1246 research outputs found
Sort by
Exploring Caste, Catastrophe and Civilization in Mallabarman’s Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (A River Called Titash) and its Film Adaptation
Get PDFIn the criticism of the novel Titas Ekti Nadir Naam (1956), Mallabarman’s widely read Bengali novel, the life-narratives of the Malos, a Bengali low-caste fisherfolk community, their unique culture, their indomitable fight to survive economically, their fight to save the Malo culture in the face of all kinds of adversary forces have been discussed to a considerable extent. In the criticism of the Ritwik Ghatak’s eponymous 1973 film adaptation of the novel, the major importance has been given to Ghatak’s treatment of the struggling life of the Malo community in a rural set up and Ghatak’s mastery as a director. Less attention has been given to the caste question which determines the social position of the Malos in various ways. In examining both novel and the film text, this paper shows that whereas how caste operates in the Malo life-world and how the system of caste determines the low-caste Malos’ social position vis-à-vis the Brahmins and the Kayasthas, their high-caste counterparts are substantively dealt with in Mallabarman’s novel, Ghatak puts more focus on the human catastrophe faced by the Malos both as individual and as a community in his film, and has attempted to document the Malo life-world, as the acclaimed filmmaker Mani Kaul argues, as a civilization. This paper is concerned with this factor of caste, the catastrophe of the Malo community, and the Malo life-world as a civilization
Recasting Dalit Experience through Graphic Biography: A Critical Analysis of Bhimayana: Experiences of Untouchability
Get PDFThis paper provides a critical analysis of Bhimayana: Experiences of Untouchability, a graphic biography on the experiences of caste discrimination and resistance that Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar recorded in his autobiographical illustrations, and CNN hailed this book as being among the top five political comic books. Unlike other biographies, which often address those enthusiastic about Dr Ambedkar and his anti-cast struggle. The Bhimayana Provides critical insight into the negligence and caste-ridden mind of the Indian psyche towards the architect of the Indian constitution. This graphic biography also provides a dint to educate non-Dalit who seems to ignore the contributions and drudgeries of Dr Ambedkar
Decoding Walter Morel- Class Politics in Sons and Lovers
Get PDFDavid Herbert Lawrence’s Sons and Lovers (1913) tells the story of the Morels— a working-class family. Lawrence has referred to Sons and Lovers as his ‘colliery novel’. The present paper attempts to decode the class politics of the novel by closely focussing on Walter Morel, the chief working-class figure in the novel. The novel’s narrative pivots around the domestic concerns of the Morel family, very often in which, Walter Morel, emerges as a villain and an oppressor of his wife and children. The text poignantly portrays domestic discord and the hardships that Gertrude Morel and her children face. However, it fails to delve into or elucidate upon the underlying reasons for the emergence of these hardships in the first place. At the obvious level, Walter Morel seems to be demonised as a brute who causes his family continuous pain. However, it is imperative that the text is read within the larger social, economic, and political structures of its time, which significantly shaped and influenced the lives and action of Walter Morel and his family. This paper attempts to recuperate dispersed evidence from the margins of the novel to gainsay a superficial interpretation of Walter Morel as a mindless violent brute who is solely responsible for the trials and tribulations of the Morel family. It attempts to connect the dots between the representation of Walter Morel with the narrative’s inclination towards the middle-class value system aspired to by the other members of his family, in order to, gain a more nuanced insight into the class politics of the novel
Dismantling the Labyrinth: Analyzing Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children
Get PDFThe following paper is an attempt to analyze the wonderful tale Salman Rushdie has penned about the Indian nation. Rushdie’s sheer brilliance could be seen in Midnight’s Children, where he has piled the Indian history in a sublime way. Britishers, who sucked the soul out of India, are the ones directly responsible for the situation the Indian nationhood is in today. The mere pleasure of monarchs and elites brought catastrophes and havoc to the whole nation. The Indian freedom struggle was one of its kind in the world- for the country was divided on the night of its independence. It suffered one its worst time on the day it was liberated, millions left their home for ever and a line of hatred was drawn. This paper tries to lighten the history which tells us about those dreams which caused the partition of India. It talks about the working of the elites, who causes the manipulation of masses. It explains the political megalomania and how religion acts as the main ingredient for it, in India. The paper is not only a reference to a particular incident in history, but explains the working of government, authority and oligarchy and their dominion over the soul and body of the common people of the country
Thematic Study of Naipaul’s Selected Works
Get PDFTheme defines a major subject, idea or underlying meaning that is being discussed or a writer explores in a piece of writing. It is the suggested view taken on the main idea or message of any fictional, dramatic or nonfictional story. For instance, love can be the subject but desire for love might be the theme. The setting, characters, plot, dialogue are combined together to convey the theme of any piece of writing. Theme is not only the storyline or description but also something more than it. It is the center of any narrative that runs throughout a plot. Betrayal, love, life and death, courage, good vs. evil, revenge, beauty, family etc. are some of the common themes in literature. Important concepts and messages encountered by the characters and the setting of a tale are communicated through themes. A story without a theme is just a collection of random characters and events. It serves as the component that gives a tale or poem its meaning. This article discusses different kinds of themes used within the works of V.S. Naipaul. The main themes in his writings are escapism and disillusionment, Exile and alienation, displacement or migration, the search of a stable sense of personal identity, rootlessness and many more
Diasporic Hybridity and Liminality in Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Lowland
Get PDFDiasporic experiences of Indian characters have drawn a considerable attention of social thinkers, political leaders, literary scholars and critics. The experiences of immigrants have been explored by postmodern researchers and writers in an effort to understand the reasons behind their hopelessness, the breakdown of their families, and how they ultimately internalise the ideals of the host culture at the urging of the native culture. Greek word for dispersal is where the word “diaspora” originates. It speaks of the scattering and displacing of individuals from their place of origin. The authors of diaspora have tried to underpin the hidden underlying reasons of leaving one’s country and compensating for their periferal status in the adopted culture. While juxtaposing the past and present experiences, the diaspora writers critically analyise the nature of exile, homelessness, nostalgia, memory of native land, hybridity, liminality, marginality, culture shock and identity crisis. In this research article, Jhumpa Lahiri's representation of immigrants’ struggles with identity, self-formation, and cultural differences in her book The Lowland will be critically assessed. It attempts to throw light on the social and political insecurities, human rights and cultural challenges brought forth by their liminal status. Facing liminality the characters are hovering in a perpetual mental dilemma between Indian lifestyle and American advanced culture. The major themes of the novel are location, relocation, dislocation, displacement and alienation which are solely caused by characters’ personal choices and actions
A Reinvention of the “Contact Zone” and the Myth of “Caribbean-ness” in Edwidge Danticat’s The Farming of Bones and Grace Nichols’s Whole of a Morning Sky
Get PDFThe essence of history, on the most part, is to provide discursive knots that either hold a people together or provide tissues of asymmetrical relations that separate them permanently. Hence, through the Postcolonial lens, this paper argues that Edwidge Danticat and Grace Nichols have used their historical novels: The Farming of Bones and Whole of a Morning Sky– the novels that not only take their setting and some events and characters from history, but make the historical events and issues crucial for the course of the narrative to (re)inscribed historical codes that harbour a constant shift in individuation among the colonized people. Their aim is to unearth certain salient relational frontiers – ones that have created a “...radically asymmetrical relations of power” in modern Caribbean nations. The reason for this, on the one hand, is to show “...the marks of a shifting boundaries that alienates the frontiers of the modern (Caribbean) nation”, and on the other, to show how these shifting boundaries have not only created what Bhabha calls the “Third Space” – the process of ‘splitting’ of national subject – but how this space has hindered the realization of Caribbean-nests. By using the Caribbean example, the paper concludes that history provides a lasting memory to the Third world nations and through it the slippage of categories, such as sexuality, class affiliation, territorial paranoia, or cultural difference can be understood and bridged for the advancement of the people
Exploring the Elements Dichotomy of Human Relations in Khushwant Singh’s Train to Pakistan
Get PDFThe Indian partition experience has generally been seen as being extraordinarily complex and violent kind of appearance in literary works. There are manifestations of oppression and violence that are the most recognized themes in the context of postcolonialism. The “decolonization” of writing, which aims to transcend this colonial history, will bring about and illuminate a wide range of subjects through its interpretation. Numerous books have been published about post-colonialism in India, but writers like Khushwant Singh have seen this magnificent historical period as a matter terrifying phenomenon. His novel, Train to Pakistan (1956) was written on the backdrop of Indian partition. The unavoidable reason of partition has been examined in this novel which was a sprout of radicalism and fundamentalism sparked by bolstering community attitudes. They effectively and precisely express the fear and exposure of human existence brought on by the pangs and enigmas of the consequences of the Partition. In addition to offering a wealth of information, Train to Pakistan is also unconventional in the matter of themes, style and narrativity. Khushwant Singh has provided human qualities that would interpret any sense of authenticity, dismay, and credibility rather than presenting the events in political terms. Thus, the story not only describes the existence of man and his struggle to survive, but it also demonstrates that despite social exclusion, people may still be a source of inspiration for others who are unhappy, upset disappointed and misinformed
The Impact of Digital World on Our Identity
Get PDFIdentity means the overall discernment about oneself. It consists of our devotion, conviction, philosophy, attributes, feelings and other likely things. Identity is not somewhat which is innate rather it is wrought up in the hurly-burly of our life. Earlier it had an effect from only countable factors i.e personal and social identity but however with the emersion of social networking sites in the 21st century a new-fangled element has been added to the impression of identity formation i.e, digital identity. Here a significant inquiry is “are you the unchanged person in online or offline mode”? This digital identity had actually become our jiffy self which we modified from time to time in order to take delivery of indulgence that with the upshot we have vanished our genuine self while determining the phony one. We are racing gratuitously while closing the eyes to the veracity that “everything is not everybody’s goblet.” Earlier we had to first put up with something that is palpable for recognition but in the contemporary society individuals are having a prospect to depict themselves speciously for their naming, say it their profession, bonding status, age, likes, dislikes and like supplementary things. As a result, identity is susceptible to identity crises for the reason that people are having added than an identity to present and supervise. People are paying more consideration to the stance of others allied to themselves and in order to present themselves upto the keenness of others so that positive reception will come from all corners. People are all set to cross any limits particularly in case of the teens. The central part of the paper is to bring light the sequel of social media in the formation of identity. This paper will also underline how this identity is subject to deformation with the erroneous impact and badly chosen ways to contract with social media
Delineation of Male Characters and Sensibilities in the Novels of Manju Kapur: A Critical Analysis
Get PDFThe research article aims to analyse the delineation of male characters in the novels of Manju Kapur. It tries to highlight the image of male characters from the perspective of a woman writer, who happens to be a feminist. In contemporary Indian English fiction dominated by women writers the primary focus is on the representation of women characters and addressing their sensibilities, their plight and place in patriarchal setting. As such, the male characters have been presented either with less vigour or as typical chauvinistic individual, responsible for the ordeals of women in society. In very few novels by women novelists in modern scenario do we find the sympathetic treatment given to the male characters. Considering this aspect of modern Indo-Anglian fiction, the article endeavours to examine the portrayal of male characters in women centric novels, by a woman writer. The qualitative method has been used to deduce how much and how sympathetic treatment has been given to the male characters by the novelist. In order to analyse the representation of men, Manju Kapoor's Difficult Daughters (1998), A Married Woman (2003), Home (2006), and The Immigrant (2008) have been brought under study. A comparison between the representation of men in the novels by men writers and that in the novels by women writers has been taken into consideration in order to draw an objective and unbiased conclusion