International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
hut and is offended on the ailing man’s behalf. Not only the wife does not visit; rather, she does not
even allow her daughter to come to her father.
The marriage between Malaichamy and Ponnatha is a distasteful compromise as he was a poor
youth who surrendered to agree to his uncle’s request to marry his daughter Ponnatha to protect the
family’s honour. The gloomy union results in no happiness as it seems to be foredoomed to failure.
Appearances keep up though and Malaichami never breaks the promise on the deal in his lifetime.
Life even gets hold of a grave rhythm under this situation until Kuyil (Radha) makes an appearance
in his life.
Kuyil and her father are nomads who land up in search of a livelihood. Fascinatingly Kuyil
takes up the occupation of a ‘boatwoman’ who assists the villagers cross the stream. She considers
Malaichami with some hilarity and they have certain determined interactions. Things really
transform when she nds out about Malaichami’s past, and she begins to admire him. She then starts
to have a high regard for him when she examines his behaviour and personality. And ultimately
she feels affection for him and, he nally accepts it, after denying it initially. Nonetheless, it is all
a spiritual level of love and feelings for each other. There is under no circumstances, even a hint of
a sexual relationship.
There is a side plot about the love between Malaichami’s nephew Sellakannu and Sevuli,
daughter of Sengodan (Dalit man). When her father arranges marriage with a man of same caste,
the two elope. Since they belong to a downtrodden caste, Sengodan is scared that she would be
dishonoured. He comes to Malaichami for help who is horror-struck and thinks about the disgrace
of the relationship between social groups, which is against tradition, and the family’s honour. As
he begins to search the lovers, Kuyil, who has been helping them is furious – he is more bothered
about tradition. She questions whether his custom allows making friends with people of other caste.
She  nally asks him where his tradition was when he became a friend with her.
Better sense exists, and he gets the two married. Kuyil nds her fondness intensifying into love.
In the meantime, the two young lovers are deliriously till the day, Sevuli is drowned. The Panchayat
brings the demise, a conclusion as an accidental death, but her father is not satis ed. He has proof
that she is murdered. While struggling for life, Sevuli bites the thief’s big toe and cuts it out which
is still in the mouth of her corpse which her father nds and keeps following Malaichami seeking
justice. ‘Enakku oru unmai therijnjaaganum Samy!’ (I need to know the truth, Master) pleads the
poor father, Sengodan. Malaichami stops him one night and asks why he has been acting strangely
after his daughter’s death. The father of the deceased shows a small box in which he has the big
toe of the thief as proof and says this is not an accident but a cold-blooded murder for stealing her
jewellery. Then Malaichamy nds that the thief and the murderer is none other than his son-in-law
and hands him over to the police.
One day, a prisoner named Mayilvaganam, released from jail boards Kuyil’s boat and reveals that
he had an illicit relationship with Ponnatha during the village festival. Realising that Malaichamy’s
reputation is in danger, she kills him by drowning him. Thus Kuyil is imprisoned. Finally, she
returns from jail to see ailing Malaichamy and on returning she dies almost at the same time when
Malaichamy also dies.
In this paper, we will analyse the tragic elements used by Shakespeare in his plays such as Julius
Caesar, Macbeth, Hamlet and Othello. The tragic factors that we celebrate in Shakespeare’s plays
are Tragic hero, Good vs Evil, Hamartia, Tragic waste, Con ict, Catharsis, Supernatural elements,
Absence of poetic justice and Comic relief. I have elucidated some of the tragic elements that are
employed in the movie “Muthal Mariyathai” directed by Mr P.Bharathiraja.
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Malaichamy as the Tragic Hero
A tragic hero is one of the most noteworthy elements of tragedy. This type is usually a one-man
show. It is a narrative about an individual, or at times two. The hero may be both gender and he
or she must undergo because of some blemish character, because of predestined fate, or both. The
male protagonist must be the most tragic character in the drama. Andrew Cecil Bradley, a noted
20th century Shakespeare scholar says, “a Shakespearean tragedy is essentially a tale of suffering
and calamity conducting to death.”
In the movie Muthal Maiyathai, Malaichamy, being the village’s headsman is the tragic hero
who undergoes a lot of catastrophic experiences in his life. First, being his unhappy marriage
with Ponnatha who always offends him for being a man of nothing. She forgets the reality that
he has surrendered and agreed to marry her on his maternal uncle’s plea to protect the family’s
honour. She accuses him as an irresponsible husband and negligent father, but the truth is that he is
conscientious in raising Rasamma (Ponnatha’s daughter). The truth being, he is not her real father.
Later, Malaichami is again worried to protect his family’s honour when his nephew Sellakannu
falls in love and elopes with a Dalit girl Sevuli, daughter of Sengodan, but fails to realise tradition
and honour are not important than the hearts of the two. He gets the young couple married which
fails as Sevuli is killed, robbing her jewellery by Malaichami’s son-in-law. Malaichami imprisons
him. Shortly after Sevuli’s death, Sellakannu becomes mentally retarded and dies eventually.
In due course, Ponnatha  nds out that Malaichami has relationship with Kuyil, the boatwoman;
she creates a disgusting scene, inviting her paternal relatives’ home to threaten him. When her
relatives fall short in threatening him, they leave to kill Kuyil at the banks of the river where they
nd a man murdered by her. The man is none other than Ponnatha’s illicit husband during her
youth through whom she bears a child. Kuyil is jailed and then come out in parole after hearing that
Malaichamy is in his death bed. Kuyil returns to the village, visits Malaichamy at her residence,
holds his hands and they both die almost at the same time. Thus Malaichami proves to be the tragic
hero experiencing disastrous life throughout.
Good Vs Evil in Muthal Mariyathai
Shakespearean tragedies engage in recreating the struggle between good and evil. It deals with
the domination of evil and repression of good. Edward Dowden, a 19th century poet and critic says,
“Tragedy as conceived by Shakespeare is concerned with the ruin or restoration of the soul and
of the life of man. In other words, its subject is the struggle of Good and Evil in the world.” Evil,
which is pictured in Shakespearean tragedies suggests its existence, an requisite and ever-enduring
thing.
The struggle between good and evil is represented in this movie. Ponnatha and her son-in-law
are depicted as evil characters in this movie. Ponnatha charges her husband Malaichamy being
poor, married only for her assets, hiding that she had an illicit affair with another man. She always
tells him that she would have married a better person instead. Ponnatha’s son-in-law marries
Rasamma who is reckless and often sends his wife back to his in-law’s home to bring more money
and things as dowry. As soon as Rasamma returns home, Malaichamy ful ls her needs and sends
her back. He does not own a business to do or works anywhere. He is very luxurious in spending
money. To rob Sevuli’s jewels, he kills her which becomes the major aw in the movie. Fighting
against him, Sevuli bites his big toe  nger and keeps it in her mouth. When the villagers consider
the drowning of Sevuli as accidental death, her father is discontented and goes for better judgement
to Malaichamy. Malaichamy nds out the truth and hands over Rasamma’s husband in police
custody.
Through these frames, we  nd Shakespeare’s Good vs Evil as one of the tragic elements used by
P. Bharathiraja in this movie.
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Hamartia in Muthal Mariyathai
Hamartia is the Greek word which means “error” or “sin”. In other words, Hamartia refers to the
hero’s disastrous fault. It is an additional critical element of a Shakespearean tragedy. Each hero
falls because of some defect in his character.
A. C. Bradley, who states, “The calamities and catastrophe follow inevitably from the deeds of
men and the main source of these deeds is character.” The hero falls from a high position, is the
result of the fatal error which generally directs to his inescapable death.
In this movie the mistake made by the hero Malaichamy is that he had married Ponnatha, who
is already pregnant, for the sake of his uncle’s request and leads an unhappy life, only to safeguard
the reputation of his family. The next fault is that he makes relationship Kuyil, the boatwoman and
thinks that he can live happily after that. When Ponnatha  nds out their affair, she assaults Kuyil
and tries to kill her with the help of her relatives.
Though we do not nd any sexual relationship between Malaichamy and Kuyil, Hamartia,
according to Shakespeare, we  nd in Kuyil is that she knows that Malaichamy is already married,
she loves him eternally. The next aw that we  nd is when she  nds Mayilvaganam approaching
the village, she could have drowned him without anyone else’s knowledge but she surrenders to the
police which makes Malaichamy fall ill and  nally die.
Tragic Waste in Muthal Mariyathai
The hero, as a rule dies with his opponent. The passing away of the hero is not a regular death. It
includes the defeat of an exceptionally intelligent, honest, intellectual, virtuous and a noble person.
When good is ruined along with evil, the failure is called a “tragic waste.” Shakespearean tragedy
always comprises a tragic waste of righteousness.
In Muthal Mariyathai, we nd all the extremely good people dying during the movie. The death
of the innocent girl Sevuli dies when Malaichamy’s son-in-law robs her jewellery and drowns
her to death. Next, Sellakannu, Sevuli’s lover and the husband becomes mad and dies eventually.
After the murder of Mayilvaganam, Kuyil is imprisoned, in due course, Malaichamy falls ill and
nally Malaichamy and Kuyil die out of love beginning their new love life in heaven. All the good
characters in this movie pass away who are considered to be honest, noble, virtuous and intelligent.
Absence of Poetic Justice
Good is rewarded and evil is punished. Poetic Justice refers to a condition in which the entire
thing moves towards to a tting and immediate end. No poetic justice is present in the tragedies
of Shakespeare; rather, these plays restrain only prejudiced justice. Shakespeare understood that
poetic justice seldom takes place outside of ction. “Do good and have good” was measured an
outdated ethos in the time of Shakespeare, which is why we don’t nd any poetic justice in his
tragedies. Good is defeated along with evil.
In Muthal Mariyathai, we cannot nd poetic justice. Poetic justice is not considered to be an
element in P. Bharathiraja’s blockbuster movie Muthal Mariyathai as we nd all the good characters
dying in the course of the movie but other people like Ponnatha who is regarded as an evil character
lives after Malaichamy’s death and we nd no punishment for her mistake. Another character,
Malaichamy’s son-in-law who murders and drowns Sevuli, robbing her jewels is only imprisoned
for seven years according to law but not penalised to death. Though we do not nd his character
after his arrest, we can understand that he would be released after the tenure and lead his usual life.
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Comic Relief
Comic relief is our last element. Shakespeare did not follow the footsteps of his classical
predecessors when writing tragedies. Comic relief was not used Greek and Roman writers. But
Shakespeare desired to reduce the anxiety for the person who reads and alleviate up the mood.
Like Shakespeare, P. Bharathiraja also uses comic relief by playing some melodious songs and,
for the  rst time, Ilayaraja introduces the kind of song called “Esapaatu” in the tamil  lm industry.
Ilayaraja’s legendary music is one among the elements which earned celebration and laurels to this
movie, which is considered as the comic relief.
Conclusion
Hence, P. Bharathiraja has exploited Shakespeare’s tragic traits in the movie “Muthal
Mariyathai”. The  lm was decisively well received upon release. It obtained Best Lyricist Award
and Best Feature Film in Tamil Award for Vairamuthu and Bharathiraja respectively at the 33rd
National Film Awards. While the lead actors won their respective Filmfare Awards South in Best
Tamil actor and Best Tamil actresses’ category.
Work cited
1. Muthal Mariyathai – Hotstar app.
2. https://csrags.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/review-of-tamil-movie-mudhal-mariyadhai/.
3. https://timeso ndia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movie-details/muthal-mariyathai/
movieshow/64962424.cms.
4. M.H, Abrams & Galt Harpham “Glossary of literary forms and terms” 10e Wadsworth 2012,
Print.
5. Shakespeare, William. The Tempest.Ed. Peter Holland.Penguin, 1999. Print.
6. Cuddon, J.A. The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory.
London: Penguin Books, 1998. Print.
7. Robert R. Helenga. What is a Literary Experience Like?. Ed. New Literary History Vol.14.
Maryland: The John Hopkins University Press. 1982. Print.
8. Honey, P. and Mumford, A. The Manual of Learning Styles, Peter Honey Publishers. 1986,
Print.
9. https://en.oxforddictionaries.com.
10. Wikipedia.
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Indian Dalit Literature: Identity to
Social Equality
Mr.K.Mariyappan
Guest Lecturer, Department of English
Periyar University Constituent College of Arts and Science
Harur, Dharmapuri – DT
Abstract
India is one among the quickest growing countries in the world, yet, it is not famous
for its rigid class structure. This paper examines the record of suppression, state
of the concealed and origin of Dalit writings. It consists of the reading of scope of
the Dalit literature. It is commonly assumed that all Dalit literary conceptions have
their ancestry from Ambedkarite beliefs. The paper additionally dissects the stark
realities of Dalit and they are commendable to revive in public. This writing shows
theatrical accounts of socio-political practices of Dalit community within the caste
primarily based on the Indian society. It draws the conditions of the Indian societal
issues that surround the Dalits and their connections with Dalits and non-Dalits.
However, it discovers the Dalit community which struggled for equality and liberty.
Because of sturdy Dalit movements similarly as pound on higher caste society
through Dalit literature by writers and thinkers, and additionally by implementation
of welfare schemes by Government, a positive approach towards equality is seen in
social lifetime of Dalit community. Discrimination on the idea of caste and gender
area unit illegal by law can be a journey of laden from identity to social equality
through their literature.
Keywords: Dalit, Castes, Untouchables, Oppressed, Autobiographies.
Introduction
In the decade of 1950-60, a brand new literary movement burst
on the Indian Literature scene, particularly in Sanskritic language,
named Dalit literature. It was in the course of associate degree
laden cluster World Health Organization known as Dalit Panthers.
The authors of the movement used the word “Dalit” that changed
the sooner name Untouchable or outcast. Though it appeared new
English speaking world in the Nineteen Seventies, Dalit literature
began to seem in early 60s as a section of the movement crystal
recti er by Dr B.R. Ambedkar (1891 -1956), the undisputed leader
of Untouchables. Dalit literature could be an artistic and intellectual
literary expression that transforms the social realities in varied
literary genres. Dalit literature is mainly a common and an individual
manuscript that deals with those that had been exploited socially and
economically in India for many years. But, there’s a decent sign of
social equality slowly coming into in India.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Mariyappan, K. “Indian
Dalit Literature: Identity
to Social Equality.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 145–49.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457049
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146
Objective and Signi cance of the Study
To elaborate the lifetime of Dalit community through their literature and positive steps toward
equality, the analysis entitled “Indian Dalit Literature: Identity to Social Equality” that additionally
analyses the journey of laden or untouchables in India from socio-economic-political exploitations
to developments. Academicians and researchers ought to recognise this artistic literary force of the
untouchables; World Health Organization are bereft identity and equality.
Interdisciplinary relevancy The necessary relevancy of this subject isn’t solely in language and
literature, however additionally in History, Sociology, Geography, Psychology, Philosophy,social
science, etc. this kind of literature is found in African-American writings or in another word what’s
known as “Black writing.” there’s a small similarity in Palestinian literature additionally.
Identity to social equality:
Dalit literature, that is regarding the laden in line with the Indian class structure. People, Word
Health Organization area unit known as Dalits have a history of being lived in subjugation beneath
the high-classes of Indian society. So, they need a marginalized, downtrodden, and subaltern cluster
from centuries. However thanks to the efforts of the many social reformers like sage Jyotiba Phule,
Dr. Ambedkar, and spiritual leader, this community is additionally rising and progressing day-by-
day. Still, there area unit several issue associated with their existence within the gift state of affairs.
Limbale (2004) in his one in all the seminal essays entitled as “Dalit Literature: type and Purpose”
suggests sure polar traits to distinguish the shape of Dalit literature and has additionally assayed to
clarify a number of the essential reasons behind this paradigm shift within the literary eld of Indian
literature. He says, “Rejection and revolt in Dalit literature are birthed from the female internal
reproductive organ of Dalit’s pain. They are directed against associate degree inhuman system that
was obligatory on them. even as the anguish expressed in Dalit literature is within the nature of
collective social voice, similarly, the rejection and revolt area unit social and collective... The Dalit
consciousness in Dalit literature is that the revolutionary mentality connected with struggle. It is a
belief in rebellion against the class structure, recognizing the soul as its focus. Dalit consciousness
is a crucial seed for Dalit literature; it’s separate and distinct from the consciousness of different
writers. Dalit literature is demarcated as distinctive thanks to this consciousness.”
Dalit literature could be a literature with its prime concentrate on the social marginalisation of
the laden communities’ like regular Castes, regular Tribes, and spiritual minorities. Dalit literature
and Dalit policy became rampant in Maharashtra and Southern India. Dalit literature - particularly
- dalit autobiographies disagree from different sorts of literature in expression and purpose. They
portray Dalits’ devaluations associate degreed function an “intellectual propaganda” for making
socio-economic and political awareness. Autobiographies or self-referential texts have forever
been powerful instruments for registering the presence of Dalits.
Dalit writers area unit involved with the pathetic condition of the Dalits. They assist fellow
Dalits to be alert and struggle for his or her rights, that area unit denied to them by the questionable
higher castes. As recollections, Dalit autobiographies are a unit sources of Dalits’ social reality in
modern India. These writers pictured conditions of the poor and expressed dramatic accounts of
nancial condition and survival generally. Yet, they get some advantages by Reservation Policy;
but, they’re forced to remain out of the welfare schemes. These social and legal injustices also are
the themes of this literature.
Dalit writers put in force the importance of living conditions and record case by case what they
see “as it existed,” in an exceedingly cold-eyed manner. The writers give you an idea about life
with realism, omitting nothing that’s “ugly or painful and idealising nothing.” To the realists, the
writer’s most signi cant perform is to explain as in truth as potential what’s fully- edged through
the senses. The higher caste those that are unmercifully devastating the lives of Dalits and Tribes in
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India area unit critiqued. The need of authors to document each event and therefore the means that,
by that they could do thus is associate degree enduringly contentious subject. At present, Dalits
thought-about their literature as a weapon to leverage transformation within the social and political
standing.
Writings area unit expressions of the truth of human life and nice items of literature portray that
veracity with contagious logical language facilitating narrative with readers’ artistic and literary
brains. As Hindu deity (2003), in her Introduction to The Legend of Nandan, stated, “Although
nowadays they’re ghting for the restoration of their dignity as persons, these folks happiness to
such unprivileged strata have traditionally believed that it’s thanks to the destiny in their previous
births that they need been born so. For hundreds of years, they need been denied entry into the
temple to possess darshan of the spiritual being.”
Every development of people’s behaviour happens within the author’s social life. Dalit authors
responsively convey the social attribute or people’s behavior that they expertise within the literary
composition. In different words, a literary composition re ectively brings and provides issue and
cultural phenomena or social behavior that happens within the author’s reality. Like African yank
slave narratives, Dalit narratives area unit the stories of Dalit victims World Health Organization
endured similar exploitation in their own soil. This literature genuinely portrays varied varieties of
social and legal injustices. They use associate degree array of incidents associated with injustices
to teach fellow Dalits, however to not celebrate. there’s no ctional theme in Dalit literature, and
that they don’t glorify something regarding authors’ worship.
Joothan: associate degree Untouchable’ s Life could be the illustrious life story of Omprakash
Valmiki. In 1993, it absolutely was originally printed as associate degree essay “Ek Dalit ki
Atmakatha” in an exceedingly book outcast se Dalit. Mukherjee (2003), academic of English, royal
family University, Toronto, translated Joothan into English throughout 1997-2002. Jootha means
that “polluted” food that related to animals. It pictures the struggle in Barlas among Chuhra (Dalits)
and upper caste Tagas. Mukherjee says, “It was speaking of my corner of India, in my mother
tongue, Hindi, in an exceedingly manner that no different text had ever spoken to American state.”
Joothan encapsulates the pain of scal condition, humiliation, and therefore the atrocities on Dalits.
Bama’s Karukku printed in 2000 is that the most well-liked Dalit lady life story in Tamil. it’s
a life-story of a Dalit lady, rather the author herself considers Karukku, the story of Dalit mass.
Lakshmi Holmstrom, Founder-Trustee, South Asian Diaspora Literature and humanities Archive,
translated Karukku into English associate degreed gave an highly structured introduction to Dalit
culture and symbols. Bama was a reborn Catholic and located her origin that her discrimination
relies on her birth as a Dalit. On the opposite hand, as a Dalit lady, she struggled in churches,
schools, and society. to gure jointly for survival is that the demand for Dalit’s existence, thus
Dalit ladies additionally work as laborers or sweepers along with their family. Whereas doing
their assigned jobs, they need to measure in disgraceful condition. They often become victims of
injustice. “A Dalit lady suffers a double curse, curse of being a lady; curse of being a Dalit in her
own house, a lady is like associate degree ox tied to the yoke.
In this patriarchal high caste society lifetime of the girl could be a sin(Naresh, 2009). Dalit
writers have written poems on this side. Suffering wordlessly was the past matter for Dalit lady. to
lift voice against injustice becomes reality.
Centuries before, disgust towards Dalits is slowly disappearing from Indian society. Dalit
writers have powerfully opposed untouchability and that they tried to convert the orthodox higher
castes that once we live along, then why not put up human sentiment, or brotherhood? Kardam’s
story (2010) - The Housing Society shows this fact. It is a story of a lower caste person Vijay
Mahato. He is the deputy secretary within the Railway Ministry, in Delhi. He has reached at his
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148
fty however still he doesn’t have his own house to measure because of family responsibilities like
water and electricity bills, house rent, children’s college fees, and different expenses. Addition to
those expenses he needs to send some quantity to his folks in village. Once he  nds the advertising
within the newspaper concerning the housing society, he tries to urge the membership of the society
to book the  at. But, he could not get the membership thanks to his lower caste. Vijay decides, “I
can do a action at law against them. i will be able to challenge them within the court. Now I will
be able to not stay silent. i am going to see however on the bottom of caste they refuse to allow
American state membership.”
A sense of happiness is found in higher caste people’s writings, whereas, every Dalit life story
is recorded a life that fully edged caste atrocities and discriminations that additionally continue
on the far side the death of the biographer. Dalit’s fully edged narratives area unit terribly distinct
and vary from the non-Dalit narratives in an exceedingly variety of the way. The autobiographies
of higher caste folks nish with all satisfactions in their life whereas Dalit autobiographies nish
with unsure-way forward for authors.
Most of the critics, writers, reviewers, researchers thought-about that Dalit writings area unit
the testimonies of caste oppressions and exploitations recently. The area unit thought-about as
associate degree epic of the Dalits’ sufferings which are narrated with varied existing references.
All the authors pictured their conditions bereft of food, shelter, settlement, and culture in Indian
society. Jaffrelot (2005) suggests that “Not solely have their (Dalit’s) books attracted a mass
audience. However they are deeply impacting the political landscape.”
Earlier discriminations on the idea of caste and gender were prevailing. Dalits weren’t allowed
to enter temples, tea shops, schools, and in higher caste settlements. In spite of those deprivation
and exploitation, Dalits plan to claim their rights of education and employment. However, they’re
usually encountering sturdy resistance from the higher caste folks, leading tothe inhuman assault,
torture, rapes, massacres and different varieties of atrocities. tho’ the socio-economic lifetime of
the Dalits is rising, the cases of humiliation and discrimination on Dalits are accounted within the
literature. The caste animus throughout the narrations is grievous. They created deep impact on the
lives of the authors. it’s the particular behavior toward members of another cluster and involves
excluding or limiting members of 1 cluster from opportunities that area unit offeredto different
teams. Indeed, of these authors advocated education and self-direction. As Bheemaiah (2011),
within the article “Dialectics of Caste Culture: A Social Crisis in Indian Nation,” says, “Caste isn’t
physical monster. it’s additional of a psychological development.
The history of human civilization and culture tells us, in major elements of the globe, the
supercharged category had remained at the middle and remaining major humanity remained at the
bound. On the bottom of physical and mental diligence of the peripheral category, the supercharged
category had enjoyed the fruits and forever tried to stay at the middle for long. All resources or
sources at the middle were with the supercharged category. So, the folks of this category, while
not considering egalitarian ideology either on the bottom of faith or rational most well-liked their
prosperity initial, not of different humanity. So, the peripheral humanity was remained unobserved,
in wretched condition. They were remained nothing however the tools within the hands of the
supercharged category.
Conclusion
The contributions of Dalit writers are rising each day to complement Dalit literature, similarly
as Indian literature in recent years. The signi cances of Dalit identity within the caste hegemonic
society area unit brought enter the Dalit literature. Besides, Dalits complete their identity by reading
the works of Rabindranath Tagore, Jyotibqa Fule, M.K. Gandhi, Dr. Ambedkar, Premchand, Mulk
149
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dominion Anand, Vijay Tendulkar in faith and education. Dalit men and ladies actively participated
in Ambedkar’s ideology and regarded as “God of Dalits.”
The real social life is that the main supply of the author’s inspiration in making a literary
composition. By doing thus, the society are going to be additional involved with each advantage
of the social phenomena. Each author will purposively speci c his or her response by grouping the
message through his or her literary composition. What stands enter the top is that Dalit literature is
classy creation, that brings regarding lamentable pains and sufferings and therefore the evolution
of non - public consciousness on the far side human understanding.
With the in uence of assorted Western literature, writers, and politicians, these Dalit authors
recorded their fully edged life stories so as to form awareness among fellow-Dalits. They’re
triggering opportunities for more analysis on the Dalit literature for younger generation. They
con ned their soul-numbing survival stories parallel to yank slave narratives. They documented
sufferings “as it is” –the truth. The desolate “selves” think about their autobiographies as “agents”
to bring out positive transition on the far side borders within the modern Indian Dalits lives.
References
1. Bheemaiah, J. (2011). Dialectics of caste culture: A social crisis in Indian Nation, Proceedings
of 2011. International Conference on scienti c discipline and Humanity, 2, 454-458.
2. Christophe, J. (2005). Dr. Ambedkar and Untouchability: Analysing and Fighting Caste. New
Delhi: Permanent Black. p4.
3. Indra, C.T. (2003). Introduction. In: Parthasarathy, I., (Ed.). The Legend of Nandan. New
Delhi: OUP. pxvi.
4. Janhavi, A. (2008). Liberation narrative, rev. of the prisons we have a tendency to bust by baby
Kamble. The Hindu, two March 2008. Offered from: http://www. hindu.com/lr/2008/03/02/
stories/2008030250200500. html. Accessed twenty four. 10.2014.
5. Mukherjee, A.P. (2003). Introduction. In: Valmiki, O.,(Eds.). Joothan: associate degree
Untouchables Life. New York: Columbia UP. px.
6. Naresh, K. (2009). Double curse. Journal of Literature and Aesthetics: Special variety on
Indian Dalit Literature, 1, 207.
7. Omvedt, G. (1987). Dalit literature in Maharashtra: Literature of social protest and revolt in
western India. South Asian Bulletin, 7, 78.
8. Prakash, K.J. (2010). The housing society, Dalit Asmita. IIDS Quarterly. p53-58.
9. Sera n, S.R., & Alfred, B., (Ed.). (2003). African yank literature. Thetime reference book of
yankee Literature. New York: The time International business cluster opposition. p15.
10. Sharankumar, L. (2004). Dalit literature: type and purpose In: Mukherjee, A.K., (Ed.). Towards
associate degree Aesthetic of DalitLiterature: History, Controversies and issues. Delhi: Orient
Longman. p. 31-32.
11. Vrushali, N. (2011). Discourse analysis of African-American and Dalit women’s designated
works/biographies: A comparative study. Indian Stream analysis Journal, 1(6). Offered from:
http://www.isrj.net/July/2011/English Discourse Analysis. html. Accessed 8.10.2014.
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150
Quest for Woman’s Space
Inashapurana Debi’s-
“Subarnalata”
G. Elezabeth & D.S.Maragatham
Kailash Women’s College
Abstract
Searching for womanhood in the society is an undying process in this world. Men
dominate women due to their nancial power but beyond this patriarchal system
women are also dominated by their own sex but it go unnoticed by the Society.
Whereas Ashpurana Debi in her trilogy tried expose the unexposed facets. This
paper is an attempt to picturize women as a predator of women through the eyes of
Debi. Thrust for women space in her family is the central idea that revolves around
the novel and it is highlighted or projected through the protagonist Subarnalatha
and her cruel mother -in- law Muktakeshi. She represents the life of women in late
19th century and early 20th century and ghts hard in her tight corner situation to
get her place in her family. Women speak of feminism together but female themselves
are not ready to support for the growth of female in their family rather try to oppress
them.
Keywords: Quest, identity,  lial relationship
Gender studies is a eld of interdisciplinary study dependable to
the study of feminism, male domination and even sexuality comes
together with this “women beware of women.” In the society
women are not only facing problems by men but also by women’s
search of their space is a form of their struggle. The male oriented
society denying space to women is same in the side of women also.
Gender studies examine how one’s sex re ects one’s identity in this
pretentious paradise where we supposed to live as a puppet in the
hands of men.
“Women must need space and money to express herself in this
society through her pen”-Virginia Woolf. Feminism is politically,
culturally or economically aimed to establish equal rights and
legal protection for women. Elaine Showalter and Elizabeth Barret
Browning were some of the feminists who voiced for the rights of
women, one such writer is Ashapurana Debi. She lights out the quest
for feminism in her trilogy in particular her second of three novels
Subarnalatha.
This is the story of the protagonist Subarnalatha, who tries to come
out from her predetermined societal setup. Most of her works are
based on gender biased and the protagonists mainly spent their time
in their kitchen like boiling cooker. They could not come out of their
con ned walls even though there is need. Thus this paper pictures
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Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Elezabeth, G., and
D. .. Maragatham.
“Quest for Woman’s
Space Inashapurana
Debi’s-‘Subarnalata.’”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 150–51.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457051
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http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
women dictatorship in own sex. Subarnalatha belonged to a middle class family and brought up
as a single child. She longed to get education like her mother but both remained uneducated. It
happened because of their society where women were not allowed to enlighten through education.
Subarnalatha was forcibly married at the age of 9 to the men who is twice older than her. Her
marriage was carried out without her mother’s wish. Being a middle class Brahmin housewife
she had gone through numerous dif cult times, like she was not given her own space for reading
books, not to be free with her husband, etcetera. She could not voice out her voice. Subarnalatha
was created as blood and  esh of women fought for her rights. When she entered into an orthodox
Brahmin family she came to know that her mother- in -law (Muktakeshi) constrained all of the
family members including men, she did not have a happy married life with her suspicious husband,
who saw her as a machine which satis es his physical pleasure but not a body with emotions.
In her family, they did not have rights to talk, women were voiceless. So they could open up
neither their mind nor their heart to their husband. For instance they are not allowed to talk to any
male in their family and also to the male visitor to their house. Muktakeshi served food for her
sons and forced her daughter-in-laws to stay away from their husbands in public even inside their
house. So they could not speak with each other and happened to lead an unequal family life. They
are allowed to spend their time only during their night sleep in their private room hence they nd
little time to be happy. Subernalatha’s husband wished to spend time with her during day time
without the knowledge of others. So he called her to the attic in their house but she could not go
because of her burdened household work by Muktakeshi. They were treated like slaves; they have
to act accordingly to the words of Muktakeshi and their husbands. They were deprived from social
respect, peaceful life, and even from rest.
Muktakeshi was not ready to treat her daughter-in-law as her own daughter; this is what prevails
in this modern society also. In the present scenario too such families are prevailing. Such a situation
is projected through the scene when once her daughter came to her house to compensate this
expense. Muktakeshi ordered her sons to drop their wives in their father’s house respectively but
Subernalata fought against that and tried to remain with her husband. Since she hate her father
she was forcibly dropped in one of her relatives house where she gained the help of a man to read
books. It added some ame to re where Subernalata was suspected by her husband. And when her
family planned to build a new house she pasture her husband to build their room with a balcony
so that she could have a connection to the nature but when this was known to her mother-in-law
she erotically scolded her. And at the end, all her tortures turned into saddest memories which was
chewed by her in a new balcony house which was build by her husband to her to safe guard from
the supremacy of Muktakeshi.
Thus this paper is enclosed with the writing of Roseanne Barr “THE THING WOMEN HAVE
YET TO LEARN IS NOBODY GIVES YOU POWER. JUST TAKE IT.” Subarnalatha no more
survived in that women oppressing society and came out of it and started growing her child Bakul
as an enlightened women.
Work Cited
1. Debi, Ashapurna. Subarnalata. Kolkata: Mitra and Ghosh, 1967. Print.
2. Woolf, Virginia. ‘A Room of One’s Own’. The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism.
Ed. Vincent B. Leitch. Norton Company, 2000.
3. www.scribd.com.nd. Web.
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152
Linguistics Impact on Classic and
Modern Tamil Films
S.Dinesh kumar
II.M.A-English
Periyar University Constituent College of Arts and Science
Idappadi, Salem
Human beings share the same common problems, a  lm can only
be understood if it depicts these properly.
- Akira Kurosawa
Films or movies all have been watching them since the advent of
cinema and television in our lives. Earlier there was just a national
channel which would show movies on weekends, saving the efforts
of human going to the hall. Then the cable television was emerged,
but nowadays the internet made the scope of watching  lms at one’s
own convenience.
India is the prodigious producer of lms in the world but no one
actually pay much attention to evaluate the effect of movies on youth
and the impact of  lm in society. The present paper focusses what is
the role of the movies in our lives and we need to weigh the pros and
cons of the movies with its language.
Films are considered as the social activators and language is the
expression of community. Many of the customs and traditions of
different parts of world are shown in  lms. Language starts with ear,
when a baby starts to talk, he or she does it by hearing the sounds
and imitating the words. The gift of imitation gives gift of speech.
But it depends mainly on the brought up surroundings of a particular
language. On the same way everyone imitate what they ever saw
in lms in their mundane life. Therefore in our common life lms
are considered as the major tool to convey everything,whether it
is psychological or sociological problems. But the messages were
conveyed straightforward to common people with the help of
language. In classical cinemas some legends used the languageto
convey their political views. M.Karunanidhi, Sivaji Ganesan, M.G.
Ramachandiran, CHO.S.Ramasamyseems to be the legends of
classical Tamil who were the pioneers in using language as a tool to
elevate their policies.
Tamil Nadu’s  rst Chief Minister, C.N. Annadurai along with M.
Karunanidhi, were the rst scriptwriters,who pushed forth the agenda
of Dravidian Ideologies. Their biggest hit was the lm Parasakthi
released in the year 1952, which carried reformist views on the social
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Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Dinesh kumar, S.
“Linguistics Impact on
Classic and Modern
Tamil Films.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 152–54.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457053
153
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International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
hierarchy set by the caste system and glori ed movement. The lm was also the debut of two other
DMK founders, Sivaji Ganesan and S.S. Rajendiran, both of whom went on to become legends
of Tamil cinema. The meaningful and hard hitting dialogues written by M. Karunanidhi and that
awe inspiring dialogues were delivered by Sivaji Ganesan in the court scene. More importantly it
scoffed at judicial system that was blind to the pain and suffering of the common man. It discussed
the theme ofreligion, judiciary and society.
M.G. Ramachandiran popularly called as M.G.R. began his lm career in 1936 on the lm of
Sati Leelavati. Later M.G.R. was strongly associated with the Dravidian Progress Federation. The
party grew out of movement against the brutal social order of the era in which lower caste Tamils
were denied public resources and often forbidden even to wear shoes or ride bicycles. The D.M.K.
packaged its propaganda in the form of popular actions entertainments, using catchy songs to instil
Tamil pride, comedy to mock its enemies and extravagant oratory to attract the audience. In 1972
M.G.R. founded the A.I.A.D.M.K. and took most of the movie magic with him. The rabble-rousing
songs he had lip-synced in his lms, “How long will they fool us / in this land of ours?”-became
his party anthem. His fans clubs doubled as party chapters, in a readymade organization that in
1977 was instrumental in winning him the Chief Minister’s seat. The main reason of his victory
persuaded by using the lm with re ned language to easily attracted the common people. In his
movies M.G.Ramachandiran performed unique, exciting, creative catchy lines with enthusiastic
tone. It made even uneducated people to get easily attracted with his ideologies. The pronunciation
of language was re ned and there were no need of unwanted dialogues or awkward speeches.
CHO. S. Ramasamy made his debut in 1963 with the movie PaarMagalePaaras comedian, but his
dialogue deliverance and political criticism made the people to know their common life situation.
His political criticism made several impact in common people. Once a group of people threw rotten
egg at him for his political criticism, but he never showed angry and surprised everyone with his
intellectual words of “Ayya, why throw raw eggs at me, when you can make me an omelette?” The
entire crowd burst into laughter. His speech and criticism about hierarchical system of politics gave
the enigma for common people. He never used clumsy words or hard words to expose his thoughts.
He used language disciplined and well determinedly.
Movies are the re ections of society both present and past. Movie show aftermath of a war,
social evils, political strategies and human rights. They create awareness, build civic sense, and
ensurepublic morality. In classic movies, the pronunciation of the language was clear without
grammatical error. Because lms are the platter of various disciplines and it shows history, culture,
science, politics more. So, the language must be a civilized one.But nowadays in modern lms
they used clumsy and arrogant words for their advertisements. It was easily acquired by all people
and used in their day today life. Most of the classic movies depends upon the protagonist and
his good characters, which induced the people to carry the good habits and motivates them to
achieve something. Every human has the capability to acquire what they see or hear. Because
visual medium is considered as the means of better education. In classical period, people loved and
crushed with cinematic character and their speaking styles. After M.G.R’s political victory many of
the people tattoos his name in their hands with an admiration admires for his ideologies. It contrast
to the modern, that here gave the major importance for antagonist and his arrogant characters. In
the modern tendency, people try tofollow the antagonist character with an admiration of ctional
characters which made them to lose their humanity. But the actors used the language only for the
advertisement of lms. It was mistakenly understood by the students and youngsters, they felt the
use of clumsy language made themselves to be higher one.
Additionally, lyrics of the songs also differed from classic and modern. In the classic evergreen
songs had plenty of themes in itself. It was not only for entertainment but also made people to
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learn the self-motivation, social awareness and the patriotic feelings. The language of the song
and the using of the words were literally perfect. Even the songs were genuinely pronounced with
emphasis on language’s grammatical sense. They give importance to concept of the song with little
bit of music. Presently, most of the songs are famous only by its music, rather there are no more
concepts with its clear language.
Media is the powerful tool to convey the messages. Every work of art try to made impact on the
audience. Some of the works will be understand by the audience only they had skills of reading and
educated. But movies doesn’t depend whether they were educated or uneducated. The main purpose
of the lms, that made the uncivilized people and uneducated peoples also easily understand the
concept of  lms. The important elements in using the language in movies is to make uncivilized a
civilized one. In the classic movies, the usage of language made the cinema actor to push himself
as the Chief Minister. M.G.Ramachandiran perfectly used the language to attract the people with
his ideologies, whether they were educated or uneducated made them to change even uncivilized
to civilized with the help of classical movies.
As the vice versa on the modern movies that it made the impacts in wrong way. Nowadays school
students also used unwanted and abusive words with the effect of modern movies. This paper gives
importance to the choice of words in the movies and the popularized gure who have the most of
followers should be conscious in using the words. William Shakespeare gives the thoughts about
words, “My words y up, my thoughts remain below. Words without thoughts never to heaven go”.
References
1. Connor. J. D. O. Better English Pronunciation, Cambridge UP, 1967.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cho_Ramaswamy.
3. https://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2019/04/successive-tamil- lmy-politics/.
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A Study on Culture in Chinua
Achebe’s Things Fall Apart
S.Ranjith Kumar
II.MA-English
Periyar University Constituent College of Arts and Science
Idappadi, Salem
Abstract
Chinua Achebe is a father of modern African Literature, who was awarded the
Nigerian National order of merit Award in 1979. It’s the highest academic award
in Nigeria. He is a fertile writer and versatile genius of African literature. His work
are based on Igbo society, culture, traditions, beliefs etc., Things Fall Apart is the
rst work by Chinua Achebe which deals and portrays about the most crucial Igbo
culture based on ancient African culture that encompasses polytheistic religion,
forming tradition and attire and foods. The Igbo society is rich in culture, festivals,
ceremonious of southern Nigeria. This study focuses on Achebe’s use of Igbo culture
tradition as a way of life in Africa.
Keywords: Igbo culture, African Tradition, Myths, music, attire, and cuisine.
A Study on Culture in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Special
“A true classic of world literature. A masterpiece that has inspired
generations of writers in Nigeria, across Africa, and around the
world.” —Barack Obama
The Igbo cultures are the customs, practices and traditions of the
Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria. It contains archaic practices as
well as new concepts added into the Igbo people’s visual art, music,
dance, attire, and cuisine. The Igbo culture is different from other
cultures. Because every culture is having its own unique tradition
and civilization. The Nigerian culture followed some different types
of customs and traditions by belief. Chinua Achebe has explores
about the Igbo culture throughout the novel Things Fall Apart. These
kinds of culture based novels better examine the pattern for myths
followed in their society.
In this regard, the Igbo culture in Things Fall Apart is a symbol
of collective existence. Therefore the Nigerian has several and
individual groups for their own identity. Throughout the novel,
Achebe reveals some traditional cultures and postcolonialism.
This seminal text of Achebe is based on the traditional beliefs and
customs of an Igbo village. Achebe has taken many challenges to
illustrate the practices of Igbo people. According to the Igbo people,
their ideas and practices became essential elements in their everyday
lives. African culture ethnically varies from Western culture. Even
more, every tribe has its own culture within Africa. Things Fall
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Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Ranjith Kumar, S. “A
Study on Culture in
Chinua Achebe’s Things
Fall Apart.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 155–57.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457055
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156
Apart is set in the 1890s, and eventually, it portrays the cultural clash between the white colonial
government and the Indigenous Igbo people.
In Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, he uses some Igbo cultures which are explored throughout the
particular characters, namely Okonkwo and Ogbue Edu. Okonkwo is the protagonist of the novel
and in uential leader in Umou a. Achebe says that through the book “No matter how prosperous
a man as if he was unable to rule his women and children, he was not a man.” Okonkwo’s tragedy
is the most excellent example of a disaster that takes place with the merger of the east and the
west. He cannot bear the yoke of colonization, and he hangs himself. The irony of the fate he is
not provided a proper funeral because he just committed suicide. Therefore in Igbo culture, when
someone gets committing suicide, it’s considered to be the sin in Igbo culture. According to the
Igbo society and culture, his suicide scenario is regarded as the sin, and no one should not touch his
dead body even through should not stand beside his body.
Things Fall Apart is rich in religious themes, which takes the role of polytheistic in regular
life contracts with different furies and gods, which is connected with their Polytheistic. Chukwu
is the supreme god in the Igbo religion. Other gods and humans seem to fear Chukwu. Religion
plays a predominant role in the Ibo village. One of Achebe’s challenges was to illustrate the Ibo’s
religious system. Even though the Ibo people had little connection with the outside world, they had
developed their own beliefs and practices that became essential elements in their everyday lives.
The Ibo religion performed a role in the way they raised their families, communicated, entertained,
and governed their society. Naturally, this belief is passed from generation to generation. For
instance, the white settlers tried to change their religion to Christianity; the majority of the Ibo
people were not willing to change their faith. Religion is one such belief that made the people
of Ibo village sticking to their traditional values and strengthening their ancient bond. Different
aspects of Igbo religion come up throughout the novel, and several times, doctrine and religious
observances play a signi cant role in the plot.
You say that there is individual supreme God who made heaven and earth,” said Akunna on one
of Mr. Brown’s visits. “We also think in Him and call Him Chukwu. He made all the society and
the other gods”. “There are no other idols,” said Mr. Brown. “Chukwu is the only God, and group
the others are false.” (Things Fall Apart 127)
Chinua Achebe has made out possible with his detailed descriptions of the legal practices, the
marriage customs, and community laws of the Igbo people. One example of this is the Week of
Peace. The purpose of the ‘Week of Peace’ is to honor the earth goddess Ani, before the planting of
the new crops. During this particular festival occasion, no work is done by the people of the village.
They visit their neighbors and have palm-wine.
We live in peace with our associates to honor our great goddess of the earth without whose
blessing our crops would not grow. You have committed a great evil….Your wife was at fault, but
even if you came into your obi and found her lover on top of her, you would still have committed a
great evil to beat her…The harm you have done can ruin the whole clan. The earth goddess whom
you have insulted may refuse to give us her increase, and we shall all perish…You will bring to the
shrine of Ani tomorrow one she-goat, one hen, a length of cloth and a hundred cowries. (Things
Fall Apart 22)
This observance is an essential aspect of Igbo society. This particular portrayal gives the
reader help to understand the situation better what is happening around the Igbo community.
Understanding Igbo culture throws light on the importance of diverse sphere among Nigeria. These
are the explanations for what the heavenly and earthly bodies have and give advice on how to
behave toward the god, spirits, and one’s ancestors.
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As a concluding part, Things Fall Apart displays the rich culture and beliefs prevalent in Nigeria.
Moreover, it stands for the uniqueness of it. The people stood for strength, courage, respect, and
wealth. The clash of cultures, tradition and conventions show the familial bonding and closeness
of the ethnic group Igbo. Achebe has given space to the Nigerian society through his portrayal of
his community and made Things Fall Apart not only dedicated to his people rather a universalized
one.
References
1. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart, Penguin Books, 1994.
2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/internet/entries/f7126d19-2afa-3231-9c4e-0f7198c468ab BBC-
Yam and the Igbos By Kene Agwu.
3. http://umunna.org/instruments.htm
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One Day National Level Seminar
On Contemporary Discourses in
English Studies
R.Sinthu
I M.A English
PG and Research Department of English
Vivekanandha College of Arts and Sciences for Women [Autonomous]
Introduction
Amish Tripathi an indian English author well known for the series
of 7 books under the title of Shiva Trilogy (3 books), Ram Chandra
Series (currently 3 books), and Immortal India (non- ction). The
popularity he gained can be realised by the awards and nominations
given to him. He has been awarded “Society Young Achievers Award
for Literature in 2013” in the year when his last book to the trilogy
has been released. The writers such as Cheton Bhagat, Priti Shenoy,
Amish Tripathi and so…. Mainly focus in day to day lives problems
in a creative manner. There are few more authors such as Ashok
Banker and Amish Tripathi follows a mythological ction pattern.
They club mythology and day to day life pattern to provide morals
and values to people mind set in current age. “50 Most in uential
Young Indians” nomination contained his name in the year of 2015
and “Intellectual Property – Inspiration Icon of the year of the year
2018” was given to him. In his young age Tripathi was an Atheist,
but he returned back to being Trust in action and Have Faith in God.
Throughout the book the main perception is that “The Action of a
Man, Turns Him into God”.
Traditional Vs Morden: Cultural studies
Life style
The protagonist Shiva is a barbarian from a tribe called Guna
tribe, North India in Tibet. The stages he goes through is the value
education throughout the book. The drastic change of a barbarian life
to a life of a Saviour of different races believing in one person “The
Neelkanth” is portrayed. This change from man to a Saviour of races
with morals and self believes made the man to be reverted as a God,
The Legend who we now call “Lord Shiva”.
There were three different kind of races focused on this book.
The rst is Suryavanshi, the followers of Lord Ram, one of the
greatest King to ever live and rule with perfection. Suryavsnshi.
Suryavanshi’s believe in Neelkanth, the Saviour. The Suryavanshi
people were faced with crises over a river which takes water to the
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Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Sinthu, R. “One Day
National Level Seminar
On Contemporary
Discourses in English
Studies.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 158–61.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457057
159
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http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
whole kingdom. They strongly believe that the reason for extinction of River Saraswathi is because
of the Evil Chandravanshi’s who have waged war from the beginning. The present Meluhan King-
King Daksha has invited Shiva’s tribe to Meluha, he is in a quest on nding the Neelkanth, their
Saviour. The Guna tribe people were impressed with the extravagant way of life in Meluha. The
tribe people were treated warmly and are given some medicines for puri cation of ‘their disease,
since Meluha is a disease free kingdom’. But in the night the tribal people had severe fever and
sweating except Shiva, whose throat had turned blue in color. Every person rejoiced in Meluha
because their Saviour Neelkanth  nally came when the need for the eradication of evil is required.
Analysation
Present era Comparison
The rst book speaks of a confused man’s life as a local person (Barbarian – person with low
morals). Considering Shiva as a man with no job or no ambition in life kind of person, we can easily
understand the book in completely a modern era re ector. Consider Shiva as a local gangster, who
is taken to another place where he learns the value of life and morals. This kind of transformation
from one personality to another is a daily occurrence in many people’s life in different areas. We
all have witnessed these change in our life. Some may have witnessed in career, some in personal
life, some in relationship there are many…. One person’s belief on someone may have made that
someone a singer, one person’s experience might have created a writer, and a dad’s wish might
have created a doctor or an entrepreneur. The same was the situation to Shiva, the Meluhan’s trust
on Shiva as their Saviour, The Neelkanth, brought changes which made him achieve greater level
of admiration. This admiration provided him the status of “Lord Shiva”.
Cast and Community
After a long travel from Meluha to the capital city of Meluha, Devagiri, Shiva meets the Daksha-
the Meluhan King. While staying there Shiva encounters various cultural etiquettes. For instance,
every Meluhan wears simple white cloths called as Angavastra and Dothi. Both Men and Women
wear a small white cloth tied and wrapped in a Meluhan style, which the call Dothi. And Women
also wear a simple white cloth tied around their chest as blouse, while another white cloth is draped
on their shoulders called as Angavastra. And also they wore two amulets around their right arm,
and a pendant on a gold chain around their neck. When Shiva enquires his comrade Nandi about
the amulets and pendant, Nandi explains it as
“ ‘Can you tell me the signi cance of your jewellery or is that also a state secret?’ teased Shiva.
‘Of course I can, my Lord.’ Replied Nandi earnestly. He pointed at the rst amulet that had been
tied around his massive arm with a Silky gold thread, ‘This is the amulet which represents my
caste. The lines drawn on it symbolize the shoulder of the Paramatma, the almighty. This means
that I am Kshtriya.’ ” (PDF. 32 TIOM)
Nandhi also describes that the second amulet represents his/her chosen tribe. Each tribe has to
take the job of his/her parents after turning twenty- ve. Bhramins choose from birds representing
their vulnerability whereas Kshatriyas choose from animals representing valour and dignity.
Vaishyas choose from owers depicting their job of producers or farmers or businessmen. The last
civilised people were called as Sundras were to choose from shes. This allocation of tribe is what
describes the person’s value in that society. For instance; Nandhi is a Kshatriya, and his amulet has
a bull embedded in it. He is a warrior captain of a part of Meluhan army.
Analyzation
Present era Comparison
We people have cast and community system. This is exactly what those amulets and pendants
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
160
describe. In present days we collaborate our work with other cast people, but there are still some
society people who would not at certain works or places allow other cast people, or community
people to mingle with them. Still in village areas, there were some group of people who would not
allow certain community people to do some works, such as fetching drinking water or touching
their washed dresses and so on. But while Nandi explains about cast system depending on the
chosen tribe he explains that the person has to his/her own tribe and the symbol according to
their capacity. The basic thing explained is that the person has to choose a work or a job that ts
them. Choosing a job which is an overload for their capacity will bring that person embarrassment.
Because if we take a job and we know it is out of our capacity but we still wants to do it might bring
shame on us, if we did not complete it.
The theme is that person who has the capacity to do certain jobs should do that jobs. Because
they have the tendency to do it. Their passion, their knowledge, and their interest everything plays a
vital role in a man’s life and career. For instance; the antagonist in the lm The Dark Knight, Heath
Ledger, was cast as an antagonist before even the script was written. His passion as a Legendry
Joker, gave him complete recognition as The Joker to everyone. But least of us know that he was
given the role of The Batman in The Batman movie.
Vikrama and Naga
While staying there Shiva met Sati, the Meluhan Princess. He fell head over heels in love with
her, in the rst sight. Shiva courts Sati but she kept rejecting and refusing his proposal. Later on
Shiva nds that Sati was a Vikrama, an untouchable person in this life because they were punished
for the sins of their previous birth. When Shiva came to know about this Vikrama People, he
was furious. A person is declared Vikrama according to various believes of Meluhan people. A
women is considered a Vikrama if her husband dies an unexpected death or that her child has
any deformities or is of still birth. And a man is considered a Vikrama if he has any sudden fatal
disease or any physical deformities in an unusual way. Shiva enquires Nandi about the believes of
Meluhans over Vikrama and the revelation were more than a civilized belief. It utterly barbaric.
The Vikrama women has to do puri cation prayer every month for forgiveness from Lord Agni,
the Lord of Fire and Puri cation. And likewise the Vikrama men have another kind of mandatory
Pooja to do every month. These people were not allowed to marry anyone again, or touch anyone
other than their family members. When Shiva learned that Sati is a Vikrama he gets furious because
he believes that, a person is considered sinful because of his/her action and not because of their life/
fate or birth.
“ ‘They are not allowed to marry since they may poison others with their bad fate………. There
are many other conditions as well as that I am not completely aware of it…….’- says Nandi to
Shiva.” Pp- 93 TIOM
“ ‘Who decided that Vikrama people had committed sins in their previous birth?’ ‘Their own
karma, my Lord’, said Nandi” Pp- 93 TIOM
The Nagas were a cursed race of people who were born with deformities. These people face
the worse kind of rejection than Vikrama people. The Nagas were disowned by their family and
are send to a place called Dandak Forest where rest of the disowned Nagas reside. This Dandak
forest is a dense and deceitful forest, where with every step a non-resident of that forest (i.e. Non-
Nagas) has to be careful. If and if they do not want to die a miserable death. The prime characters
were Ganesh, the rst son of Sati and Kali, the twin sister of Sati. Both were disowned by the King
Daksha, because of their deformities. Even more Daksha had hidden the truth about Sati’s rst
child saying that her  rst child was of still birth.
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Analyzation
Present era Comparison
Vikrama
We still have, at some remote areas, even globally, the practices of untouchability. Those
people were not allowed to touch anyone and we even had the practice of ‘Sati’ in India. Slowly
the practice has been abolished and the reformation has been done. The practice of Sati, is what
mentioned as the Vikrama people. The ill fate people who have been given no recognition even
though the deformities or the birth right is not their fault. They were viewed as an abomination,
where literally treated with disgrace. Though the practice was not present in this 3-4 decades, the
aftermath of the reformation has not been completely forgotten. These kind of reformation has
happened in this novel too.
Nagas
From the second novel these outcast people’s society were clearly portrayed. The children born
in some families were left in foresters care. These kind of act is what the Nagas have suffered.
Parents knowingly, or sometimes ignorant of their possibility to take care of their children leave
them abandoned. These kind of act was in present days are common too.
Conclusion
Tripathi believes that “Myths are nothing but jumbled memories of a true past. A past buried
under mounds of earth and ignorance.” The notes on modern and mythological twist is the highest
point of combination. To teach morals people normally will state legends and mythological heroes.
But Tripathi have produced what modern society needs in culture values and moral teachings.
The Essence of philosophy in Amish’s novels is as quoted by Sneha Josie in Analysis of Shiva
Trilogy- The Immortals of Meluha “Vice and virtue are inevitable. Instead of making them wage
war against each other Amish has handled this concept effectively by illustrating the enigmatic
quality of good and evil.”
Amish has provided with the main concept as ‘good and evil has to maintain a healthy amount
of relationship with each other. The people on both sides has to understand the value of each other
and try to move with their given/ provided works/ missions. If one tries to surpass the other, it tips
the scales and the balance of nature is distorted.’
References
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Immortals_of_Meluha.
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amish_Tripathi.
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_of_the_Nagas.
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oath_of_the_Vayuputras.
5. https://www.theincisivejournal.com/analysis-of-shiva-triology-immortals-of-meluha/.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
162
The Craftsmanship As Re ected in
the Selecet Novels of Patrick White
Dr.V.N.Manjula
Research guide, Assistant Professor of English
Government Arts College, Udumalpet
S.Ramesh
Ph.D Research Scholar, NGM Arts & Science College
Pollachi,Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu
Abstract
Riders in the Chariot, Patrick White’s sixth novel, was published in the year, after
Voss and before The Solid Mandala. The novel is outstanding for its wide-ranging
content, and once again White became the Miles Franklin Award for it. On the other
hand, with the publication of this novel White instigated to be seen as one of the
great artists of Australia.
The boy was much closer to his mother. He could always see her
in his mind’s eye, “where she sat very still and clear. For Mordecai,
his mother remained a sculptured gure. She was a fashionable
woman continuously changing identities. But his memory presented
her as a single image.Though he was inclined towards her, it is not
that he didn’t love and honour his good father. But though Moshe
Himmelfarb was very kind and generous, he did not have much
in uence upon his son. They used to chat and laugh together, or
share views on the beauties of Goethe or other poets.
MalkeHimmelfarb was a kind lady. She would visit the rather
smelly, frightening houses of the poor, and take presents for them. She
examined their children, for ailments, and tested their knowledge of
God. She used to scrub the  oors, which were neglected by the sick,
a very unique quality that she possessed. She was also interested in
writing letters to her relatives in her free time.
Himmelfarb was not ignorant of his religion, rather he was a Sceptic
Religion, like a winter overcoat, grew oppressive and super uous as
spring developed into summer, and the natural sources of warmth
were gradually revealed. In spite of that, the love and respect that
he had was everlasting. To develop some con dence in Judaism
and the scriptures, his mother had arrangeda special tutor for him.
Cantor Katzmann, who taught him Hebrew alphabets, and he began
shortly to write phrases, and recite prayers. Cantor himself was a
humble man. He had several squint eyed children. He was a man of
short height and his pupil loved him in memory, more than he had
respected him in life.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Manjula, V. .., and
S. Ramesh. “The
Craftsmanship As
Re ected in the Selecet
Novels of Patrick
White.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 162–64.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457059
163
SHANLAX
International Journal of English
http://www.shanlaxjournals.in
Himmelfarb had joined the gymnasium at the age often. He knew many languages other than
English, like Greek, Latin, and French; however, he preferred the English language. He was a
brilliant student and had got many prizes in school. The Father at school used to call him not by his
Jewish name, but Martin. He believed that Martin would surely become a man of some importance.
On the other hand, his mother hoped that her child would be remembered as a man of faith. His
triumph made him proud, shy, exalted, indifferent, explosively hilarious and incommunicative of
his true feelings.
In the closed and ugly house, among relatives and friends, enlightened spiritually by the 1ove
and care of God, Mordecai accepted the pattern of his religion and race. But in addition to that there
was an outside world, which his mother feared, would tempt her child. But his father yearned for
it, and when the silent boy grew into a bony, rasping youth, he became absolutely aware of it too.
He made regular attempts to solve his own dilemmas.
A dreadful event took place in Himmefarb’s life when the Nazis raided his house; while he sought
refuge in a friend’s house atnight his wife was seized by the Gestapo and was never seen again He
was extremely disturbed and blamed himself for this tragedy, he thought he had betrayed Reha. He
was so broken that he even attempted suicide and nally surrendered to the Nazi authorities. He
was sent to the gas chamber where he narrowly escaped death, and found himself on a Kibbutz with
his distant relatives in the Middle East.
During a conversation Miss Hare and Himmelfarb had expressed the view that when the cruel
hands of evil destroy someone there will be some kind of earthly consolation, like grass grows
again after a re. Miss Hare, said, “But the earth is wonderful. It is all we have. It has brought
me back when, otherwise, 1 should have died.”(14) One can call it the concept of “Re-birth” or
metamorphosis, which is there in Hindu philosophy. Rebirth does takes place but it depends upon
the Karma. If someone has done a good deed then life after rebirth will be ne otherwise one has
to pay retribution for the evil deed after reincarnation.
Himmelfarb’s settlement in Australia was to serve the Motherland. There he met Mrs Godhold,
the good mother, and Mrs Flack, the demonic mother. They were both opposite sides of the same
coin. Mrs Godhold was the nourished and Mrs Flack was the destroyer. This pattern of dualistic
gures or splitting the character into two, was seen in the characters of Malke and Reha in this
novel, and Laura and Rose Portion, Voss and Mr. Bonner in Voss. This is simply because, the
author is compelled to keep the psychological forces in tension, even if he separates the ctional
characters. Himmelfarb was loved by Mrs Godbold and harassed by Mrs Flack. Like Malke and
aHimmelfarb, mother and wife of Mordecai Himmelfarb, Mrs Godbold was also a spiritual kind of
woman. Her notion of spirituality was very clearly expressed in her favourable hymn.
Mrs Godbold’s religion was not Christianity, neither was Himnelfarb’s JudaismHe is the pagan
worship of the earth spirit, and his is the animus compulsion of son ship. For Mrs Godbold he was
equivalent to the Messiah himself, a modern day chariot driver of the heavens, sent by God. Mrs
Flack, who is said to be the dark side of the Goddess, always remained hidden behindthe scenes.
Throughout the novel she remained a weak gure, she was the mistress of condemnation, but
Himmelfarb was unaware of the truth, while he enjoyed the attention of the good mother of Mrs
Godbold.There is a similarity between Mrs Godbold and Reha in the sense that both were ready to
bear the burden of all the sins of their husbands in return for them becoming religious.
Tom Godbold was reduced to helplessness before the greater forces of the Mother Goddess.
Ruth Godbold held him on her breast. She buoyed him up on that dark sea. He oated in it, a human
body, soothed by a mystery which was more than he could attempt to solve.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
164
References
1. H.P. Heseltine. “Australian Image: The Literary Heritage”, Mean.jin. XXI, 1, 1962.
2. Norman, Bartlett. “Winds of Change in the Australian Novel” Melbourne, 1958.
3. Ray Mathew. “Writing and Criticism”, Southerly. XX, 3.
4. Russel, Ward. The Australian Legend. Melbourne, 1958.
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Gender and Sexuality Oscar Wilde
G. Kaviarasan, M.A., B.Ed., D.T.Ed.
M. Phil. Research Scholar, E.R.K Arts & Science College
Erumiyampatti, Dharmapuri
Dr.B.Visalakshi, M.A., M.PHIL., PH.D.
Assistant Professor in English, E.R.K Arts & Science College
Erumiyampatti, Dharmapuri
Abstract
In the paper, the novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, written by Oscar Wilde and the
lm Dorian Gray (2009), directed by Oliver Parker, are analyzed. This paper aims
to present an answer to the question on how the story of this novel has changed
through the impact of the porni cation of the news on the  lm alteration of the movie
in terms of coition and entre. Through the analysis of characters, events, literary
and cinematographic techniques from a laid and coitus point of view it has become
evident that the novel adheres to prudish intercourse roles and ideas on dalliance
the porni cation of the news has made it possible to highlight the sexual subtext of
the book in the  lm. Conventions in of both sexes are broken in the movie, which has
led to entrust women and more feminine men. Additionally, the switching gazes and
the more validation characters in the lm have resulted in a more enjoyable story
for contemporary audience rivaled to the story in the novel.
Keywords: porno cation, gender roles, news, sexuality.
Introduction
Oscar Wilde  rst published The Picture of Dorian Gray as a short
story in 1890; his prim readers were shocked by the glutton lifestyle
of Dorian Gray and the homosexual subtext of the text. The novel
describes the story of the young and beautiful Dorian Gray. In 2009
Oliver Parker directed the lm starring Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray
and Colin Firth as Lord Henry Wotton. This modern lm accustom
of the novel is “rated R for sexual content, including nudity violence
and some drug use.” Between the prissy times and 2014 ideas on
insemination and equity have changed immensely. Lord Henry has a
wife; however, he uses all his time with Dorian mentoring him.
The incorporation of sex scenes rather of other views to amuse
the audience is a result of the porno cation of the news. The idea
of ‘porno cation,’ a term invented by Brian McNair in 1996, is also
known as ‘pornographication’ or ‘sexualisation’ of illustrates how
lth in ltrates and proliferates through our news. This paper draws
on theory from attunement studies, gender studies, and news studies.
For young people, their image and anticipation of love and sex. For
example, children have also become widespread. The most criticized
aspect of the porno cation is the feminist issue.
OPEN ACCESS
Volume : 7
Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Kaviarasan, G., and B.
Visalakshi. “Gender and
Sexuality Oscar Wilde.”
Shanlax International
Journal of English,
vol. 7, no. S1, 2019,
pp. 165–68.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457061
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
166
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Women the rst in uential feminist text
was written in 1792 the woman question was not extensively agitate until the 1850s, only after that
Gondor roles came into consideration. Campaigners for women’s rights in the stuffy period focused
mainly on practical issues such as the legal status of women education and the vote. It correlates the
novel and the lm in terms of fraud and coition. This will be discussed demure ideas about parity
and coupling and link them to the characters and events in the play. It is essential to know how the
characters are mined in the new and how they think about bear and dalliance themselves to be able
to see how this is re ected in the modern re t.
According to Martin Danahay, the victories period showed a most extreme form of produce
segregation with strict separate spheres for men and women. This hatch segregation was reinforced
through images, texts that implicitly, explicitly stated that work was manly and therefore not
appropriate for women. W.E.H. Lecky and John Stuart Mill both published in uential works on
the women question in 1869. Lecky was a historian and Mill a philosopher they both saw the origin
of the genteel spawn roles and the subjection of women as a result of man’s physical strength which
was needed in the barbarian world. Lecky also argued that women were the slaves of men as “her
life is one of continual, abject and unrequited toil” and “she is exposed to all the violent revulsions
of feelings that follow among rude men the grati cation of animal passion.” For example, an
anonymous reviewer of The Times stated that “the most interesting side of a woman’s character
is her relation to the other sex and the errors of women that are most interesting spring out of this
relation.”
First of all, when reading the play in a beget studies mindset, the absence of women is striking.
The innovative is focalized from a male perspective the focalizes being most often Henry, Dorian,
and Basil, and Sibyl Vane only once. Women are rarely mentioned or spoken about in the novel.
The only female character of importance to the story is Sibyl Vane, Dorian’s rst love. The rst
time a woman is mentioned in the book; Basil describes Lady Brandon as having a “curiously
shrill voice” to which Lord Henry replies that “she is a peacock in everything except beauty.” The
next instance where a woman is mentioned, Henry says that “women have no appreciation of good
looks.
My dear boy, no woman, is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything
to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men
represent the triumph of spirit over morals.
In the novel is mainly focused on the lives of Dorian and Henry and told from their perspectives.
The men are often at home or a bar drinking amongst themselves, and they only meet women at
parties. Henry does not work, and neither does his wife, so they must be at home most of the time.
Henry mentions that all his friends’ acquaintances and enemies are male. Dorian’s quick switch
between objecti cation and hate for Sibyl and Henry mentioning that every one of worth he knows
is male also illustrates how irrelevant women are according to the men in the novel.
The separation of the male and female spheres in the movie is striking, and the individual
characters show different attitudes towards the empress de nitions of the sire. This is strengthened
through the erogenous descriptions of his beauty: scarlet lips golden hair and eternal youth. Precise
believed in the Rousseau an idea that children were born pure and free of sin and would grow up
well unless they were spoiled by grown-ups. Dorian is the only heir of the vast fortune he does not
have to work; he only manages his staff. He spends his days with Henry and his other male friends,
and he reads and travels a lot.
Basil Halward is a painter and a close friend of Henry and Dorian. Basil is controlled with
Dorian’s beauty, and after painting Dorian as romantic gures from mythology, he paints the
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picture of him. Basil is not a feminine character. Because he has a job, he is the most masculine
character of the upper class, according to Danahay’s de nition of masculinity. Sibyl Vane is the
beautiful young actress Dorian falls in love with and the most in uential female character in the
novel. Sibyl becomes an object of desire and loses herself in her love for him. She is objecti ed
but also objecti es herself by putting herself entirely in Dorian’s power and killing herself when
he breaks up with her. She is not a strong woman at all. She could be seen as a stereotypical prig
woman as she is entirely dependent on the men in her life.
James Vane is Sibyl’s protecting older brother. They do not have a father anymore; thus, he has
taken over the masculine role of protecting the family. He is part of the lower class and does manual
labor as a sailor. It is clear from the novel that he has committed sins these sins are not explicitly
mentioned. Throughout the novel author has kept quiet about the protagonist’s sins, but it is clear
from the public humiliation he experiences that his sins are worse than just self-preoccupation.
Except for her great love for him and the hints of unspeakable crimes he has committed the novel
does not speak of whoopee. He is accused of “creeping at dawn out of dreadful houses and slinking
in disguise into the foulest dens in London,” supposedly strange things happen at his country
house. As an explanation of what sins he committed precisely, the author stated that “each man sees
his sin in him. What his sins are no-one knows. He who nds them has brought them” Because no
sin is speci cally mentioned readers try to  nd their sin in the novel.
According to Heilmann and Llewellyn “the 2009 lm version of the novel directed by Oliver
Parker, To see the changes between novel and lm this will be analyses breed and insemination
in the lm and confront these ndings to the analysis of the book. This paper is built up in much
the same way as the previous one: an overview of coitus and propagate in modern society will be
given  rst, then the lm will be analyzed. A lot has changed about mating and procreate between
puritan times and now. These changes are part of a greater shift of comfort in social relations as
contemporary relations between men and women and adults and children have become “more
relaxed, egalitarian and open.” Sex has become more of an adventure; one-night stands, lth, and
sex toys are accepted by Western society.
This paper looks-up the play has changed through the in uence of the porno cation of the news
on the  lm makeover in terms of for course and femme. Most probably the addition of sex scenes
a result of the porno cation of the report, the invention of the new character Emily Wotton, a
consequence of changed inequities roles will have the most in uence on the story. By looking at
the novel and the lm from this point of view, it is possible to gain new insights on the original
book but also about the timelessness of the story, about contemporary issues such as race and
sexuality.
Homosexuality and womenfolk studies are often grouped nowadays, he and she are probably
homosexual characters, but they are just as sexist as Lord Henry Wotton. The lower class people
the Vanes do t well in the traditional Vittoria nookie roles through their work and status. The
exact sins Dorian commits are not mentioned, and mainly congress is not spoken about explicitly.
However, his crimes do get punished in the end; this agrees with dainty rules of morality.
Conclusion
In conclusion of the story adheres to epicene chicks roles and ideas on coition. While the novel
only hints at the nature of his sins, the sex scenes in the movie have given his sins an interpretation.
Also, the homosexual subtext of the novel has been made speci c through the addition of sexually
explicit scenes. It was initially expected that the addition of Emily Wotton would be the most
signi cant change in the lm; this is not the case. She is primarily a love interest who happens to
be a feminist character.
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
168
In the paper focus on Oscar Wilde’s homosexuality and femininity and how this is represented in
the novel, very few sources focus exclusively on carnality and equitable in the book. Furthermore,
the only sources on the lm are reviews by  lm critics. For example, the highly praised acclimation
from 1945 has incorporated contemporary ideas on copulation and unisex how these parallel to the
novel this will also demonstrate the differences in conceptions of kindof and copulating between
1945 and now. Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray and conformation from 1970 is considered a soft-porn
lm and the comparison of this lm to Dorian Gray might show whether or not the porno cation
of the news has resulted in that modern mainstream lms are just as explicit as soft porn in the
seventies.
Bibliography
1. Attwood, Feona. “Sex and the News.” The Handbook of Gender, Sex, and News. New York:
John Wiley and Sons, 2012. 456-69. Print.
2. Danahay, Martin. Gender at Work in Victorian Culture. Farnham: Ashgate, 2005. Print.
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The Portrayal of Indian Society in
Untouchablity Mulk Raj Anand
M.Vijayakumar, M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil.
Research Scholar, Dharmapuri
Abstract
This study discusses the portrayal of the sufferings of the poor and oppressed in
Mulkraj Anand’s novel Untouchable. The sufferings of impoverished and complete
trampled have been a familiar sight in India the ages. Poverty is exalted in
theological terms, but in real life, the necessitous and the ended brace are looked
kaput upon and ill-treated. His novel created a writer’s revolution both in writing in
Indian languages and sufferings of penurious and extinct crush. Anand has located
the protagonist Bakha in an established reality in the hope of capturing the essence
of the janitor’s existence. One day action of the hero is intended to represent a
relatively complete sociological experience.
Keywords: poor, cast-system, untouchable, humanism
Introduction
Indian English literature originated as a necessary outcome of
the introduction of English education in India under colonial rule.
In recent years it has attracted widespread interest both in India and
abroad. They are richer in content and broader in range. In the 1930s
‘Big three’ of English Indian literature Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao
and R.K. Narayan published their novels. His novels have no organic
unity. His book almost reminds them of Joyce’s Ulysses with its
stream of consciousness technique.
Mulk Raj Anand was born on 12th December 1905 in Peshawar.
He also studied and later lectured at League of Nations School of
Intellectual Cooperation in Geneva. He is pre-independence ction
deals with several aspects of social reform, including the plight of
the inviolable condition of the landless peasant in Coolie. His stories
depicted a realistic and sympathetic portrait of the indigent in India.
He was the rst Indian novelist to make a sacrosanct the hero of a
novel.
Untouchable is Anand’s rst novel and his most compact and
artistically enough work. This novel represents one day in the life
of 18-year-old Bakha, who are employed like dirt by all Hindus just
because his profession is to clean restrooms. The next novel, coolie,
has a broader canvas and is more diffuse in structure. Munro a young
orphan works at a variety of odd jobs at Bombay, Daulatpur, and Simla
till he dies at age 15 of tuberculosis caused on by undernourishment.
Munro is exploited not because of his caste because he is needy.
While Untouchable and Coolie are signi cant novels two leaves and
OPEN ACCESS
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Special Issue : 1
Month : July
Year: 2019
ISSN: 2320-2645
Impact Factor: 4.110
Citation:
Vijayakumar, M.
“The Portrayal of
Indian Society in
Untouchablity Mulk
Raj Anand.” Shanlax
International Journal of
English, vol. 7, no. S1,
2019, pp. 169–72.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/
zenodo.3457063
One Day National level Seminar on Contemporary Discourses in English Studies
Morappur Kongu College of Arts and Science, Morappur
170
a bud is a dramatic novel about the dif culty of the laborers in a tea plantation in Assam; the
book fails because Anand’s approach is too simplistic; the English owners are shown as absolute
villains. Anand has about seventy short stories to his credit published in six collections from time
to time all his career.
Portrayal of Indian Society in Untouchable
The novel established Anand as one of India’s leading English authors. The book was caused by
his aunt’s experience when she had a meal with a Muslim woman and was used as an outcast by his
family. Anand’s  rst turns around the argument for eradicating the caste system. It describes a day
in the life of Bakha a young ‘sweeper,’ who is ‘untouchable’ due to his work cleaning latrines. Set
in the  ctional Indian town of Bulandshahr, The son of Lakha head of all of Bulashah’s sweepers,
Bakha is intelligent but naive, humble yet vain. As a crowd gathers around, Bakha pulls his sister
away. Crying, she says to him that the priest sexually attacked her. A furious Bakha tries to go back
to brave the priest, but an embarrassed and ashamed Sohini forces him to leave.
Back at home, it’s only Sohini and Lakha. Rakha, Bakha’s younger brother, is still out collecting
food. Bakha tells his father that a high-caste man slapped him in the streets. Sensing his son’s anger,
Lakha tells him a story about the kindness of a high-caste doctor that once saved Bakha’s life. This
time Bakha runs towards town and ends up at the train station. Just as Bakha settles in to listen,
Gandhi arrives and begins his speech. He talks about the plight of the outcast and how it is his life’s
mission to see them emancipated. This machine could mean the  nish of untouchability. With this
piece of hope, Bakha rushes home to share news of the Mahatma’s speech with his father. At the
time of this novel’s publication, the caste system dominated India. In Untouchable, author Anand
humanizes an “untouchable” human for his high-caste readers imploring them his description of
Bahka and his family’s suffering to consider the plight of their low-caste countrymen. This struggle
was against British imperialism. The Indians were being treated like dogs. The wounds of Jalian
wala bagh were not healed. The pattern of responses to the underdog emerges from the humanism
of Anand.
The story of this prolonged indignity and humiliation of this class of society. Society belongs to
the high castes. They are, in fact, the rulers and keep the low- caste as far away from them as they
can. This novel revolves around Bakha, who is a libero boy. The author has taken a conspicuous
day from his life and the presentation of the situation happening on that particular day he has
drawn our attention towards the plight of low caste people. The rst situation is the pollution touch
of a caste Hindu. It creates a catastrophe. As Bakha walks along with the road eating ‘Jalebi’ and
recalling the method he has made for learning English, his gaze is carried to a woman sitting in a
window.
Bakha is seized with humility, fear, and servility. Of course, he was aware of his ‘status’ in life,
but it was a sudden shock. This awareness of his status is “like a ray of light shooting darkness.”
The other signi cant situation in the novel is when Bakha’s sister, Sohini, is molested by the priest.
Thus they see that the holy men who appear in Anand’s  ction are corrupt to the core and in their
eyes; the lowest of low is quite touchable to satisfy their lust. For example, the ascetic in Coolie,
he looks as Pandit Surajbhan in ‘The Road’ attracts a childless woman under the affection of
turning her fertile. Here also the holy priest makes unsuccessful attempts to seduce Bakha’s sister
the author has exposed the contradiction in the thinking of the so-called high- caste people while
a mere touch of the clothes of a hallowed is thought to pollute a more upper-caste sexual union is
not- objectionable.
Bakha’s world is much too narrow for his aspirations. So he longs for a new world. Anand, in
the conclusion of Untouchable subtly examines the various possible solutions religious conversion
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rapid industrialization and the Gandhian way. The emphasis on the Hutchinson’s religion is on sin
love and equality of birth whereas it is on cleanliness, morality, and dignity of work in Gandhi’s
approach to the problem of the emancipation of the castaways. Of these, Bakha likes only the idea
of equality and cleanliness, but he feels become by Gandhi’s sympathy.
It is only the third resolution offered by the poet Iqbal Nath Sarshar that engages Bakha’s attention
to the  ush system. In the novel author creates a character who is seeking identity for himself in a
world which has for ages suppressed his degrading social ill into which poets, philosophers, and
reformers have fought over a thousand years. Anand’s heroes are always living and improving with
the present and struggling for the future.
Like postcolonial novels set in other parts of the Britsh Empire, including Africa the main
character’s encounter with missionary Christianity produces comedy and satire. The book is
concerned not with the life and sufferings of some particular individual but with the experience
and pains of invincible as a class. The particularly Bakha the novelist has focused attention on
the miserable plight of intangible generally. The novelist narrates a single-day event in the life of
Bakha an eighteen years old boy. He is the son of Lakha the besom the cleaner of the restrooms.
These two prominent characters, the author hammers active on the caste-con ict. Though this
deadly disease of caste  ght was on its summit before Independence, it is but seen much or less in
almost every State of India. The leper or the socially separated people who form the most necessary
part of a nation have to begin a deplorable and miserable life beyond explanation.
The novel depicts Bakha and his community’s suffering realistically. They are forced to live
in society excluded from the  lthy locality. The theme of the story is very realistic. It is a graphic
novel of socially damaged protagonist Bakha. It is a slice from a life without any modi cation.
The novel begins with a realistic picture of the outcastes’ colony. The book reveals a sensible and
sensitive understanding of social exploitation inherent in the class and caste structure of colonial
India and the ever-growing con ict between the forces of tradition and modernity in Indian society.
Lakha characterizes the achieved trod invariants. Old age and sickness have given him lethargic, ill-
tempered, and self-centered. He believed that the outcastes are born to serve others. He tolerates all
social evils without a single word of complaint. He has obtained extreme servility as a consequence
of a thousand years of racial and caste superiority that is in vogue in India.
The story of Bakha’s illness reveals the virtuous features of a father. Once Bakha falls severely
ill. Lakha rocks the child in his arm and blows a sleepless night. In the morning he rushes to
Hakim Bhagwan Dass and begs to save the life of his son. Lakha realizes that his sin is beyond
consideration and further implores to treat his child and to provide some medicine. The physician
agrees and thus, Bakha is cured. Polygamy and Bigamy are common phenomena with the outcastes.
But Lakha does not re-marry even after the death of his wife. He will be biased to his new wife and
neglect his children. His reduction is an instinct.
Conclusion
Anand’s humanism is the focal point of his ction. He is a novelist of the underdogs a champion
of the deprived almost as high as Dickens. The bottom dogs of the Indian society are heroes of his
novels a sweeper, a coolie, a laborer, a villager but all they are human. He requires to eradicate
these social problems by criticizing his books. It makes him a novelist of the lower class a lyricist
of their sorrows and joy. His chief motive is to use the art for the amelioration of Indian underdog.
Both Untouchable and Coolie deal with the social crimes of his own time, and he wants to eradicate
these problems.
Anand was well familiar with the life of the expatriate boy Bakha has been modeled on one
of his playmates. His novels exposed and satirized the hypocrisy, bigotry, and callousness of the
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172
high caste Hindus whose can be polluted by the mere touch of a derelict like Bakha but whose like
Pandit Kali Nath do not hesitate to molest an outcast girl Sohini.
The titles Coolie and Untouchable exhibits the motive of propaganda and the novels are absolute
with purpose. Both of them are the tale human concern, a vehicle of humanism. The sociological
interest of poverty, exploitation, and corruption are presented in Coolie and Untouchable with
humanism as its focal credo. His incredible realism, his concern for humanity his insights into
the lives of the Indian masses exposes his sensitive and perceptive mind his imagination, and his
essential humanity.
Though most of his heroes are destitute suffering people, characters going to the middle class;
upper class also issues, but they are the butt of his social satire. It is the underdogs- a Bakha and a
Munoo- who have his sympathy on their side.
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