Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfield which has now cohered as PostcolonialStudies would probably not haveformed.”(Simons 282)These movements arose in the context of theformulation and consolidation of nationalidentities which mobilised anti-imperialistmovements during independence struggles, andthe remaking of pre-capftalist religious andfeudal structures in attempts to 'modernise' ThirdWorld societies. Mohanty argues that Westerncriticism, both non-feminist and feminist,artificially constructs two entities, the coloniserand the colonised, and that the consequence ofthis is to suggest that the colonised is allowedonly a language permitted or indeed constructed,by the coloniser. She attacks the principles atwork in Western feminist criticism regarding theThird World, particularly the assumption thatpostcolonial women are a homogenous groupregardless of nationality or ethnicity. She alsocriticises the self-representation of Westernwomen in literature as modern women withsome degree of control over their bodies andsexualities, and Western feminists' representationof women in the developingcountries as domestic or uneducated victims.Feminist analysis in the 1990s evolved inresponse to the challenges posed by ethnic andpostcolonial studies to white Western feminism.One of the most important points it makes is that'women' does not comprise a coherent group,solely on the basis of gender. The status androles of women vary according to complexinteractions between factors such as ethnicity,class, culture and religion.“Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguisticidentity- I am my language…I will no longer bemade to feel ashamed of existing. I will havemy voice: Indian, Spanish, White. I will havemy serpent’s tongue- my woman’s voice , mysexual voice. I will overcome the tradition ofsilence.”(Anzaldua 898)Although it is difficult to generalise aboutpostcolonial feminism, we can foreground ThirdWorld women as a broad category, within whichwe can explore the histories and struggles ofpostcolonial women against colonialism, racism,sexism and economic forces. Chandra Mohantysuggest&the concept of an 'imagined community'of postcolonial oppositional struggles. Sheemphasises the abstract meaning of this concept,which suggests potential alliances andcollaborations across divisive boundaries, andthe opportunity for a deep commitment to'sisterhood'. The idea of an imagined communityleads us away from traditional notions ofpostcolonial feminist struggles, suggesting apolitical rather than biological or cultural basisfor alliance.Not only are postcolonial feminist womenchallenging ideologies which have belittled thestatus of women, they are also challenging theprevailing assumption that the white Westernmiddle-class woman is the norm. At the sametime, they are struggling to eradicate stereotypeswhich define them as subordinate and pointingout that in spite of the decline of imperialismthey are still subject, in many ways, to thepressures of neo-colonialism. “Our literatureneither leaves women alone nor allows them toparticipate. It insists on its universality at thesame time that it defines that universality inspecifically male terms.”(Fetterly 560)Works Cited:Anzaldua ,Gloria ,’Borderlands’in LiteraryTheory: An Anthology, Julie Rivkin and MichaelRyan (eds)Blackwell:UK,2002.Barry, Peter, Beginning Theory –An Introductionto Literary Theory, (3 rd ed)Viva, NewDelhi,2010.Fetterly Judith, ‘ On the Politics of Literature’inLiterary Theory: An Anthology, Julie Rivkin andMichael Ryan (eds) ,Blackwell:UK,2002.Habib M.A.R.,A History of Literary Criticism,Blackwell, New Delhi,2006.Malpas ,Simon and Paul Wake , The RoutledgeCompanion to CriticalTheory,London:Routledge,2008.Simons, Jon (eds.)Contemporary CriticalTheorists ,Atlantic ,New Delhi,2004.286 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedGynocritics and Feminism“A woman’s writing is always feminine; itcannot help being feminine; at its best, it ismost feminine; the only difficulty lies indefining what we mean by feminine”.Virginia WoolfThe process of defining the termfeminism or feminine has started in the lastdecade. Feminist criticism has graduallyshifted from revisionary readings to asustained investigation of literature bywomen. It also engendered the study ofwomen as writers, and its subjects are thehistory, styles, themes, genres, and thestructures of writing by women. The term‘gynocritics’ came out of thepsychodynamics of female creativity; thetrajectory of the individual or collectivefemale career; and the evolution and laws ofa female literary tradition as no English termexisted before. Unlike the feminist critics,gynocritics offers many theoreticalopportunities. But the question arises howcan we constitute women as a distinctliterary group?Patricia Meyer Spacks was the firstacademic critic to notice this shift from anandrocentric to a gynocentric feministcriticism. In ‘The FemaleImagination’(1975), she pointed out that fewfeminist theories had concerned themselveswith women’s writing. Simone deBeauvoir’s treatment of women writers in‘The Second Sex’ always suggests a priorytendency to take them less seriously thantheir masculine counterparts. Mary Ellmann,in ‘Thinking about Women’, characterizedwomen’s literary success as escape from thecategories of womanhood.-- Dr. B. T. LahaneSambhajirao Kendre Mahavidyalaya,Jalkot(M.S)Spacks’s wide ranging studyinaugurated a new period of feminist literaryhistory and criticism which asked again andagain, how women’s writing had beendifferent, how womanhood itself shapedwomen’s creative expression. In manybooks and in hundreds of essays and papers,women’s writing asserted itself as thecentral project of feminist literary study.And the European feminist criticismaccepted this special shift.Some critics identify two modes offeminist criticism. The first of these modesis righteous, angry, and admonitory, whichthey compared to the Old Testament,‘looking for the sins and errors of the past.’The second mode disinterested and seeking‘the grace of imagination’, comparing to theNew Testament. They also suppose itnecessary to lead to the promised land ofhumanism. While some other critics thoughtthat feminist literary critics are wandering inthe wilderness which was an exclusivelymasculine domain. Mathew Arnold alsothought that literary critics might perish inthe wilderness before they reached thepromised land of disinterestedness. Actuallyit is ideology masculine or feminine thatgoes wilder.Surprisingly, until recently, feministcriticism has not had a theoretical basis. Itwas an empirical orphan in the storm ofvaried storms. No theoretical manifestoaccounted the methodologies and ideologieswhich could be called feminist reading orwriting. Annette Kolodny observed thatfeminist literary criticism appeared morelike a set of interchangeable strategies than287 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedany coherent school. Since then, theexpressed goals have not been notablyunified. Black critics protest the ‘massivesilence’ of feminist criticism about blackand Third-World women writers and call fora black feminist aesthetic that would dealwith both racial and sexual politics. Marxistfeminists wish to focus on class along withgender as a crucial determinant of literaryproduction. While Freudian and Lacaiancritics want to theorize about women’srelationship to language and signification.To date, most well knowncommentary on French feminist criticaldiscourse has stressed its fundamentaldissimilarity from the empirical Americanorientation, its unfamiliar intellectualgrounding in linguistics, Marxism, neo-Freudian and Lacanian psychoanalysis, andDerridean deconstruction.Helene Cixous advocated ecriturefeminine in which there has not been anywriting that inscribes femininity. NancyMiller explains it as a literary production ofthe late twentieth century. Nonetheless, theconcept of ecriture feminine provides a wayof talking about women’s writing whichreasserts the value of the feminine andidentifies the theoretical project of feministcriticism as the analysis of difference.Now a days English, French andeven Marxist theories focus on women’swriting though the emphasis falls some whatdifferently. English feminist criticismstresses oppression; French feministcriticism, essentially psychoanalytic,stresses repression; American feministcriticism, essentially textual, stressesexpression. All, however, have beengynocentric. All are struggling to find aterminology that can rescue the femininefrom its stereotypical associations withinferiority.To be conclusive, it is difficult todefine the unique difference of women’swriting as Woolf and Cixous have wane,must present a slippery and demandingtask. It is because the difference is amatter of style, genre and experience. Italso makes use of four models ofdifference: biological, linguistic,psychoanalytic, and cultural. Each is aneffort to define and differentiate thequalities of the woman writer and thewoman’s text. And each model alsorepresents a school of gynocentricfeminist criticism with its own favouritetexts, styles, and methods.References:1. Annette Kolodny, ‘LiteraryCriticism’, review Essay, Signs 2(Winter 1976)2. Patricia Spack, The FemaleImagination (New York: Alfred A.Knopf, 1975)3. Nancy K. Miller, ‘Women andLanguage in Literature andsociety, ed. Sally McConnel-Ginnet(New York: Praeger, 1980)4. Helene Cixous, ‘The Laugh of theMedusa’, Signs 1(1976)5. Virginia Woolf, ‘Speech, ManuscriptNotes’ New York (1977).288 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedConstructive Alternatives of Community and Space in Gloria Naylor's Mama Day andWomen of Brewster Place: A Case in Feminist Discourse--Professor Rambhau BadodeDepartment of EnglishUniversity of MumbaiDiscourse on the importance of community isa central one in contemporary AfricanAmerican literature. Power of communalbond has been foregrounded in the works ofBlack women writers such as Toni Morrison,Alice Walker and Gloria Naylor. This paperis an attempt to trace the alternate communitypatterns, which Gloria Naylor proposes inMama Day and Women of Brewster Place.Attempts are also made to see how Naylordevelops community paradigms, which resistthe enclosed community structures ofpatriarchy and capitalism. Using the tools ofBlack Cultural Feminism, the paper will alsoanalyze how Gloria Naylor locatesalternative spaces in the community inMama Day and Women of Brewster Placeas a site of ploy vocal expression andinterpersonal subjectivity. The basicargument of the study is that the alternatecommunity in Naylor's works, which is oftenlead by strong culture-bearing women,demands a surrender of short term personalobjectives in the larger interest of collectivesurvival.IAfrican American Women's writings arenegotiations with space as much they areconcerned with issues like race, gender andclass. Novelists like Toni Morrison, AliceWalker and Gloria Naylor are aware of theneed of negotiating space, creating itwhenever possible in the act of writing.These novelists make attempts to locate newfeminist spaces both within and outside thecommunity. They are also aware that blackwomen are made to feel inferior, by theagencies of patriarchy and racism. Theyhave no space for themselves and they haveto occupy the space granted to them by theseagencies. This haunting sense of not havingone's space within the home, family orsociety affects largely the self-image of ablack woman. It also adds the agony ofdependence and a feeling of dispossession, tothe already exploited life of a black woman.The definitions of space by the domineeringagencies, however, are on the basis ofphysical barriers such as walls, doors andfences or on the basis of logical binaries suchas self / other and presence / absence. Blackwomen writers, the ones mentioned abovesubvert and alter these patriarchal parametersof space and community in their works.This paper is a study of strategies employedby Gloria Naylor in Mama Day and Womenof Brewster to create alternatives forcommunity and black female space. It is alsoan attempt to find how Naylor debunks theconventional, patriarchal images anddimensions of space. Further, Naylor'screation of alternative spaces can beconsidered as an effort to valorise the use ofimagination, parody and the gendered actsuch as birth giving and nurturance. Theseblack feminist techniques tear apart thepatriarchal definition of space. The binarylogic can be traced in abundance in Naylor'sworks. Naylor's creation of alternative spacesand community could also be considered asan act of placing black women in oppressor'world and oppressor's language, but withgreater mobility and subversive power.Willow Springs, the island setting of MamaDay itself is a space that is located outsidethe American mainland. Naylor stresses theessential otherness of Willow Springs withits vagrant weather and magic. In this specialspace, she places black women who becomeimages of female identity and positive selfimage.Willow Springs aligns itself with anAfrican heritage rather than an Americanone. it reminds one of West Africanlandscape and the women who live there alsoinvoke the spirituality and strength of womenof the African heritage. To disengageWillow Springs from the mainland cultures,Naylor emphasizes the dissimilarities289 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedbetween the island and American – both ingeographical features and cultural practices.Mama Day is a novel that tells the story ofMiranda Day and her niece Ophelia Day(Cocoa), two black women of WillowSprings, an island located between SouthCarolina and Georgia. Miranda is the healerof the island and Ruby, a root doctorcompetes with her. Ruby casts a spell onOphelia and Mama Day has to cure her niece.As an important step in Ophelia's cure,Mama Day asks George, Ophelia's lover, toabandon his city lifestyle and live accordingto the traditional ways of Willow Spring.George does so and dies before Opheliaregains her strength fully. George dies butOphelia undergoes a symbolic rebirth.Mama Day also marks Willow Springs as amaternal space, totally different from thepatriarchal, capitalist spaces of Americancities. George dies, but not before realizingthe healing effects of Mama Day's maternalspace.Willow Springs is a small island and hence itis a small space as compared to the Americanmainland. Yet Naylor keeps it free ofracism, sexism and colonial subjugation.Willow Springs is symbolic of the personalspace that an African American needs whichwould give her a world free of maleinterference. Mama Day's small islandnurtures healthy social life through its healthisolation from the conflicting world-views ofAmerican mainland.IIThe Women of Brewster Place is acollection of six interwoven stories. Itforegrounds a network of marginalizedfemales, with Mattie Michael playing the roleof the healer. Brewster Place is the dead endof a street, which symbolizes theconfinement and the condition of the blackwomen. Mattie, however, helps otherwomen to locate new spaces within this deadend. She offers a sympathetic ear to EttaMae and words to build up her selfconfidence.Thus Mattie finds space andfreedom in words and by extension, inlanguage. She understands, from her verbalinteraction with Etta Mai, that words havehealing effect and they can also help blackwomen to transcend the dead-end ofBrewster Place. To Lucielia, Mattie becomesthe mother-surrogate. While Lucielia ismourning the death of her child, Mattieoffers the soothing touch of words. She alsowashes Lucielia in the symbolic mode ofbaptism. Naylor renders Mattie's healing ofLucielia in a language loaded with myths. Byplacing myths in language, Naylor createsmore spaces within language. Myths enableNaylor to transport her characters throughtime. Lucielia enters a trance during herchild's funeral and Mattie restores her to theworld of the living. Mattie's act of healingLucielia is also an act of creating alternatespace. She transports Lucielia beyond theroom where she lives, to the vastness ofhealing sky:Mattie rocked her out of that bed, outof that room, into a blue vastness justunderneath the sun and above time ...she rocked her on and on (Naylor, p-103).Mattie heals Lucielia by extracting a splinterfrom her body. What Mattie achieves, ineffect for Lucielia, is a restorative connectionwith the past and an alternative community.Mattie helps Lucielia to enter a new life byextracting the splinter of slavery and sexualoppression from her body. By doing soMattie enables Lucielia, to connect herself toan Afro-centric community and its legacy ofpain and suffering:She rocked her into her childhood andlet her see murdered dream. And sherocked her back, back into the womb,to the nadir of her hurt, and they foundit – a slight silver splinter embeddedjust below the surface of the skin. AndMattie rocked and pulled – and thesplinter gave way, but its roots weredeep, gigantic, ragged, and they toreup flesh ... They left a huge ole, whichwas already starting to pus over, butMattie was satisfied. It would heal.(Naylor, pp - 103-04).Bereft of the house she had owned when herson Basil absconds in bail, Mattie must290 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandeddivine a new home in Brewster Place byembracing and nurturing those who sharethat place with her. If, however, thesemarginalized communities do not own theirphysical spaces, theydo expand their definitions of family topeople 'homes' that extend through timerather than space. Children become thepromise of a future 'home' n the world inwhich they may live, and communal survivalbecomes the means to each that home.Consequently, Mattie is willing to suffer andeven die to enable her children and othermembers of her extended concept of familyto continue the struggle to tear down thewalls that confine them. This is to claim ahome in a future they strive to make a realpossibility.IIIMama Day too is, in many ways, related tocommunity and voices. In a magicoreligiousmanner, Gloria Naylor presents ahealthy, alternative community in this novelwhich points out the short-sightedness ofethnographers. Lindsay Tucker explains howNaylor divines a different community inMama Day with the help of narrativestrategy and collective voice:For example, the collective voice,which introduced the reader to thecommunity of Willow Springs,concludes with a critique ofethnography and its methodologies.The failure of the ethnographer is dueto his inability to hear and to ask theright questions, a failing that, the voiceseems to warn us, may be our own:".....he could listen to them," the voiceexplains, "the way you been listeningto us right now. Think about it: ain'tnobody really talking to you". 10 1Naylor also depicts a group of conjures inMama Day. Ruby, Dr. Buzzard, thematernal ancestor Sapphira Wade and MamaDay figure prominently in the novel. Theseconjures brings a new perspective into thenarrative and they also help Naylor toconstruct an Afro-centric community in thenovel. The conjurers in Mama Day bringforth a different community in WillowSprings, the members of which have strongfaith in African medicinal practices, beliefsystems, religion and ancestry.Conjuration also has some significance in thecontext of space. It creates narrative spaceand linguistic space within the community.Naylor finds for her conjures enough spaceswithin the framework of the folktale. Sherips open the patriarchal territory of folktaleand gives conjure women such as MirandaRuby visible textual presence.Mama Day deals with space and communityin another way too. Naylor dissolves thebinaries of past and present, and magic andreal – all the boundaries of conventionalnarratives. Naylor's attempt on theboundaries of narratives can also be seen asher attempt on the boundaries of space withina tradition – patriarchal or capitalist tradition.Lindsey Tucker also notes this complexmetaphor involving language, narrative,space and community in Mama Day:...4...Naylor's employment of a communalvoice allows her to establish MamaDay's rootedness in the place, sincethis voice not only gathers up themany voices of the community, pastand present, but allows theconsciousness of Mama Day to comethrough when it is important to do so. Thusthe communal voice succeeds indemolishing the boundaries betweenomniscient and limited-omniscientpoints of view, even as the novel'ssubject matter demolishes theboundaries between the mimetic andthe magical. 2Mama Day also evokes a community thatdraws its spiritual and mental strength fromthe African heritage. Naylor makes WillowSprings look estranged from the mainlandand the people living in this island preferringnot to be aligned with American communitypatterns. Amy Levin identified the ideologybehind the community life in Willow Springsas Africanism. She writes:In Naylor's Mama Day, thecommunity of Willow Springs reflectsthe value and power relations evidentin West African women's societies.Allusions to Africa are indirect andappear trough metonyms and291 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedmetaphors. Moreover, despite theircontinuity, Naylor emphasizes theunderlying dissimilarities betweenisland and mainland cultures. (p - 20) 3Levin also perceives similarities between theWillow Springs community with the womencentered Sande Societies of Sierre Leone andIvory Coast. According to Levin, the plot ofMama Day reflects a metaphor of maternitywhich is comparable to that of motherhood inSande Society. In this regard, Levin writes:A summary of the duties of the SandeSowei, or leader, reveals deepersimilarities between her position andMama Day's role in her community.The Sowei is a powerful woman whois elected to office. Much of herpower is directly attributable to herknowledge of society secrets fromwhich other members are excluded.Another distinguishing feature is theSowei's mastery of society's practices.She throws its techniques of healing,she dances in its rituals, and she wearsthe black Sowo mask, the embodimentand articulation of the society's ideals(p – 32) 4 .Naylor's notion of an Afro-centriccommunity is also tempered by a belief in therelationship with the ancestors. Quite visibleis the connection between the communityand the graveyard in Mama Day. Themembers of the Willow Springs communityrefer to the graves of their ancestors as if theyare animated spaces. George, an outsiderbrought up in the materialist mainlandculture, struggles to understand thesignificance of the ancestors for the WillowSprings Community. Even his logo-centricperception of the graveyard cannot miss thecloseness and the transcendental strength ofCocoa's community:The tombstones – some granite, somelimestone – were of varying heightswith no dates and only one name. Youexplained that they were all Days sothere was n o need for a surname. Butwhat, as in your case, if a womanmarried? You live a Day and you die aDay. Early woman's lib, I said with asmile. A bit more than that, youanswered. You showed me how theywere grouped by generations: theseven brothers and then the sevenbefore them. The sizes of the headstones represented the missing dates –but only in relationship to each other.There was a Peace who died youngertan another Peace and so her stone wassmaller. There was your mother'sstone – Grace – and she had obviouslydied younger tan her sister. Hope,Mama Day, you said, would have thetallest stone. She'd already livedlonger tan any day before her. Thecloseness of all this awed me – Peoplewho could be this self-contained. Whohad redefined time? NO, totallydisregarded it. (Naylor, p – 218).David Cowart finds the patters of positivetribal connections in this Willow Springscommunity. Cowart also reads West Africanconstructive social practices in Naylor'spicture of the community:Here, in a number of scenes, theisland's living inhabitants sustainrelationships with their ancestors –indeed, worship them – in moments oftribal communion very much likethose still common among Dogon, theYoruba, the Fon, and other peoples ofWest Africa. 5 .The black community in Willow Springs isdifference from the mainland AfricanAmerican community in one more account.Willow Springs community has a separateAfro-American identity as it is insulatedfrom the shame of slavery and racialoppression. The inhabitants of WillowSprings are aware that the island has a legacyof freedom and hence they do not seethemselves, unlike the majority of AfricanAmericans, as the property and the other ofwhite masters. David Cowart explain thisunique emancipating legacy of Naylor'scommunity in Mama Day:Naylor sets Mama Day largely on anisland off the coast of the Americansoutheast an island to which neitherGeorgia nor South Carolina can layclaim. Offering a somewhatromanticized version of thetopography, landscape, and culture ofthe barrier islands, she asks the reader292 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedto imagine a place exempt from certainof the concrete dimensions of actualhistory, a place in which some kind ofseparate African-American identitymight flourish. Though WillowSprings has hardly been exempt frompoverty, it has led an existence largelyuntrammelled by the two centuriesover so of oppression experienced byother African American. Not thatNaylor goes so far as to imagineAfrican American without the heritageof slavery – the exemption is from themore debilitating elements of postemancipationmisery. For in WillowSprings emancipation came (in "18and 23") two generations earlierthan it did for the rest of the country'sslaves. It came, moreover, with amyth of the slaves' appropriations ofthemselves and their erstwhile master'sother property, the land itself. Inaddition to this substantial patrimony,their community was exempt from thehegemony of the nearby SouthernStates because its first owner,Bascombe Wade, was "Norway bornor something, and the land had beensitting in his family over there inEurope since it got explored andclaimed by the Vikings". (8) 6 .Willow Springs is also a location of love andunderstanding. In this respect, it symbolizeshuman space- a space for togetherness evenin the disturbing times of differences. Nayloruses positive irony in converting an isolatedisland into a site of human love and lastingrelationships. David Cowart observes howNaylor treats the complex metaphor of anisland in mama day in the context of humanrelationship:One recognizes in isola, Latin forisland, the root of the word "isolation".Islands stand for separateness that isnot always enabling, and from onepoint of view the inhabitants ofNaylor's imaginary community dwellin a condition of internal exile, cut offfrom their brothers and sisters – on themainland. More importantly, an islandcan symbolize the isolation that is thefate of every human being – auniversal separateness that individualsseek to circumvent by such familiarblendings of self and other asfriendship, sex, love, and marriage. Inthis recognition one begins to discernthe true matter of Naylor's novel.Mama Day concerns what seems thedifficulty – heightened in the course ofmodern times – that men and womenface in attempting to come together.Setting her tale largely on an island,Naylor takes up, as theme, a kind ofroot estrangement between male andfemale. 7 .Naylor brings forth a picture of a strongcommunity in this island setting. Peopleliving in Willow Springs practice selflesssocialism and an unbelievable closeness.Philip Page attributes these unique featuresof the community to the Willow Springspeople's healthy attitude to nature:The community's strength is based onseveral factors that suggest its Africanas opposed to Western orientation.Human beings here are intimatelyconnected with nature, accepting thedamage a hurricane can cause, readingthe signs of the seasons and theapproaching storm, and understandingthe soil ("Walking with Ambushthrough his fields was to watch the endof a virtuoso stroke the instrument ofis craft: [200] ) 8 .Naylor also uses certain images and symbolsin her works, which carry definiteimplications of space. Image of a well, forinstance, occurs in Mama Day. Wellsymbolizes the open-endedness of being andthe non-closure of her narrative. This imageenters the narrative when Miranda Daybattles her fears and opens the well where hersister, Peace, killed herself. Miranda had"evaded the symbolic truth of the well" (p –42), scared of the reality of her family'stragedy. She reconnects herself with the pastby opening the well. The well gives Mirandaan access to her paternal ancestry. Mirandaalso realizes that well is the site forconnection with her familial and communalpast.293 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedWell is also a symbol of bottomless pain andstruggle in Naylor's work. Cocoa andGeorge in Mama Day are deep down in thewell of troubles. Further, well symbolizesdeath as it reminds Miranda of her sister'sdeath. Yet Miranda confronts it and bringsnew meanings out of it. Philip Page relatesMiranda's position at the well to the postmodernrelation with binary logic andmeaning:Miranda's position at the rim of thewell replicates Willow Spring'sposition at the edge of the mainland.In both cases, the sorrows, the pain,and the brutality of the well are notignored, and obsession with the welldoes not entrap one within it. Instead,she transcends the well as sheembraces a position in the interstices, apostmodern position hat allows for theplay between binaries and for aliberating multiplicity rather than aconfirming singularity. 9One may not find a direct mention of well inWomen of Brewster Place. However, thedead end location of Brewster Place remindsone of a deep well. Further, characters likeLucielia, Cora Lee and Lorainne areentrapped in the well-like isolation of theirpersonal lives. They are practically throwninto Brewster Place, the rock bottom ofAmerican urban life, by the agencies ofpatriarchy and capitalism. Mattie, though apart of Brewster Place misery, prefiguresMiranda Day at the rim of the well. Shetranscends the struggles and pain of herpersonal life by embracing the community.IVNaylor's individual characters may well beheld in their personal tragic situations.However, an inter-subjective web of suchfigures is found in her novels like Women ofBrewster Place and Mama Day. This kindof a psychic web also leads to a multiplicityof voices in her narratives. And, often thesevoices create communities as each voice hasa tale or an experience, which has to be toldand be heard subsequently. Philip pageexplains how Naylor creates an alternativecommunity with the help of the narrative act:Individuals may – and will – betrapped in their well-like tragedies, butcommunities, as in the brick-throwingdemonstration in The Women ofBrewster Place and in the annualcandle walk in Mama Day can gain atleast momentary relief by singing, byperforming time-honoured rituals, bytelling and hearing each other's stories,and by embracing each other and eachother's cultures. Multiple voices cancreate communities and thereby helpcharacters avoid the isolation of thewell. But for Naylor such re-creationsin the real world are fleeting andperhaps illusory, like the brickthrowingdemonstration, or they occuronly in alternate realities like WillowSprings and Bailey's neighbourhoodwhere the imaginations of myth likecharacters can overcome the brutalconditions of American life. 10Thus, Naylor constructs community throughvoices and spaces by figuring them in themindscapes. Space in Women of BrewsterPlace and Mama Day is kept very fluid asphysical and psychological distances amongthe characters are eliminated very often.Naylor enables her characters to join in eachother's dreams. At times, the space is theroom created within the traditionalpatriarchal narrative forms for marginalizednarrators like conjurers and black mothers.She refigures community with a positiveintegration of individual, group, nature andsupernatural. The alternative AfricanAmerican community and its alternativespaces help the black women in her novels toresist the hostile American realities and totranscend them.References:1. See Lindsay Tucker's "Recovering theConjure Woman: Contexts in GloriaNaylor's Mama Day." AfricanAmerican Review. Black Women'sCulture Issue, Summer, 1994.2. Ibid.3. See Amy K. Levin's Africanism andAuthenticity in African AmericanWomen's Novels Gainesville:University Press of Florida, 2003, p –20.4. Ibid., p – 32.5. See David Cowart's "MatriarchalMythopoesis: Naylor's Mama Day".294 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedPhilological Quarterly, Iowa City, Fall1998. Vol. 77, Issue 4, pp. 439-460.6. Ibid.7. Ibid.8. See Philip Page's ReclaimingCommunity in Contemporary AfricanAmerican Fiction Jackson: UniversityPress of Mississippi, 1999, p – 166.9. Ibid, p – 170.10. Ibid, p – 184References:Cowart, David. "Matriarchal Mythopoesis:Naylor's Mama Day". PhilologicalQuarterly, Iowa City, Fall 1998. Vol. 77,Issue 4, pp 439-460.Levin, Amy K. Africanism and Authenticityin African American Women's Novels.Gainesville: University Press of Florida,2003.Naylor, Gloria. Mama Day. New York:Vintage, 1988.Naylor, Gloria. The Women of BrewsterPlace. New York: Penguin, 1982.Page, Philip. Reclaiming Community inContemporary African American Fiction.Jackson: University Press of Mississippi,1999.Tucker, Lindsay."Recovering the ConjureWoman: Contexts in Gloria Naylor's MamaDay". African American Review. BlackWomen's Culture Issue, Summer, 1994.295 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedAn Artist at Heart in ‘Doll’s House’--Dr. Tasneem AnjumPratibha Niketan College, NandedFreud argues that a woman, deprived of malegenitals,suffers from penis-envy, a feeling that she isa ‘mutilated man’ which leads her to seek anintellectual career. He adds that a women’s careercan often be recognized as a sublimated modificationof this repressed wish. Simone-de Beauvoircondemns Freud’s theory of penis-envy as ananomaly which fails to distinguish emotion fromsexuality and states that the regret not to have a penisis not generally found in girls 1 . Ashley Montagurefutes Freud’s charge and holds that, on the contrary,it is men who feel jealous of women’s ability tomenstruate and procreate 2 . Betty Freidan terms theFreudan theory about women absolescent, an obstacleto truth for women as it twists ‘the memory of thefeminists into the man-eating phantom of thefeminine mystique 3 .The career of a woman leads to independenceof mind and character which make her into acompetent mother and an efficient home-maker.Margaret Sangers wonders how a slavish mother cantrain up her child freely; ‘A free race cannot be bornto slave mothers’ 4 . Gender is not as important as thetenacity and tendency of an individual who feels andacts in his/ her unique way and whose love and lifeare beyond the mere combination of genitals, ovariesand hormones. While appealing to men recognizewomen as rational companions and ‘essentials’, BettyFriedan calls upon women who have intrinsic talent inart and literature to erase all shades of mystique bydeveloping self consciousness and propping their ownperception and sensibility.Sensibility is the interaction of the self withthe external world through the senses; it is perceptionof objects sensuously and storing up of the gatheredimpressions, which, when filtered, become a part ofthe writer’s consciousness. These engravings workon the thought-processes of a writer, leading him/ herin the direction of literary creation. Artisticendeavors are beyond the differentiation of biologicalfactors. Virginia Woolf says: ’If one is a man, stillthe woman-part of the brain must have effect, and awoman also must have intercourse with the man inher. It is when this fusion takes place that the mind isfully fertilized and uses all its faculties. Perhaps amind that is purely masculine cannot create any morethan a mind that is purely feminine’ 5 .Some find a strange similarity between thepenis and the pen inspite of their different modes ofcreation-- biological and literary. Women cannot risebeyond their sex mentally and emotionally, as long asthe invidious distinctions and gender-differentiatedpatterns exist. Kate Millet says: ‘Because of oursocial circumstances, male and female are really twocultures and their experiences are utterlydifferent…” 6 . Men and women represent two distinctclasses of humans, the intensity of feelings and rangeof thoughts of one being different from those of theother. Women writers, hence, should approach, think,feel, depict and offer solutions to the numerousproblems of life from the female point of view. Whenmen glorify themselves into literary heroes bynarcissism, why cannot women break the femininemystique by recognizing themselves as cogent andoriginal writers?For instance, male-writers do not havesubjective experiences regarding child-birth, nor arethey aware of the conflicts and problems involved inraising children. What is wrong if some women-poetsdelineate their sexuality, menstruation or motherhoodwhen it forms the precious specialty of women? Theyare valid subjects for literary expression. Womenshould penetrate into their passionate experiences andexpress them freely, overcoming their secret fears.Readers should be made to feel what it is to be awoman through the use of modified images andmyths. A woman-writer has to face a challengewhichever way she opts. If she is unassertive anduncertain her conscience pricks her for identity andrecognition and in case she is dogmatic andperemptory, she may be jeered at and isolated. EmilyDickinson, Emily Bronte, Christina Rossetti and AmyLowell withdrew into their lives. As Virginia Woolfputs it; ‘… it needs little skill in psychology to be surethat a highly gifted girl who had tried to use her giftfor poetry would have been so thwarted and hinderedby other people, so tortured and pulled asunder by hercontrary instincts that she must have lost her healthand sanity…..’ 7 . Being unable to withstand the296 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedschizophrenic split, Elinor Wylie, Sylvia Plath andAnne Sexton ended their precious lives in suicide.Women writers can save themselves from lunacy andsuicide only through their establishment in the worldof literary creation.Emily Dickinson, one of the widely readAmerican women-poets of the nineteenth century,ignores her semi-validity and biological limitations toidentify herself with the soul, boundless andimmortal.No Rack can Torture Me-My soul – at Liberty –Behind this mortal BoneThere knits a bolder oneNo Rack can Torture Me.The poet thinks that a woman’s yielding tohardship and slavery makes her into her enemy,whereas her flight beyond imprisonment leads herinto the region of thought and imagination.…. Thyself may beThine Enemy -Captivity is consciousness –So’s liberty.In ‘He Fumbles at your Soul’ EmilyDickinson rescinds the cruelty of man who enjoysbossing over and harassing women, against whichthey should harden themselves.He stuns you by degrees -Prepares your brittle NatureFor the Ethereal BlowBy Fainter Hammers.when a woman hits back with all the soul-force at hercommand, man is stunned into stillness.Emily Dickinson derides a woman who,reeling under the delusion of feminine mystique,receives the title of wife as a gift or as a degreeconferred on her.Title divine – is mine!The Wife –without the Sign!Acute degree – conferred on me -… When you –hold – Garnet to Garnet -Gold – to Gold -Born – Bridalled - ShroudedIn a Day -Tri Victory‘My Husband’ – women say –Stroking the Melody –Is this – the way?-‘Title divine – is mine’Most women while away their lives in garnetsand golden ornaments without pursuing a higher lifeof ambition and adventure. Is not a woman bridled ingetting bridalled? The poet passionately asks whethera woman should drain her life in calling somebodyher husband, ignoring her individuality andcelebrating his achievements.Sylvia Plath, a confessional woman-poetmarried the British poet Ted Hughes and moved toEngland. The enigmatic situation of her life and workled to her sad death by suicide which stirred theconscience of the female world. She blames womenwho lead futile lives, ‘earless and eyeless/ perfectlyvioceless’, who wriggle under the feminine mystiqueasking for little or nothing. In ‘kindness’ the poetmocks at the women who manifest tender feelingswhich ruin their aspirations and throttle their plans.An artistic woman should rise spontaneously beyondrigors of beauty and courtesy to satisfy her inner urgeof self-expression.The blood jet is poetryThere is no stopping itMan, according to her, is desperately in needof a female companion who can pardon his mistakesand wipe his tears during the time of a loss or a crisis.… are you our sort of person?Do you wearA glass eye, false teeth or a crutch,A brace or a hook,Rubber breasts or a rubber crotch,Stitches to show something’s missing?No, No? ThenHow can we give you a thing?Stop cryingOpen your handEmpty, Empty. Here is a handTo fill it.‘The Applicant’A woman who attends to and protects a manfrom disease and risk is depicted as ‘water-proof,297 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedshatter proof, proof/ against fire and bombs’. Likepuppet, she extends services to him for which she isglorified as a thing of silver and gold. Yielding tolove, a momentary impulse and an ephemeral passionruins, her life, as Plath tells us in ‘Elm’ –Love is a shadowHow you lie and cry after itListen: these are its hooves:It has gone off, like a horseA recurring strain of Plath’s poetry is herstruggle to discharge herself from ‘the biologicalprison’, the body-cage into which she is born. Shecan neither escape from her womanhood nor can dragon her life bound by the shackles of patriarchy.… it is Adam’s side,This earth I rise from, and I am in agony,It is so smallThe place I am getting to, why are there theseobstacles-‘Getting There’The imprisonment in her physical framefinally leads to restlessness, frustration and madness.expression. Women writers of the present-day refuseto be victimized by love or confined at home,shadowed by the forces of the feminine mystique.They realize the need for self-assertion and selfprojectiontill the day dawns when gender-basedconsiderations cease in literary creation.REFERENCES:1. Simone de Beauvior, ‘The Second Sex’,translation H.M. Parshley (Middlesex:Penguin, 1972), P.73.2. Ashley Montagu, ‘The Natural Superiority ofWomen’, (New York: Macmillan; 1957),P.33.3. Betty Freidan, ‘The Feminine Mystique’,(New York: Dell Publishing Co., 1963), P.94.4. Margaret Sangers, ‘Birth Control’ inWomen’s Liberation in the 20 th Century, Ed.Mary C. Lynn.p.29.5. Virginia Woolf, ‘A Room of One’s Own’,(New York: Harcourt, Brace and World,1957).p.170.6. Kate Millet, ‘Sexual Politics’, (New York:Double day & Company, 1970).p.31.7. Virginia Woolf, ‘A Room of One’s Own’,(New York: Harcourt, Brace and World,1957). P.86It is the sea you hear in me,Its dissatisfactions?Or the voice of nothing, that was yourmadness?‘Elm’However, the poet is reluctant to give up herstruggle to retain the purity and integrity of her soul.I am too pure for you or anyoneYour bodyHurts me as the world hurts God.‘ Fever 103 0 ’It is but natural for the women – writers ofthat time to expose themselves consciously to theirfemale-predecessors in their ‘anxiety of influence’.To kick off the age-long mould of male-tyranny andfemale submission and to kindle the lamp of selfconfidenceand collective effort among womenthough poetry are by no means easy task as they needcourage of conviction as well as facility of298 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedPost Feminist Gothic Vision inAngela Carter’s Heroes and Villains- Dr. Raji RameshS. K. Somaiya College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Vidyavihar,MumbaiAngela Carter, the multi-faceted writer hasbecome a central figure in the contemporaryBritish canon, basically because of her novel’sirreverence, quirky, humour, unorthodox genderconstruction and eroticism. Carter’s novelHeroes and Villains [1969] takes off into thefuture of ruins, by employing the familiarconventions of science fiction after the Bomb.The narrative is from the point of view ofMarianne, who runs away from the white towerwhere she grew up with her professor father. InMarianne’s act, Carter appears to demolish thebourgeois security of family and home, and tocome out of the power of the patriarch. TheNovel set in the post-holocaust future, brings tothe forefront three groups of human beings, whosurvive the mass destruction. They are theProfessors, who have preserved many, not all, ofthe features of the pre-holocaust ‘civilization’.They live in systematized communities whichare protected from the attacks by the Barbarians,who live ‘savage’, nomadic lives in the areasoutside the Professors’ communities. Then thereare the out people the radiation mutants livingoutside the realms even of the Barbarians. Theprotagonist of the novel, Marianne throughwhose focalization the novel unwinds, is aprofessor’s daughter who is bored with theroutine, systematic life of the Professors’community and deeply drawn towards thevibrancy and energy of the Barbarians. Soonafter an attack by a group of Barbarians,Marianne helps one of their members, Jewel,who has been wounded in the attack, to escapethe Professors’ village, who had been capturedby the Professors’. She leaves with him whoimmediately proclaims her his ‘hostage’ [Carter:1993, P.18.] inspite of her protest. Soon, theyreach Jewel’s Barbarian tribe, formally governedby Jewel and his brothers but under the authorityof the renegade professor, Donally. Mariannemakes an attempt to escape from the tribe, but iscaught by Jewel who rapes her, and finallymarries her to complete her subjugation. Withina short span Donally is expelled from the tribeafter a fight with Jewel. But having expelledhim, Jewel goes on a mission to save his mentoron knowing that he is held captive by theProfessors. Jewel is killed in this encounter andDonally, too does not return. The novel endswith Marianne deciding that she will rule andcontrol the Barbarian tribe. With this basic plot,Carter unravels the highly complicated aspectsof sexuality and gender roles in a futuristicsociety.Carter portrays the Professors’ communityas highly disciplined and systematic. Just incontrast with the Barbarian tribes, they are selfsufficientand technologically advanced. Theyalso have a tendency to preserve the goodaspects of the pre-holocaust world. TheProfessors with their intellectual frame of minddeny themselves the inborn tendencies that areassociated with the Barbarians. Marianne, theProfessor’s daughter cannot think about sexualintercourse, in all its animal compulsion, in herworld of the Professors. In the night after herforceful marriage to Jewel, Marianne realizesher repressed sexuality in her nuptial chamberand compares his feelings and sensation to whatshe was taught in the Professors’ world. Herthoughts indicate how one’s idea of sex isconditioned by one’s social conditioning:He was a curiously shaped, attractive stone;he was an object which drew her. Sheexamined the holes pierced in his ears tocontain earrings. She had read such coolwords in the books in her father’s study…She had heard her father’s gentle voicespeaking of happenings between men andwomen that, inspite of her affection shecould not associate with happeningsbetween the hairless old man and hermother’s ghost; now she lay far away fromhis white tower with a beautiful strangerbeside her and he stark naked.[HV–82-3]While Jewel is a total stranger to therealistic world of the Professors, Marianne,brought up in the abstract world of Professors, isa total alien to all the basic instincts which Jewel299 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedthe Barbarian epitomizes : “he’s id”, Cartercomments, using the Freudian term for the“primordial instincts which root humanbehavior”.[Sage: 1977,P.56] RegardingMarianne, Carter observes, in her letter to ElaineJordan : “She is very much a stranger to her owndesire, which is why her desire finds itsembodiment as a stranger.”[Jordan: 1994, P.197]To the extent that Marianne is attracted by theBarbarian vitality she is also urged by theenergies within herself that are completelyrepressed in the Professor’s world. Theprominent text that the two societies in Heroesand Villains share, and which is tattooed onJewel’s back, is the myth of Adam and Eve.Summarizing the story of Adam attracted byEve’s smile, the tattoo actually brings to theforefront the ideologies through which Jewel’sview of Marianne is mediated. Like ShadowDance (Carter’s first novel), Heroes andVillains also places misogynism within a largerideological and cultural framework. Jewel’sdeep sense of fear of Marianne is given as hisexplanation for raping her. His fear of her isalso the reflection of the way in whichpatriarchal societies deeply fear the loss of theircontrol to women. This is substantiated byJewel’s sense of happiness whenever Mariannehas been subdued.The tattoo on Jewel’s back is a cruelreminder of the oppression and cruelty inflictedupon others; Jewel himself feels that whenDonally tattooed him he was delirious and thatthe extraordinary care of Mrs. Green only savedhim from blood poisoning. It actually suggeststhat suffering doesn’t valorize pain but remindsone of the circumstances in which the sufferingoriginated. While Jewel is immersed in thebeauty of the tattoo, Marianne is concerned withthe pain it might have caused to him. She isn’tinterested in the tattoo’s beauty transcendingJewel’s suffering even though pain is eroticised.Eschewing romantic valorization of sufferinggives Carter ample scope to explore the extent towhich men are trapped within codes of violenceand aggression that may at times eroticisesuffering and the limit to which violence, painand suffering are used to dominate women.Though Marianne finds a sense ofawakening to her sexuality amongst theBarbarians, there are certain aspects of their lifethat dismays her and draws her respect, to theProfessors world. During her early secretventure into the Barbarian territory, she hadglimpsed a troupe of Barbarians and had beenshocked by the length of their materialdispossession, this attitude itself had renderedtheir faces ‘sick, sad and worn’ [HV–14]. Thatimpression is still afresh in her mind as she isliving amongst them. Marianne’s father, himselfa History Professor, had been researchingRousseau’s ideas on the innocence andcontentment of humankind in a ‘state of nature’.Marianne finds out the futility of Rousseau’sidealisations in a real situation. Carter says that“Heroes and Villains involves “a discussion ofthe theories of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and… itfinds them wanting”. [Haffenden: 1985, P. 76-96]Within a short period of her stay withthe Barbarians Marianne’s romantic conceptsabout them has completely vanished. But, thedispelling of the romantic feelings does notqualify her discovery of her own deeper,motivating desire in her relationship with Jewel.Here, she slowly understands that, it is her ownrepressed desire, which is much more importantthan Jewel himself. Within itself, Marianne’srelationship with Jewel is not at all liberating.Since, within Barbarian society, the sexualrelationship is very much deep rooted in thepatriarchal ideals just as the relation between thesexes had been patriarchally controlled in theProfessors’ community. Jewel’s initial rape ofMarianne is an expression of the ultimatedominating masculinism of his view of world.And this view is deeply conditioned by Donally.It was Donally who had tattooed on Jewel’sback an image from one of the great patriarchalmyths of all time.The Barbarians get a myth to live by,from their leader Donally. This very myth istaken from the ancients and is firmly based onthe denigration of women as misguidingoffenders of faith or trust. Further, regardingtheir views on the relative positions of the sexes,the Professors’ community with its patriarchallaw of inheritance, and the Barbarian world withits commodification and constant blame ofwomen, are mirror images of each other.Through different means both of themmonopolize women.300 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedMarianne rejects the absolute,patriarchal discipline of the Professors’rationalism and even the irrational patriarchaloppressiveness of the Barbarians. Above all, sherealizes that, for the apparent contrast betweenreason and unreason, the Professors and theBarbarians could not be divided into twoextreme communities. They actually suggesteach other. The outsider resides within each ofthem. This is clearly indicated in the beginningpart of the novel when Marianne dreams of herbrother, who was killed by Jewel in an attack onthe Professors’ community many years beforethe attack in which Jewel was wounded:She recalled with visionary claritythe face of the murdering boy with hisnecklaces, rings and knife, although thememory of her brothers’ face was totallyblurred. Sometime she dreamed of hisdeath, one day, waking from this dream, sherealized the two faces had super-imposedthemselves entirely on each other and all shesaw was the boy killing himself or hisdouble. [HV–10]Marianne definitely feels that the ‘trueappearance’ of either side is the one that wouldcompletely remove the categorization of theother as ‘other’. In their actual appearance thedivision between them doesn’t exist at all. Forinstance, Marianne, the Professor’s daughterwho also has lived with the Barbarians, findsboth aspects within herself. The novel brings tothe forefront Marianne as an example of thecondition which opposes the Professors’ and theBarbarians’ concept of the binary opposition andantagonism. Lorna Sage observes that Heroesand Villains offers readers the “exhilaratingsensation of recognizing that the binaryoppositions [inside/outside, culture/nature,masculine/feminine] are themselves being calledinto question”.[Sage : 1977, P.19] Further, thequestioning happens in gendered terms. TheBarbarians as well as the Professors insist on theopposition and exclusion, basically due to themasculinism prevailing in their societies.Marianne, being a woman, exemplifies afeminine model that is not oppositional orantagonistic but reconciling and synthesizing.Towards the end of the novel, when Jewel iskilled and Donally also disappears, Marianneultimately declares that she will be “the tigerlady” and “rule” the Barbarians “with a rod ofiron” [HV–150].Further, there is an incident that occursafter marriage when Jewel having sex withMarianne, growls, “conceive, you bitch,conceive”. ‘Shocked into “the most lucidwakefulness”, Marianne asks him “Why?”[HV–90]. Jewel’s response to her is so shocking thathe feels that by perpetrating his savage clonesupon her would give him self-respect. Sheobserves the masculineness of his imagination asat once irrational and grotesque.Towards the final part of the novel, onthe southern coastline, she fantasizes aboutleaving the Barbarian community and livingalone with Jewel. She imagines about bringingup a new set of human beings whose rationalitywould wipe out the male sexism that now moveswomen to the secondary status. She visualizesreason as the foremost aspect in her struggle tooppose the identification of female as a negativeconcept in the binary opposition. In heradamancy on the absolute right of women toclaim autonomy and self-determination, on thepower of women to reclaim, she imagines theymight walk home alone in safety even in thenight. Carter explains that:At best, they might begin a newsubspecies of man… This fearless andrational breed would eschew such mysteriesas the one now forcing her to walk behindthe figure on the shore [the father of thechild], dark as the negative of a photograph,and preventing her from returning homealone. [HV–137]Marianne’s fantasy is not realized, but,her firm belief in reason, an important aspect ofher Professorial side, is never given for all. Shefinds out this truth in the Barbarian world. Herfirmness to absolute reason is again emphasizedsoon after her fantasy about raising a new subspeciesof human being:Upon the cliff, a white towerglistened like a luminous finger pointing toheaven. It was a lighthouse… To Marianne,it looked the twin of the white tower inwhich she had been born… Thus this towerglimpsed in darkness symbolized andclarified her resolution, abhor shipwreck,301 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedsaid the lighthouse, go in fear of unreason.[HV–139]Marianne ultimately has established arelationship with her ‘own desire’ [Jordan: 1994:198] through her relationship with Jewel, but,her commitment to reason at last overcomes thepure infatuation that the savage had towards her.Thus, finally Marianne doesn’t sternly followthe extremes of either the Professors or theBarbarians. Her adherence to reason is alsocompletely different from the Professors’repressive and sterile rationalism. She goes allout and freely expresses her desire, without inanyway entering into the Barbarian unreason.She is the representative of the model wheredesire and reason are not at loggerheads witheach other. The synthetic model epitomized byMarianne can be identified as a feminine one, inopposition to the masculine insistence on selfrealizationthrough opposition through an other.The feminine part of the model is dramatizedtowards the end of the novel. Here, we observethe collapse of the anti-rational, absolute,patriarch Donally. When there is a clashbetween Jewel and Donally, the lattermomentarily appears as a representative of Godthe Father establishing over Jewel and Marianneas Adam and Eve:‘I do believe we’ve come to theparting of the ways, at last’.‘Do you?’ said Donally. He stoodup and stretched. He appeared to reach tothe top of the sky and the young man andwoman cowered at his feet but hisimpression lasted only for a moment. [HV–126-7]Soon after that, Donally is toppled. Eventhis section is loaded with biblical overtones:While Mrs Green was examining Marianne,Jewel went down to the stream and threw theboy’s chain into the water. When he returnedthe camp, the Doctor sought him out andattempted to shoot him with a pearl-handledrevolver but he missed. Jewel knocked himdown. When Mrs Green and Marianne came outof the barn, they found Donally lying on hisback in the grass beside the apple tree… Jewelstood beside him, running his thumb down theedge of his knife and the entire tribe hadgathered in a wide, wonder-struck andapprehensive circle round the fallen figure of theshaman. ‘I’ve not killed him yet’, said Jewel toMarianne. [HV–129]Immediately after Donally’s fall, Jeweldeclares that he will completely destroyDonally’s snake, emblem of the phallic authoritythat Donally had tried to impose on theBarbarians. Now, there are chances of Jeweland Marianne pursuing her fantasy of building anew ‘fearless and rational’ breed of humanbeings. But, sadly enough Donally is notmurdered, but just thrown out of the tribe.Traces of his patriarchal authority still remain inJewel. Unable to shed it off completely, Jewelagain returns to Donally to rescue him from thehands of the Professors’ soldiers who had madehim a captive. Jewel, thus backslides into the reidentificationwith the masculine cult thatDonally had given him.The last ‘No more’, uttered by Jewel, inthe last line of the novel, literally describesJewel’s departing and, at the same time, signifiessymbolically the culmination of the dominatingmasculinism for which he, in the end, likeDonaly, had stood.Now, with the death of Jewel, Mariannecan anoint herself as the ruler of the Barbarians,whom she is free to direct as per her model notof antagonism and opposition but ofcombination and synthesis. Jewel once tellsMarianne: “Pretend you’re Eve at the end of theworld” [HV–124]. Towards the end of Heroesand Villains Marianne is an Eve not at the fagend of the world as such, but definitely at theend of the patriarchal world. The originalpatriarchal myth of Eden, alluded to all throughthe novel, is revisioned at its close. Marianne,the new Eve is free to build a new Eden, the onethat is relieved of baleful father figures and theold male sexist mythology.Marianne, is in the course of her liberty,by assuming the role of ‘Tiger Lady’. But,inspite of her social and educational advantagesover Jewel, all through the novel, it is observedthat she is dominated by Jewel just because ofher gender. Further, her relationship with Jewel,in terms of power, is ambivalent from thebeginning. Isolated like Rapunzel in her whitetower in the Professor’s settlement, Marianneregards the Barbarians as “Hobgoblins ofnightmare” [HV–5]. Warned by father that,302 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedalthough he knows she isn’t wholly content withher uneventful existence, “chaos is the oppositepole of boredom” [HV–11], Marianne – likeother Carter heroines – opts for chaos. As wehave already observed, in the process, shebecomes the willing hostage of the Barbarianyouth Jewel, and, later, his wife.She also, inevitably, learns what liesbeneath the Barbarian façade, and so beginswhat Lorna Sage describes as “the novel’ssceptical exploration of the whole mystiqueof otherness”. [Sage: 1994, P.18]Carter introduces a discussion of genderrelationships which becomes explicit, highlycomplicated, akin to the kinds of issues that havepreoccupied her first novel onwards, where theparticipation of women like Ghislaine in theprocess of their own, extreme, victimization is aproblematic aspect of the text. Though Cartercreates a similar kind of situation, the differentperspectives of the participants makes aprofound difference. Explaining the bareaspects of the story, as Paulina Palmer says, itseems quite clear who is victim, who aggressor:Jewel’s treatment of her [Marianne]quickly lapses into physical violence.Having persuaded her to steal a lorry anddrive him to freedom, he hits her to makeher drive faster subsequently, he introducesher into the tribe to which he belongs.When she tries to escape, he follows her toher hiding place in the forest, and rapesher.[Palmer: 1987, P.188]But Paulina as Palmer argues, althoughCarter thus “runs the risk of tainting her fictionwith the attitude associated with popular genreswhich exploit the topic of sex and violence forthe purpose of titillation”, it is a problem she“succeeds in surmounting”.[Palmer: 1987,P.188] Palmer justifies her statement byfocusing on Carter’s liberal humanistictendencies, claiming that not only does sheendow Marianne with a resourceful and defiantpersonality, but also invites compassion forJewel who, “trapped in codes of aggression andcompetition”,[Palmer: 1987, P. 188] isdetermined to dominate Marianne basically outof fear. Thus, just as Carter succeeds increditing her female protagonists with a strongdegree of autonomy, so too she manages tomake her male protagonists convincingly drawnhuman beings, without in any way condoningthe acts of violence they commit. Herrepresentation of them, trapped in codes ofaggression and competition, comes remarkablyclose to the memorable definition of masculinitycoined by Frankie Rickford who suggests that:Masculinity may be a state of frozen terror andthe urgency of men’s sexual desire, adesperation to bury themselves in a warm bodyto escape from it for a few seconds.[Rickford:1983, P. 142]All through the novel, it is observed thatJewel’s acts of violence are basically due to hisinnate desire to dominate Marianne, and he isovercome by the fear factor also. The veryreason he gives for the rape of Marianne is thathe is “very frightened” of her [HV–56]. He isalso surprised at the discovery that she does not“sprout sharp teeth in her private parts” [HV–49,59] a piece of propaganda promulgated bythe tribe to which he belongs. He isoverwhelmed by any sign of her vulnerabilityand even interprets it as a proof of his capacityto subjugate her completely. Further histriumphant remark, “I’ve nailed you onnecessity, you poor bitch”, [HV–56], when hisheinous act of rape forces her into marriage withhim, pinpoints the urgency of the power strugglein which he feels himself to be engaged. Thevery tattoo of Eve tempting Adam with aperfidious smile on his back, has the power toplace this struggle in the context of misogynisticculture. It succeeds in lifting it from the lesserpersonal place to a political and ideological one.An important point raised by Carter’streatment of the interrelation between sex andviolence in her fiction is, the possibility ofdistinguishing the text that gives a seriousthought to the issue and the one that is a mereexercise of pornography. This is furtheramplified, as critics observe by the ambiguity ofthe visual image or a textual episode. Thus thereis always the possibility of one reader,interpreting as a serious investigation, into thefemale victim’s response to the experience ofviolent sex, while another regarding it aspornographic. But Carter’s austerely functionalstyle of writing in Heroes and Villains leaves noroom for ambiguity. Overall, she appears to becondemnatory of male sexual violence. There isabsolutely no voyeuristic pleasure to be gained303 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfrom Carter’s depiction of rape because it isportrayed as an act born out of fear andinsecurity rather than a sadistic desire fordomination and since the female protagonistsrefuses to be cowed by it, ultimately gainingascendancy over the man who threatens her.Heroes and Villains also offers achallenge to the construction of femininesubjects. The narrative itself at one level, is afairy-tale romance between Marianne, ‘the onlyrational woman left in the whole world’ [HV–55] and Jewel, ‘probably the most beautiful manleft in the world’ [HV–61]. This descriptionitself heralds a reversal of conventionalrepresentations of gender [masculine equatedwith mind; feminine with body], and reversal isan important aspect in Carter’s subversion ofsuch repressive ideologies. Within her rewritingof the fantastic text she attempts to decolorizethe representation of women’s bodies and desire.[Carter: 1983, P. 75]Marianne’s search for the ‘other’ultimately ends in self, since she realizes thatunderneath the superficial glamour of Jewel’sappearance, is the echoes of her own violent,repressed desire reflected back to her. Theoutcome is that Heroes and Villains not onlyanticipates Carter’s controversial deconstructionof female innocence and victimisation in TheSadeian Woman, but also ultimately strips thedandy of his theatrical façade. At first glance,Marianne may be the victim of Jewel’s violence,but towards the end he becomes her victim, theallusion to the blood with which the one witnessto his death is “covered from head to toe” [HV –149] – a last reminder of the potent blend ofdesire, violence and narcissism which has beenthe hallmark of all the interactions betweenthem. Lorna Sage amplifies this argument:“Though Jewel is the rapist, he is also the sexobjectand victim…. And although Marianne isthe victim, she is also the puppet- master’ssuccessor” [Sage: 1994, P.15]Ultimately Marianne realizes that chaosis worse than order, but she is not ready to goback to her systematic life. Instead, she bringsherself into the chaos, and completelytransforms it from the inside. During her staywith the Barbarians, she has met the shaman ofthe Barbarian tribe and former Professor,Donally, and from him learned the potential ofillusion. Donally maintains his power throughthe ritual manipulation of myth and symbol, andfinally when he is banished and Jewel is dead,Marianne steps into his role. Since shemiserably fails in her attempt to find theglamorous objective of her desire, the other,Marianne quickly transforms herself into an iconof otherness – the ‘the tiger lady’ who will rulethe Barbarians “with a rod of iron” [HV–150].This ultimate production of transformed self,takes the reader back to Carter’s first novel andHoneybuzzard, her definitive dandy, compelled“to face the task of producinghimself”[Foncault: 1984, P.42] in the knowledgethat there is no ‘essential’ self to fall back on.But unlike Honeybuzzard, Marianne has a goalmuch more than self. She, being the product ofa police state, quite deliberately combinesmythic spectacle with strong political purpose,intending to “frighten them so much they’ll doevery single thing I say.” [HV–150].Towards the end of the book, a numberof role reversals happen. The dandy has beeneliminated and his mystique has beenappropriated and used against him. Animportant aspect to be noted is that thetransformed dandy figure is now, impossibly,female. It is a rare moment that signifies animportant change in Carter’s portrayal of thefemale subject, for it pin points that Mariannehas now come out of the shackles of thestereotyped roles – daughter, victim, wife andwhore – in which she has been complicit fromthe beginning of the text; a great thing whichnone of Carter’s other female characters havehitherto achieved so definitely. Even Melanie,the character, who before Marianne, has gonefurthest along the road to emancipation, freezesin the face of autonomy, uncertain, it seems,what to do with her new-found freedom – iffreedom it is.Carter’s analysis in Heroes and Villains,with its futuristic setting, of masculine powerand the categories it create obviously relatesdirectly to the contemporary world. Asemphasized by Carter, women in the past as wellas now, don’t have much alternates in thepatriarchal world, to express their identity.Heroes and Villains also takes to a new, higherlevel of sophistication many of the points Carterhas begun to explore in her first three books.304 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedBut, the striking feature of the work is definitelythe conceptualization of reason as an important,paramount element in the formation of a worldorder beyond the patriarchal one. In hersubsequent works, Carter considers reason as thefirm ground of her feminist cause. That is anReferences:1 Angela Carter. “Notes from the Front Line,”in Michelene Wandor [ed.], On Gender andWriting. London: Pandora Press, 1983,pp.69-77. Here, Carter feels that “it isenormously important for women to writefiction as women-it is part of the slow processof decolonizing our language and our basichabits of thought” [p.75].2 Angela Carter. Heroes and Villains. NewYork: Penguin, 1993, p.18. All subsequentreferences in the chapter from this edition ofthe book are given in the body as HV.3 Elaine Jordan. “The Dangerous Edge’, inSage, Lorna[ed]”, Angela Carter. GreatBritain: Virago Press, 1994, pp.197-8.4 Elaine Jordan. “The Dangerous Edge”, inSage, Lorna [ed], Flesh and the Mirror:Essays on the Art of Angela Carter. London:Virago, 1994, p.198.5 Frankie Rickford. “No More SleepingBeauties and Frozen Boys,” in Eileen Phillips[ed.], The Left and the Erotic. London:Laurence and Wishart, 1983, p.142.6 John Haffenden. “Interview with AngelaCarter”, in Novelists in Interview. New York:Methuen, 1985, pp.76-96.7 Lorna Sage. “The Savage Sideshow: AProfile of Angela Carter”, The New Review, 4,1977, p.56.8 Lorna Sage. Angela Carter, Writers and theirwork series, p.19.9 Lorna Sage. Angela Carter. Plymouth:Northcote House Publishers, 1994, p.15.10 Lorna Sage. Angela, Carter, p.18.11 Michael Foucault. “What wasEnlightenment?” trans. Catherine Porter, inPaul Rainbow[ed.], The Foucault Reader.Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1984, p.42.12 Paulina Palmer. ‘From “CodedMannequin” to Bird Woman: Angela Carter’sMagic Flight,’ in Sue Roe [ed], WomenReading Women’s Writing. Brighton:Harvester Press, 1987, p.188.important feature of the conceptual frame ofreference used by her. In her works, Carter aswe observe, quite frequently both explicitly andimplicitly, complicates, deepens and extends herunderstanding of reason.305 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedFeminism in Khaled Hosseni and Chetan Bhagat—A Comparison--Fahmeeda Patla & Sowmya Raj B MGovt. First Grade College, Banglore.At first glance a comparison betweenthe Afghan-born American novelist Hosseni’s AThousand Splendid Suns and the Indian born IITgraduate Chetan Bhagat’s, Two States the Storyof My Marriage seem incomparable. On closerreading we find both the male writers treatmentof women characters to be “lead protagonists”.The two novels are set in different times- Russiaoccupied Kabul and contemporary India,different settings—fanatic Islam and secularIndia, and different focus— love for themotherland, yet migration to safer countries andthe autobiographical story of a love marriageagainst all odds.The lead characters in Hosseni’s novel--Nana, Mariam and Laila are representative ofwomen in Kabul in particular and Afghanistan ingeneral. The women protagonists’ in Bhagat’snovel—Ananya, Kavita, Radha, arerepresentative of the contemporary women ofIndia. The travails of all these women aredifferent, but their responses to them aresurprisingly similar. This paper is divided intothree parts—the first part discusses womenprotagonists’ in Hosseni’s novel—A ThousandSplendid Suns, the second part discusses womenprotagonists’ in Bhagat’s novel—Two States theStory of My Marriage and the third part isconclusion.PART ONE-- A THOUSAND SPLENDIDSUNSNana, representative of the first generationwoman in the Hosseni’s novel is the wrongedwoman. She is a servant in Jalil’s house anddoes not have the sanction of society for her“illegal relationship” with Jalil and thereforechooses to suffer a life of ignominy andrebelliously eschews society. “Women of thefirst generation are hyper sensitive individualsinept to cope with the environment around themand the tussle and the mismatch drag them tothe inevitable catastrophe---entry into the blindand the no-return path of neurosis”, opines V.Ramesh in his essay “Indian Women –ThePrinciples and the Principals-A FeministicElucidation” i . Nana decides to live outside thecity, in a Kolaba –small house made of stonewalls, with virtually no contact with the rest ofthe world with her young daughter Mariam .Nana is extremely attached to her daughter,possessive and unwilling to let her be educatedor send her out of sight. Maraim grows olderand wants to see the city, where her father is afamous man and is the owner of the cinema.Despite warnings of not finding love andacceptance in her father’s family and pleadingsof “I’m all you have in this world, Mariam, andwhen I’m gone you’ll have nothing. You’ll havenothing. You are nothing.” Mariam goes out tothe city only to return shamefaced, as her fatherrefuses to see her, and findsher mother dead.Nana, Mariam’s mother has committed suicide,the neurotic that she is. Mariam is all of 15years old at this juncture and married off toRasheed, a 45year old businessman from Kabul,a city, 650 kilometers away, from Herat, by herfather and his other wives only to wash theirhands off their responsibility.This most unsuitable suitor for youngMariam is a common solution for many girls inPatriarchal societies. It can be seen in ThomasHardy’s novel “The Mayor of theCasterbridge”, in the famous scene of thedrunken Michael Henchard selling his wife andinfant daughter for five guineas at a country fair.Patriarchal societies do not readily sell their306 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedsons, but their daughters are all for sale sooneror later.Mariam--Life in Kabul for 15 year oldMariam with hard hearted, troubled, bitter,patriarchal Rasheed is difficult, pained andprison like. She has to satisfy the sexualdemands of Rasheed, and produce a son.Unfortunately her body is unable to cope withthe strain of producing a baby and she remainschildless. Gradually she resigns herself to thestatus-quo putting up with barbaric treatment atthe hands of Rasheed, only for survival and aroof over her head. “Women of the secondgeneration are mute victims and their throbbingtransforms them into idealists”, opinesV.Ramesh.The changing political clime ofAfghanistan brings a thunderstorm in the life ofMariam in the form of Laila. Laila, a 15yearoldgirl is the suddenly, unexpectedly orphanedneighbor’s daughter, practically a daughter toMariam herself, had she produced a baby at theright age. Mariam becomes a mute spectator inher husban’s marriage when, Rasheed takesLaila as his third wife, only for a son, a progeny.Mariam’s complaints fall on deaf ears, she darenot show anger and resentment for fear of beingthrown out of the house, to be reduced to thestate of a beggar on the streets of Kabul.Laila , the third generation woman inHosseni’s novel, has been brought up with ademocratic outlook by her father Babi. For her‘education’ and the liberty it gives—morally,legally, socially and psychologically is moresignificant in comparison with hercontemporaries. At an age when girl friends ofLaila in her high school are bothered about love,trinkets for attracting the opposite sex andsettling down in life with a good suitor, Laila ,thinks only of solving problems in algebra,geometry etc., The focus on getting theirdaughters married and settling them down with agood suitor reaches a frenzy among the parentswith the advent of the Mujahideen. A straybomb brings Laila’s education to a close and sheis orphaned. Her budding love with Tariq, herchildhood friend is also suddenly, broken whenTariq’s family decides to migrate to neighboringPakistan. By a sudden twist of fate, Laila endsup as Rasheed’s wife. She suffers physical andpsychological torture at the hands of thedeceitful, lying Rasheed. Trapped in a loveless,albeit practical and convenient marriage for thesake of the growing baby of Tariq in her wombfor-- 15 years. Rasheed bribes a friend to conveya false eye witness account of Tariq’s death toconvince young, beautiful and distraught Lailato marry him.The only positive aspect of this forcedcircumstances marriage with Rasheed, is theunbreakable, affectionate, caring and lovingbond she forms with Mariam—Rasheed’s wife .Laila takes active part in the movement ofremaking Afghanistan. Women belonging to thethird generation are adept in identifying andadmitting the new and important knowledgeabout themselves as a consequence of theirsuffering and this awareness or realizationmakes them sober in outlook and thus they reacha kind of fulfillment in their relationship with theplanet, opines V.Ramesh.Life becomes living hell for Mariam andLaila when Tariq comes back, to Kabulsearching for his childhood friend and love--Laila. Zalmai—the young son of Lailainnocently spills the beans of Tariq’s visit totheir house in front of his father, causing him toattack Laila. He is in a great fit of anger andMariam sees blood in his eyes. Unable to fendhim off from attacking Laila, she brings a shovelfrom the tool room and kills him. TragicallyMariam is hanged for the murder of her husbandby the Taliban. Laila, Tariq and the two childrenmigrate to Pakistan and rebuild their life anew.Post Taliban, they also come back to Kabul, as307 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedLaila cannot stay back for long without theloving presence of her beloved Mariam. Shebegins teaching in a school.The women of thethird generation could fine-tune well within andoutside their bounds by developing valuesystems of their own and moreover, their innerresources empower them to identify theirrational social system, concludes V.Ramesh.We think, women of the thirdgeneration are better equipped to tackle thesituation and rebel accordingly, mainly due tothe strength of education. This rebelliousattitude is further fanned by the flames ofsociety which is in a varying mode and unable tobear new ideas.PART TWO--TWO STATES THE STORYOF MY MARRAIGESet in contemporary India, the novelbegins with Krish and Ananya falling in love inthe canteen of IIT Allahabad, moves to theSouth of India, Tamilnadu, home of the heroineand then to the North of India, Delhi, home ofthe hero and briefly to Goa. Indicative of its titlethis novel is a love story of two young people,but the marriage of two families and two States.In any marriage, in India, a noddingacquaintance of the members of the family is amust, and a mutual understanding between theparents’ of the spouses’ mandatory. Love andunderstanding between the couple to be marriedwas seen as a natural development after anarranged marriage, until a few decades ago. Thecurrent scenario has changed. It is the age of afree movement between the sexes in college anduniversity campuses. Krish and Ananya arerepresentative of this set- the third generation.Feelings of deep love, passion and concern foreach other between the protagonists’ almostgoes for a toss between the tussle of the familymembers for such mundane things as a goodbreakfast to the guests and the worth of gifts’ tobe exchanged between the boy’s and the girl’sside. Non compliance to these things on thegirl’s side is seen as not giving importance tothe boy’s side and his position as the patriarch.Swarna aunty-- First generation womenprotagonists in Bhagat’s novel are portrayed inthe character of Swarna Aunty—the maternalgrand aunt of the hero—Krish. Women of thisgeneration are silent viewers of their situation inlife. They are unable or rather unequipped todeal with the environment around them. Either,they accept their lot in life or unable tocompromise enter into the blind and on to thepath of no-return neurosis. Their only goal in lifeseems to get their daughters, first, then theirrelatives’/ neighbor’s daughters and finally othergirls whom they know, to be settled in life with agood man for husband. They seem to thinkmarriage is the be all and end all of a girl’s life.Second generation women protagonistsin Bhagat’s novel are portrayed in thecharacters’ of Kavita-mother of the hero Krish,Radha-mother of the heroine Ananya, Shobhaathai—Ananya’s aunt, Kamala aunty --Krish’saunt. They are idealists. They are unable to fullyexplore their potential, develop as individuals orgive voice to their interests and passions. Theyhave to follow the patriarch of the familyunquestionably, whether he is right or wrong.Kavita and Radha are never consulted by theirspouses regarding the future of their children.Kavita – the second generation womanin the novel, is determined to shake off theinfluence of Ananya on her son. She thinks allSouth Indian women are “brain washers”. Theyare in the “hunting mode” for a good fairskinned North Indian boy, and gives theexample of famous Bollywood actresses fromthe South, Hemamalini and Sridevi, who havegot married to North Indian married men- actors,breaking their homes. Kavita has patriarchalmindset, unconsciously. She finds Ananya’s308 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedmother—Radha to be opinated and dominatingAnanya’s father. She is proud of the fact that shehas a son as progeny, and so demands respectfrom the girls’ side, forgetting that she herself isa woman. Patriarchal thinking is so much a partof her that she is scared of her husband, even tomeet with her siblings. Kavita puts up withphysical abuse from her husband, even for herson’s misdemeanor. She thinks the boy’s side issuperior and their demands have to be fulfilled.She is even ready to part with her jewelry forMinti, when the groom’s side is creating a scene.Radha--- Ananya’s mother representsthe second generation women in the novel.Coming from the Southern part of India where,one can see better educational opportunities’ forwomen, she is educated. Her position inmarriage is better off in comparison to Kavita.She has a hobby of singing Carnatic music. Sheis conservative in her thinking. When Harishcomes as a suitor for Ananya, she is willing toaccept him as her son-in-law just because he isearning a good salary, despite his unhandsomelooks.Ananya—female lead, Minti, Tikki andNikki are women representing the thirdgeneration in the novel. Educated, smart,modern and suave in their outlook they are allgirls of the 21 century. They have goals andambitions. They are achievers, who want to berecognized for their own worth, merit andintegrity rather than their fathers’ or theirhusbands’. Reaching the Numero uno position intheir chosen field and maintaining it is theirgoal. This phenomenon can be seen in everyfield—Aviation, Industry, MultinationalCompanies, Software Engineers, Politics, FilmActing, Fashion etc., For these women, marriageis a part of life and not the be all and end all as itwas to their mothers, aunts and grandmothers.They are not only involved in serious pursuit ofwhat they want; they also like to have fun alongthe way.Ananya—is intelligent, academicallyhighly motivated, smart and passionate. She istruly a girl of the contemporary times. She isselected for her brilliant performance in IITAllahabad. Despite being born a Tamil Brahmin,brought up by conservative parents, she is notconservative. She eats non-vegetarian food andlikes a drink or two. She is determined,confident and charming. Every batch mate whomeets her is charmed by her. She does notdevelop a guilty conscience after havingpremarital sex with Krish. Further illustrationsof her grit and focus are seen in Minti’smarriage. Minti is Krish’s cousin. At the lastminute the groom’s side is not happy with thedowry. Ananya, the resourceful girl that she is,convenes a meeting of the young people, in thewedding hall, including the groom. Sheconvinces the groom, to accept the situation—status quo, get married to Minti and not create ascene. Her body language, choice of words andrebellious attitude against patriarchy is bold.This incident portrays the determined outlook ofthe young in India today. It also depicts thesensitive and soft side of Ananya’s character.Mindful of the repercussions of her actions, andthe highly delicate situation of Minti, shedisplays great sense of justice against all odds.Ananya does for Minti, a girl just like her, whatshe would do for herself. This action brings tomind the Biblical thought, “Do unto others asyou would have done unto you”.When there are ego problems betweenKrish and herself, she prefers to let go of therelationship with Krish and call the marriage offrather than cause trauma and loss of face to herparents. This again displays a lot of courage anda sacrifice of the self for the better of others.Krish is not willing to let go of Ananya, andpursues her only to get a damp rebuff.Surprisingly it is Krish’s father—the greatpatriarch in the family who considers the309 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfeelings of his son and manages, to convinceAnanya to change her mind.PART THREE-- CONCLUSIONPATRIARCHAL MINDSETAs can be seen from the abovediscussion, portrayal of the female characters’by Hosseni and Bhagat is not patriarchal. Theauthors are modern and non-patriarchal in theiroutlook of the third generation characters. Theyportray them as they are—in contemporarytimes. The depiction of the first and the secondgeneration women characters is also true to theirtimes—as set in the novels. Hosseni’scharacters, Nana, Mariam, Laila and Bhagat’s,Swarna Aunty, Kavita, Radha, Ananya havesimilar concerns and attitude to life, even thoughthey are separated by national, geographical andcultural boundaries.A comparison of apparently twodifferent novels displays commonalities in theportrayal of women. The first and secondgenerations of women in both the countries,Afghanistan and India seem to be makingcompromises quickly—for two reasons. Onethepeace and quiet of the family is moreimportant even at the cost of sacrificing self forothers. Two –for lack of life skills needed to leadan independent life.The second generation women havepatriarchal mindset unconsciously. Kavita,Mariam, Pammi, Shoba athai are all for “theboy” and suffer physical abuse silently, naturallyand unquestionably. Kavita is similar to Rasheedin taking pride in having a son. Mariam andKavita put up with their spouses, even whenthey are not civil enough to hold a conversation.Rasheed does not deem his wives importantenough to even speak with them, especially aftera daughter is born to Laila.Rasheed considers sex with Mariam as aright. Mariam puts up with his sexual exercisejust as she does his other activities. She takes nojoy in it. “While men consider marriage as alicense to physical intimacy, women demand tobe guided to sex through emotional intimacy.The difference in their attitude to sex pervadesthroughout their married life though it remainsan undiscussed area. Sex becomes a mechanicalaction which forces the woman to hide herfeelings leaving her both ashamed and terrifiedof frenetic emotions,” tells Susan Jacob.The third generation women, Laila,Ananya are not patriarchal in their mindset.Ananya, the feminist that she is, asks Minti’sgroom if he is capable of getting a beautiful girlon his own during his college days. Both Lailaand Ananya are not afraid of having pre maritalsex and do not suffer a guilty conscience later,unlike Nana.Happily, both the authors display a nonpatriarchalmindset. First , women as leadcharacters, secondly in portraying them aswomen of grit and substance. They have evendedicated their books to the “WOMEN OFAFGHANISTAN” and “TO MY IN LAWS”—that is the girl’s parents.1Dominic .K..V. Critical Studies onContemporary Indian English WomenWriters..Delhi .Sarup Book Publishers, 2010.References:1. Hosseni Khaled. AThousand SplendidSuns.Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, 20072. Bhagat Chetan. Two States The Story ofMy Marriage.3. Das Biajy Kumar. Twentieth CenturyLiteraryCriticism.AtlanticPublishers.2007.4. Jacob Susan Asha. Voice of theSilenced:A Reading of ShashiDeshpande’s Novels.Sarup Publishers.310 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

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Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedA Dalit- Feminist Perspective in Bama’s ‘Sangati’--Kishor N. IngoleShivaji Mahavidyalaya,Hingoli, Dist.Hingoli(MS)Abstract :-Sangati is a record of their experience of the join oppression of caste and gender faced by multiple Dalit women; is in a sense anautobiography of community. Bama foregrounds the “difference” of Dalit women from privileged upper caste women and also celebrates their“identity” in their strength, labour and resilience. As a feminist writer Bama protest against all forms of oppression and relying on the strength andresilience of Dalit women, makes an appeal for change and self empowerment through education and collective action.The from of each chapter of Bama’s autobiography, Sangati is therefore exploratory, and the structure of the book is a whole seeks tocreate a Dalit-feminist perspective. Women writings have come forth with a strong portrayal of women’s problem which men could not either evenimagine or if imagined, could not feel them the way a women can or does. Sangati is in the voices of many women speaking to and addressing oneanother as they share the incidents of their daily lives. Those voices, sometimes raised in anger or in pain as they lash out at each other, or againsttheir oppressors, is reported exactly in this novel.Key words : Inhuman treatment to Dalit women, Gender Discrimination, Sexual assaults, Marginalization of women, Selfish gratification of man,Social revolt against convention, Women’s awareness, Women’s liberation movement, Gender and caste equality, contemptuous attitude of women.Is Varga ki mahila duhre tihre shoshan ki shikar hai.Samajik utpidan ka vah bada udaharan hai.Vah dalit yuvak ki prataarna jhelti hai.Mahila utpidan ke mamle mein dalit-gair dalitdono ek jaisa vyavahar karte hein.( Kajal, Ajmer Singh:2009,p.99)The paper highlights a Dalit-feminist perspectivein Bama’s Sangati, which creates masculine ideals likecourage, fearlessness, independence and self-esteeminstead of the feminine ideals of fear, shyness andinnocence. Faustina Mary alias Bama was born into aconverted Christian family in 1958 at Puthupatti nearMadurai. She is one of the first Dalit women writers to bewidely recognized and translated. She is also regarded thefirst black literary writer in Tamil literature. BesidesKarukku, she has published Sangati, Kusumbukkaaranand Vanman, all novels. Bama has remarkably portrayedthe suffering of Dalit women, who are doublymarginalized-being a Dalit and being a woman.Sangati, which in Tamil means news, events andhappenings, published in Tamil in 1994 and translatedinto English in 2004 by Lakshmi Holmstrom, is thesecond work of Bama. Sangati is the autobiography of aDalit community. It is the story of ‘Paraiya Christianwomen’ who come together to fight oppression. Sangatiis an insight into the lives of Dalit women who face thedouble disadvantage of caste and gender discrimination.The pangs of Dalit women are multilayered sincethey have to endure the most of this social discriminationdue to their vulnerable positioning in the male socialorder in general and in the Indian cultural life inparticular. In the case of Dalits, many writers, particularlynovelists have elaborately dealt with the subject of Dalitscondition and consciousness prevailing in their times.“ Primarily the aim of Dalit literature is tohighlight the disabilities and difficulties togetherwith atrocities and inhuman treatment meted outto Dalits. The main object is to produce socialawakening among the downtrodden.”( Sk.Kaul:2007, p.34)Sangati is uniquely placed in contributing both tothe Dalit movement and to the women’s movement. Asper feminism is concern, feminism recognizes theinadequacy of male-created ideologies and struggles forthe spiritual, economic, social and racial equality ofwomen sexually colonized and biologically subjugated.An expression of the mute and stifled female voice deniedan equal freedom of self-expression, feminism is aconcept emerging as a protest against male dominationand the marginalization of women. Sarah Grimkeobserves :Man has subjugated women to his will, used heras a means to promote his selfish gratification tominister to his sensual pleasure, to beinstrumental in promoting his comfort; but neverhas he desired to elevate her to that rank she wascreated to fill. He has done all he could do todebase and enslave her mind…( Grimke, Sarah:1970,p.10)Gita M. Bhojane writes about feminism in herresearch paper entitled, ‘Feminist Aspects in The CalcuttaChromosome.’ She rightly puts :Feminism is a revolt and the women’s liberationmovement against the domination of males inevery walk of life. Feminism is a kind of socialrevolt against convention. ( Gita:2011 p. 286-7)Many writers focused on the feminist aspectthrough their work. Bama is one of them who depictedfeminist perspective in her novel. The Dalit feministcritic, Sharmila Rege writes:312 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedThe Dalit feminist standpoint is about historicallylocating how all our identities are not equallypowerful, and about reviewing how in differenthistorical practices similarities between womenhave been ignored in an effort to underline casteclassidentities, or at other times differencesignored for ‘the feminist cause’ (Sangati: Introduction, p.xvii)Woman has been the victim of social injusticeand exploitation since the time immemorial. In Indiawomen is called Mata, Devi and Laxmi and apparentlyshe seems to be given due respect in society, but reallyshe was been reduced to an inferior status. In this land ofmale-chauvinist where social life is controlled by menand the customary laws are framed by men to suit hisselfish end, woman if often subjected to endless tortureby the pleasure seeking selfish husband. The conventionalsociety provides man many rights and freedoms but itdebars woman from them. Indian woman has the status ofa slave. Her duties are to work, to clean, to please herhusband’s libidinous desires and to submit herself to hermale chauvinism and physical violence. Burning womanto death and offering her for humiliation and prostitutionby the faithful and powerful husband has been thepractice of this spiritual land. Rama allowed Sita to beconsigned to fire and exiled her merely on the basis of thederogatory words used by a whimsical, ignorant andwicked dhobi. There seems no element of rationality inthe decision of Lord Rama. What to speak of an ordinaryman of this so-called spiritual land where the attitude ofthe Lord Himself to woman is like this. Similarly, inMahabharta, Draupati is put to dice by the so-calledDharmaraja. She is also humiliated in the presence of thegreat warriors, learned men and even her five mightyhusbands for whom she has been bearing the label ofpolyandry.Laxmi Holmstorm points out in the Introductionof her translated book that, women are presented inSangati by Bama as wage earners as much as men are,working as agricultural and building site laborers, butearning less than men do. Yet the money that men earn istheir own to spend as they please, whereas women bearthe financial burden of running the family, often singly.There are also constantly vulnerable to sexual harassmentand abuse in the world of work. Within the community,the power rests with men: caste-courts and churches aremale-led, and rules for sexual behavior are very differentfor men and women. Hard labor and economicprecariousness leads to a culture of violence and this is atheme that Bama explores boldly throughout the book.Dalit women can not bear the torment of uppercastemasters in the fields and at home they can’t bear theviolence of their husbands. In this connection Bamawrites:Even though they are male, because they areDalits, they have to be like dogs with their talesrolled up when they are in the fields, and dealingwith their strength in those circumstances. Sothey show it at home on their wives and children.Is it the fate of our Dalit women to be tormentedboth outside their houses and within ?( Sangati, p.65)The telling description of Dalit women at thebottom of social pyramids, as seen by Dr. B.R Ambedkaris crucial in understanding their position as the lowest oflow. Dr. Ambedkar saw the Hindu caste system as apyramid of earthen pots which are put on one another. Inthis structure not only the privileged castes of Brahminsand Ksatriyas are at the top and Shudras and untouchablesat the bottom but within each earthen pot ‘men are at thetop and women of that caste are on the bottom likecrushed and wasted powder. And at the very bottom arethe Dalits and below them are the suppressed Dalitwomen’. ( Karan Sing Yadav:2009,p.103)Bama shows that how the Dalit women becomethe subject matter of misbehavior without their any fault.One of the characters Mariamma began to feel totally fedup with life. She says:For no fault of mine, I get abused wherever I go.Did I ever look that fellow in the face even? yetthe people of this village call me every kind ofname. Sangati, p.40)No doubt Bama’s grandmother becomes therepresentative of women’s movement. In the false case ofsexual misbehavior of Mariamma. Bama’s grandmothercomments:“when the fellow pulled you into the shed, whycouldn’t you have kicked him in the balls themand there?” ( Sangati, p. 28)Bama explained, how the upper-caste womendon’t show their pity or kindness to the Dalit-women ifonly as women to women, but they treat them withcontempt. They themselves lead lives shut up inside theirhouses, eating, gossiping and doing their husbands’bidding and them they treat Dalit women badly. Godknows how they stay shut up within four walls, alltwenty-four hours of the day. From this feministperspective, Bama explains:It seems that at least our women work hard andearn their own money, and have a few coins intheir hands. They don’t hold out their palms totheir husbands for every little expense, like thoseothers. All the same, because of our caste andbecause of our poverty, every fellow treats uswith contempt. If ever there is a problem or adisturbance, everyone starting with the police,chooses to blame and humiliate the women of ourcommunity. The government does not seemprepared to do anything to redress this. So wemust take up the challenge ourselves ( Sangati,p.66)313 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedDalit women are rightly seen as “ thricesubjugatedas women, as Dalit women, and as Dalitwomen who perform stigmatized labor” ( AnupamaRao:2003, p.11)Dalit women were never allowed to go to theCinema. Bama asked her grandmother, why womenshouldn’t go to the Cinema. She said, ‘All sorts of fellowsfrom all different castes go to the Cinema. If any of thoseothers grab one of our women or assault her then it willlead to a fight, won’t it? That’s why’ Again Bama asked,‘But women from other castes go. Why don’t they make apass at them, Paati ?’‘They never dare touch The women from othercastes. But they don’t have any respect for ourwomen. And our men are afraid that if anythingindecent happens to one of us, it might end in ariot. ( Sangati, p. 105)Bama asks a question to her grandmother aboutgender equality and again she raised a question, howwoman as a human being. She says:‘why can’t we be the same as boys? We are’tallowed to talk loudly or laugh noisily; evenwhen we sleep we can’t stretch out on our backsnor lie face down on our bellies. We always haveto walk with our heads bowed down, gazing atour toes. You tell us all this rabbish and keep usunder your control. Even when our stomachs arescreaming with hunger, we mustn’t eat first. Weare allowed to eat only after the men in the familyhave finished and gone. What, Paati aren’t wealso human being?” ( Sangati, p. 29)Bama herself faced many difficulties being as aDalit woman. When people were asking questions abouther village, her name, her parents name, her brother, hersisters, caste and religion. Bama says:‘I often get angry enough to shout it out a aloud: Iam a Paraichi; yes I am a Paraiche. And I don’tlike to hide my identity and pretend I belong to adifferent caste. The question beats away in mymind: why should I tell a lie and live a false life?Women of other castes don’t face this problems.’( Sangati, p.120-121)Bama wants to create an awareness in the mindsof women she says:“ I decided then that it is up to us to be aware ofour situation, and not fool ourselves that we havebeen possessed by peys. We must be strong. Wemust show by our own resolute lives that webelieve ardently in our independence. I toldmyself that we must never allow our minds to beworn out, damaged and broken in the belief thatis our fate. Just we work hard so long as there isstrength in our bodies, so too, must we strengthenour hearts and minds in order to survive”.( Sangati, p.59)Bama admires the women of her Dalitcommunity for their courage, fearlessness independenceand self-esteem. Because Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkarspread his message through his literature to emancipatethe Dalit community. Mahatma Phule and Dr. BabasahebAmbedkar undertook titanic efforts to create abovementioned things in the minds of women. So Bama inSangati writes:Nowadays women can take up all sorts ofresponsibilities. Generation by generation wemust start thinking for ourselves, taking decisionsand daring to act. Don’t we sharpen and renew arusted sickle? Just like that, we must sharpen ourminds and learn to live with self respect. (Sangati, p.104 )Bama also wants Dalit women to be politicallyactive and she should be empowered through education.At one point in the novel Bama says:‘The women are in worse position. More thanhalf never go and vote. Given how many womenthere are altogether, there is so much we couldachieve. We could demand the rights that are dueto us. we could demonstrate our own strengththrough political power.’ ( Sangati, p.103)To sum up, Bama wants create an affirmativemood and she gives the message to all women. “If weourselves do not change our condition, then who willcome and change it for us? ( Sangati P. 122 ) And thenovel ends with this line, ‘women can make and womencan break’.Works CitedPrimary Source :Bama, Sangati (Madurai : Ideas, 1994), trans. ByLakshimi Holmstrom, Oxford University Press, NewDelhi, 2005.Secondary Sources :• Kajal, Ajmer Singh, “Samajik Rupantaran ke liyeSangharshrat Atmakathayen” Harigandha, Jan. 2009.• Sk. Kaul. ‘Dalitism: Its Growth and evaluation inDalit literature: A critical Exploration’. ed. AmarNath Prasad and M.B. Gaijan. New Delhi: Sarup andSons, 2007.• Grimke, Sarah. ‘Letters on the Equality of the sexesand the condition of women’. New York: BurtFranklin, 1970.• Gita M. Bhojane.“Feminist Aspects in The CalcuttaChromosome”.ed. Jeevan Masure and SanjayKulkarni.‘Voices from Marginality in Literatures inEnglish’ , Harani Prakashan, Nanded, 2011.314 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded• Karan Singh Yadav. “ Locating women in DalitLiterature: A study of Sharan Kumar Limbale’sAkkarmashi”ed. Karan Singh, Amod Rai & JyotiYadav.“Dalit Literature Challenges andPotentialities”. Creative Books. New Delhi. 2009.• Anupama Rao. “Introduction: Caste, Gender andIndian feminism”.Gender and caste ed. AnupamaRao. New Delhi: Kali for Women & Womenunlimited, 2003.315 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedWomen In Limbale’s Outcaste: A Feminist View-Mr. V. S. BongulwarS. D. College, Hadgaon.Dist. Nanded.When we discuss Dalit and Dalitism it remainincomplete unless we take into account astrong undercurrent of Dalit women and theircondition as a part as well as a separate streamunder the overall space of Dalit literature.With it, it can also be argued that anyperspective on Dalit women is bound to be lop–sided unless we take into consideration theperculiar socio-economic milieu in which sheis placed. Dalit women are rightly seen as“thrice – subjugated as women, as Dalitwomen, and as Dalit women who performstigmatized labour. Dr. Ambedkar saw theHindu caste system as a pyramid of earthenpots which are put on one another. In thisstructure not only the privileged castes ofBrahmins and Ksatriyas are at the top andShudras and untouchables at the bottom butwithin each earthen pot “men are at the topand women of that caste are on the bottom likecrushed and wasted powder. And at the verybottom are the Dalits and below them are thesuppressed dalit women.” Thus on the onehand a Dalit woman shares with her malecoiinlerpar the deprivations and disabilitiesdue to her position at the lowest ladder ofbrahminical hierarchical social order, on theother as a woman she has to bear the torturesand invisibilities which our patriarchal socialorder imposes upon tie supposedly 'fair sex'. Ithas been her fate as a dalit to bear threats ofrape and violence from the hands of uppercaste, upper class people. While dalitmovement brought in its wake hope for abetter treatment and equality, with the rise ofidentity concerns and community feelings italso increased the risk of objectification ofdalit women. While feminism asserting thefemale identity tended to ignore the peculiarsocio-economic environment which made herexperience studicdiv .different from the upperclass female, the dalit movement also cannotbe absolved of the charges of showing strongpatriarchal leanings. The outcome of it hasbeen that dalit woman has been left in lurch byboth modern feminists and male dominateddalit movement, as noted by Anupama Rao:"The women's movement has in itsenthrallment of'sisterhood' failed to note the'caste' factor while the Dalit movement hasremained patriarchal and sees (lie dalitwomen's oppression merely as a casteoppression."The Outcaste by Sharankumar Limbale is anoteworthy work in dalit writings. Togetherwith the authentic representation of dalitsensibility where caste is seen as a collegiumof multiple socio-religious prejudices againstthe untouchables, the autobiography givessome of the most memorable pictures of dalitwomen facing the vicissitudes of life bravely.Though the book has a plethora of femalecharacters, the most important womencharacter in the novel is Santamai, the grandmother of the narrator. The narrator is so muchattached with her that instead of his montherMasamai, lie prefers to live with her:"Masarnai, my mother, always treated me as ifI were her step son. I was more attached toShantamai , my grandmother. WheneverMasamai began to hit me Shantamai wouldintervene and save me." 6 She too treats himlike her own son and undergoes greathardships to bring him up and educate him.Whenever the narrator does somethingoutstanding, she feels proud of him. Very earlyin the navel when Sharan goes in a processionwith other school boys on Republic day,Shantamai feels "her dream liad come true" (p.6). Shantamai is an ordinary dalit women, whohas been described in no flattering terms: "Hermouth smelt foul and her teeth had turnedquite baick from the herbal powder she-used toclean them with" (p. 6-7). She gathers dung formaking cakes of dung to sell them. Due to herhard work and constant starvation her skin hasdried up and shriveled. She herself eatsbhakaris made out of the jowar grains washedout of the dung of animals and gives Sharanbhakaris out of the floor collected as alms.Once when the narrator insists on eating thebhakaris which Shantamai used to eat, lie feelsnauseated. Constant hunger and deprivationhas made her immune to the stink of the dungin the bhakries: "Shantamai ate those bhakris316 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedas a matter of course, her blackened teethturning those bhakaris into pulp. |... She gaveno sign of being assaulted by the stink ofdung. She just pushed it into her mouth and itwent down her stomach, whereas the dungheaved up in mine" (R 11). The description, onthe one hand, brings out the mute,expressionless love in Shantamai for hergrandson whom she gives the bhakaris madeof better flour while slie herself eats thebhakaris made up grains collected from dung,on (lie other Sliaiitamai's indifference to thesmell of dung presents her as a woman whohas been treated so inhumanly by the castesystem throughout her life that she has now'naturalized' to the conditions. She shares avery thorny existence witli dada, her muslimpartner, and the narrator, perhaps moredifficult than her male counterparts. It is shewho has to bear the burden of begging,sweeping and arranging for the survival of herfamily. When slie quarrels with Masamai onaccount of the narrator, she leaves the houseand starts living at the bus stand with thenarrator and dada. Whenever the narrator felthungry, Shantamai begged Bkakari for him.When Sharan was a little baby, she used to tiehim to her back while sweeping the villagestreets. Her attachment to the narrator isgenuine and deep. She has no affectations andis without ostentatious feelings. Her love forthe narrator is laced with the authentic feelingtowards him. Once when the narrator bringshis friends to her, she gives them whateve shecould spare. Later when there is only onebhakari left she give it to the narratorpretending that they have flour in the tin box.After eating it, the narrator discovers that thetin box had no flour but a stone whichShantamai had put there so that the narratorcould eat comfortably, because they hadnothing for themselves. When tshe goes tomeet the narrator in the city, despite herpoverty she doesn’t forget to take beef withher which was greatly like by the narrator.Another equally important womencharacter in the novel is Masamai, thenarrator’s mother. Masamai was initiallymarried to Ithal Kamble, who leaves her whenhe discovers Masamai’s secual relation withHanmanta Limbale, a Patil and the landowner.Masamai was forced to leave her little babyand four year old son due to her liason withLimbale. Ithal Kamble remarried after thisseparation. The writer aplly comments on thedifference between the man and woman in oursociety : “A man can eat paan and spit asmany times as he likes, but the same is notpossible for a woman. It is considered wrongif a woman does that. Once her chastity islost, it can never be restored” Out of the unionof Masamai and Limbale the narrator is born.The narrator reflects on the dilemma ofMasamai, which is in a way the dilemma ofevery woman who loves and is lost. Thereflections voice the situation of a dalit womenwho becomes a tool to assuage the lust of thepowerful people: "Why did my mother say yesto the rape which brought me into the world?Why did she put up witli the fruit of thisillegitimate intercourse for nine months andnine days and allow me to grow in the foetus?Why did she allow this bitter embryo togrow?" (p. 37). After birth of the narrator,Limbale started avoiding Masamai and refusesto acknowledge the narrator his son. The resultof which was that Masamai had to take shelterin the house of Shantamai. The all acceptingand forgiving characteristic of woman isemphasized when the narrator comments that"only a mother and the earth can accommodateand stomach everything" (p. 37). The beautyof a woman becomes a curse for her if she isborn in a low caste as she lias to constantlybear the assaults of lustful people. The writerforcefully and realistically presents theircondition in our caste governed society wherethey are taken as nothing more than tools forsexual gratification: "The Patils in everyvillage have made whores of the wives ofDalit farm labourers. A poor Dalit girl onattaining puberty has invariably been a victimof their lust. There is a whole breed born toadulterous Patils. There are Dalit families thatsurvive by pleasing the Patils sexually. Thewhole village considers such a house as thehouse of the Patil's whore. Even the childrenborn to her from her husband are consideredthe children of a Patil" (p. 38). Later Masamaibecomes a keep of another Patil, YeshwanlraoSidramappa Patil who is called Kaka and givesbirth to eight children. Despite her liberality insexual matters, she is portrayed as a victim ofthe social order which makes the dalit womenan easy prey to the licentious upper castelandlords. The shift of allegiance fromKambale to Limbale and then to Kaka makesthe narrator vender about her life: "What sortof life had she been living, mortgaging herselfto one owner after another and being used as a317 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedcommodity? Her lot has been nothing but thetyranny of sex" (p. 59). The abject poverty andhelplessness of these women made themsurrender to the lust of Parels and the so-calledillegitimate children were born out of suchunions. In the Author's Note the writer callsher "not an adulteress but the victim of a socialsystem" (P. ix) who has been raped by theupper caste men. Despite bearing so manychildren, she is not allowed to visit Kaka'shouse, who lives with his legally wed wife andchildren in a big house. On rare occasionswhen she visits his house, she is treated I'ke anoutcaste by the wife of Kaka, who does nothide her displeasure from her. Thus it is notonly the upper class males but females alsowho are willing carriers of the prejudices ofcaste. Masamai asks the children to call himwhenever slie needs him. Since they were notallowed to enter the house of Kaka, she toldthem to steal his chappals as a signal to him.Masamai is not the only keep of Kaka, he hadanother women called Jani, a Gondhali womanas his concubine.In our patriarchal society a child is identifiedby the name of his father and not by mother.While the name of mother depicts certainty,the father is nothing but a faith and a beliefparticularly in societies where sexual liberty ismore pronounced. The anguish of the narratorverges on questions regarding his identitywhen confronted with such brute questions:"Can anybody guarantee that he is theoffspring of the father whose name is added tohis name? Has anyone seen who sowed hisseed? Has anyone seen the intercourse of hisparents that resulted in his birth?" (p. 59). Onthe narrator's repeated questionings regardingthe identity of his father and why he does notlive with them Masamai "clammed up likeKunti" (p. 60). When the narrator needs hisfather's name for freeship in school/she tellshim to tell the teacher that she was the Patil'swhoreThe dalit women are not only victimof upper caste male lust but the males of theirown caste too take part in their degradation. Itis the skill of the writer that he does not seemto glorify the dalit male. They are ratherblamed for their neglect of their wives andmothers, the drunkenness, the apathy and lackof action on their part. Dalit males live in aworld of stupor caused by acute moraldegradation and centuries old socialconditioning. Hence it is not surprising thatmost of the males pale behind their womenfolkwho are more active, responsible and vibrant.Although the female world in theautobiography is mired in poverty,superstitions and all (lie ills surrounding them,nowhere does the writer blame lliein lor(respite being (lie victim of constantexploitation through the bands of upper classand the subservient position in the household,they are depicted with sympathy andunderstanding. They are more dynamic andcarry on the struggle for survival singleliandedly and without any help from theirhusbands. While the men are mostly lost in thehaze of drunkenness and have surrenderedthemselves abjectly before the soul sappingsocio-economic exploitation, the women, byand large, continue to struggle despite sucliheavy odds. Their refusal to surrender to thedegrading conditions, the desire to live andmove forward gives them a sense of tragicdignity which is denied to male dalits.The sexual freedom as granted to females iscurbed by caste panchayats when it involves awoman who either elopes or gets pregnant.Most of the time adultery is settled within thehome with husband beating the wife or wifequarreling with tlie other woman and abusingher. While the misadventures of man are eitherignored or taken lightly, the burden of carryinghonour of the family falls on the woman herself. Further, when such relationship involvesa man of upper caste and woman of low caste,the woman invariably becomes the object offury and censor and the responsibility of theman is conveniently forgotten. Harya whencatches his wife in a room with lagannalhPaul's son threatens (o cut (lie nose and breastsof Ill's wife, while ignoring the Patil’s. Thedichotomy between male and female vis-a-visthe liaisons shows patriarchy within the dalit lsociety, Feminism persaptive seems to beabsent from the autobiography Nowhere doesthe women portrayed in it show groupawareness; as females and held malesresponsible for their woes. The focus of thebook is primarily on the experience of livingas a dalit and caste is seen as the decidingfactor. If a person is seen as aggravating thesuffering of his women, it is only individuallyand not collectively and species or a group.Undeniably the portrayal of women,particularly Shantamai and Masamai showssigns of compassion, the women question arelargely missing from the text. Does the writer318 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandeddoes it knowingly or because his attention islargel focused on his situation as akkarmashiand caste concerns? I think the answer liessomewhere between the tow. While as a maleit is perhaps more difficult for him toappreciate and empathise with the women inthe narrative – the writer largely models themon the traditional roles of mother as earth – themain reason lies in his preoccupation with thecaste as a decisive disabling factor in oursociety.References:1. Anupama Rao, “Introduction :Caste, gender and IndianFeminism,” ed. Anupama Rao(New Delhi: Kali for Women &Women unlimited, 2003)2. Anupama Rao, “Introduction :Caste, Gender and IndianFeminism.”3. Anupama Rao, “Introduction :Caste, Gender and IndianFeminism.”4. Sharan Kumar Limbale,Akkarmashi Trans. SantoshBhoomkar (New Delhi: OxfordUni. Press. 2003) 42.319 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedMaya Angelou’s The Phenomenal Woman--Mirza Aasan BaigVasantrao Kale Sr. College,NandedAbstract: Maya Angelou is still one of the prominent feminist voices from the United States. An Afro American bybirth she faced a number of problems which include social, political and personal. But she faced every situation bravely andnever hesitated to hide her personal failures. Her autobiographical book I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a milestone so far asBlack Literature is concerned.Key Words:Feminism, Ecriture Feminine, Gyno Texts, Radical Feminism, Black Feminism etc.Maya Angelou is recognized as arepresentative figure of Radical Feminism.She is one of the most renowned andinfluential voices of our time. Hailed as aglobal renaissance woman, Angelou has amulti talented personality. She is known as acelebrated poet, memoirist, novelist, educator,dramatist, producer, actress, historian,filmmaker, and civil rights activist. An Afro-American by birth, she underwent manytraumatic incidents in her life. Theseincidents taught her the lessons of survival,and she emerged as a woman of substance,protest, questioning nature and a radicalattitude.When Maya Angelou was only fiveher parents got divorced and she, along withone brother was compelled to live with hermaternal grandmother. Very soon when theywere trying to cope-up with the surroundings,her father reappeared and they have torelocate. When she was only eight, she wasraped by her mother’s boy-friend, Mr.Freeman. Mr. Freeman was soon murdered byAngelou’s uncles. But she suspected herselfas the murderer of the man. If she remainedunspoken the man could have been survived.She cursed herself and remained unspoken fora long time.Later in her life Angelou came acrossmany men and married for a number of times.But none of her male friends remained faithfulto her. To earn her bread and butter shelearned African dance as per her choice andvery soon mastered the art of dancing, musicand poetry. She grouped with the artist likeAlvin Ailey and Ruth Beckford but theircollaboration proved a failure and she joinedclub houses as a professional dancer. Herperformance in the Purple Onion, therenowned club house earned her the nicknameof Maya Angelou, her original name had beenMarguerite Johnson. Her Calypso dance madeher popular all over the Europe. In 1957 sherecorded her first album with the title, MissCalypso.From then onwards her life took adecisive turn and she never turned back. Withthe advice of James O. Killens she joinedHarlem Writers Guild in 1959 and began thecareer of a writer. She came in close contactwith black writers such as Paula Marshall,John Herik Clarke, Rosa Guy, and JulianMayfield. She also underwent the charm ofMartin Luther King Jr.’s philosophic speechesand joined Southern Christian LeadershipConference. Later on she contributed toGhanian Times, Radio Ghana and the GhanaNational Theatre. She wrote Georgia Georgia(1972) the first screenplay written by a BlackWomen. She returned to US in 1981 andawarded with Reynolds Professorship inAmerican Studies at Wake Forest Universityin North Carolina.I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings isher first autobiography which comprises herinitial seventeen years. Her later life waspenned in five consecutive autobiographicalworks. The book is among the earliestprojection of personal life of any Afro-American women. Angelou follows HélèneCixous notion of Ecriture Feminine. Ecriture320 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedFeminine aims at creating literature that isspecific to women alone, in opposition to thepatriarchal logic. Ecriture also includesspeech as well as thought- characteristic ofboth. J. A. Cuddon defines Ecriture FeminineasWriting which is typicallycharacteristically feminine in style, language,tone and feeling, and completely differentfrom male language and discourse.(Cuddon, 1998:248)I Know Why a Caged Bird Sings is asaga of Afro- American social life. It dealswith the early 17 years of Maya Angelou. Itshowcases the trial and tribulations of MayaAngelou’s life growing up as an improvishedBlack woman in the southern United States. Itmirrors her childhood during the depressedtimes of 1930’s and the war-torn times of1940’s. It reflects the prejudice, poverty,aggregation and hardships. She as well asother Afro- American suffered at that time theCivil War ended the black slavery, but stillWhites used to have contempt for the blacks.They are not accepted in good schools,hospitals, churches and buses. Even theblacks were treated as sub-humans andbarbaric. Although they got freedom by law,but social taboos, prejudices of the whites stilltermed Negroes as marginal and non-entity.In this course being a woman is being in adouble jeopardy. Angelou remembers anincident when she goes to a dentist. Thedentist refused to treat her, claiming he would‘rather stick his (my) hand in a dog’s mouththan a nigger’. (Angelou, 1971:160)The title, I Know Why the Caged BirdSings is a symbolic one. The image of cagedbird stands for Angelou’s and Afro-Americanconfinement in the cage of racism andoppression. The metaphor of caged bird is alsoprominent because it contains much symbolicovertones. The Afro- Americans are tootender, fragile and physically weak like thebird and the cage of White’s racism ceasestheir free play. But Angelou says that one daythe caged bird will gain strength because ofhis self-will, self confidence and the hardwork and the cage would be wiped outautomatically. Angelou advocates for hardwork and show away the garb of laziness.Angelou presented the role of women ascreative and personally fulfilling rather than‘breeder and matriarch’ (Burgher, 1979:115)heroines of Angelou always celebrated the joyof selfhood and individualism and nevermourned defeat. The book has been criticizedfor depiction of lesbianism, pre-maritalcohabitation, pornography, violence, use ofvulgar language and irreverent religiousdepiction. But still it was the realist depictionof the age of hers and she radically explainedeach and every experience rejecting themorals and ethics.Maya Angelou’s poem ThePhenomenal Woman is just the abstract formof her first auto biographical novel I KnowWhy the Caged Bird Sings. Writings of MayaAngelou belongs to the female phase asdevised by Showalter. Showalter believesFemale phase to be most militant in approachand presenting Gyno texts. Gyno texts refer tothe writings in exclusively female pattern.Gyno texts aimed at reevaluating women’sexperience, rethinking the canons of texts,discourse and language and recognizing thesocio- cultural, economic and politicalconditions in the society. Psychoanalyticapproach of women’s writing marked thisphase. Angelou’s autobiography I Know Whythe Caged Bird Sings is replete with all thesequalities. Critics have approached it as afemale- coming out of age story, as a rapesurvivor’sstory but it is also a documentationof African American history and heritage. Itshades the ‘black ugly dream’ and journeystowards freedom and discovers a sense of self,black pride and conscience of a community.I Know Why the Caged Bird Singsfollows Maya’s transformation from an‘unbeautiful, awkward, rather morose, dreamyand too big Negro girl’ (Arensberg, 1999:111)321 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedto a confident young woman who stands up toracist practices and asserts her independence.Maya Angelou in the poem ThePhenomenal Woman uses these lines for anumber of times-I am a womanPhenomenallyPhenomenal womanThat’s me.(Jadhav, 2009:182-183)At the very outset of the poemAngelou accepts her biological appearance asnot deserving for a fashion model’s size. Butshe very radically accepts herself as a womanfirst and her physical gestures are no less thanthe white women. Further she thinks herselfcapable of doing anything that is heldunachievable for her. She speaks:I say; It’s in the reach of my arms; thespan of my hips;The stride of my stepThe curl of my lips.(Jadhav, 2009:182-183)She never thinks color and complexionwould be a hindrance in her journey towardsprogress. She had all the tricks and techniqueswhich would make her charming and menwould surround her as honey bees.Her personal life also reflects glaringlyin the poem. At the Purple Onion, therenowned club house she was compelled to bea singer- cum- prostitute and people bent ontheir knees to woo her. She felt as if she hadcrossed all the hurdles of colour, class andcreed and people are accepting her as if she isa fairy.For Hélène Cixous a feminine textshould be subversive. It should be a “flow of‘luminous torrents’, excess, never ending, andopen, without hierarchy, repressive logic orcontrol, and it can never be theorized,enclosed and coded.’(Nayar, 2002:102)The poem expresses Angelou’s theoryof Black feminism. She like other feminists,praises black as beautiful. Her thoughts,views and aspirations as being no less thanwhite woman and man could never betheorized and coded. She presents a new lookand deconstructs the established notion ofperceiving white as beautiful. Like a poststructuralistshe challenges the notions foroperating of such philosophy.Maya Angelou right from herchildhood witnessed the tyranny of males.Her father remained tyrannical. Later on, Mr.Freeman entered freely in her privacy andraped her when she was only eight. Later on,some dancers, choreographers, musicians atthe club houses also hampered her emotionallife and symbolized male dominance.Angelou defines the inability of males inknowing her mystery asMen themselves have wondered; Whatthey see in meThey try so much; But they cant touch;My inner mysteryWhen I try to show themThey say they still can’t see. (Jadhav,2009:182-183)Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye alsoappeared in the same year Caged Birdpublished. Morrison critiqued how whitenessas the measure of beauty entrenched inAmerican society by telling the story of onelittle Afro-American girl’s desire for love andblue eyes. Unlike Pecola Breedlove, Mayaactively protests racism and develops into astrong, independent woman and ends upsaying-All of my work, my life, everything Ido is about survival, not just bare, awful,plodding survival, but survival with grace andfaith. While one may encounter many defeats,one must not be defeated.(McPherson, 1990: 10-11)I Know Why the Caged Bird Singspresents a black girl caught in tripartitecrossfire of masculine prejudice, whiteillogical hate and Black lack of power. Shewas bold enough to accept all the misfortunescoming in her life and over coming them. Itwas her self confidence and will that helped322 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedher coming out of the garb of muteness andslavery. Her book as well as poem wantedeach and every one to accept thecircumstances and try to find way out to it.And she believes that if you really wanted toovercome you really can.References:1. Angelou Maya. I Know Whythe Caged Bird Sings. New York: BantomBooks. 1971.2. Arensberg Lilian K. Death as aMetaphor of Self, Maya Angelou’s I KnowWhy the Caged Bird Sings: A Casebook.Oxford University Press: New York. 1999.3. Burgher, Mary. “Images of selfand Race in the Autobiographies of BlackWomen” Rossean P. et al (Ed.) Sturdy BlackBridges. New York: DoubledayPublishers.1979.4. Cuddon, J.A. A Dictionary ofLiterary Terms and Literary Theory. NewDelhi: Maya Blackwell Doaba House. 1998.5. Jadhav, B. S. et al (ed.)Radiance. Hyderabad: Orient Blackswann.2009.6. Mcpherson, Dolly A. OrderOut of Chaos: the Autobiographical Work ofMaya Angelou. New York: Peter LangPublishers. 1990.7. Nayar, P.K. Literary TheoryToday. Asia Book Club: New Delhi. 2002.323 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedRe-writing the Nietzschean Ubermensch: Feminism and the Politics ofRe/Presentation in Joanna Russ’ “Souls”--Roshni MondalM.Phil. Scholar, Department of English, Jadavpur UniversityKolkata-700032, West BengalABSTRACT: This article tries to examine the nature of the alien figure, the twelfth century Abbess Radegunde in JoannaRuss’ “Souls”, in the light of the postmodern concept of Nietzschean Ubermensch. As feminism forms the core of Russ’literary genre, this paper critically scrutinizes her usage of gender discrimination enveloped within the fantasy literature by amale narrator and through the course of interpretations it finally reaches to conclude what Russ presents in the form ofRadegunde.Keywords: alien, postmodern, Ubermensch, feminism, gender discrimination, fantasy literature.I.INTRODUCTIONIn the postmodern era science fiction plays avital role enlightening the feminine needs within asociety. American feminist author Joanna Russ’novella “Souls” was first published in 1982 in TheMagazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and lateron in 1984 in her short-story collection Extra(ordinary) People which dealt with supernaturalbeings as its subject matter. Therefore, “Souls” is noexception, advocating its course towards a sciencefiction genre which brought itself the Hugo Award in1983. Russ’ novella follows experimenting with afemale gothic in order to response to the feminineanguish within a male-dominated society. Thus, froma feminist perspective this female gothic characterRadegunde is an answer to both the twelfth centuryhistorical society as well as to the twenty firstcentury modern society, portraying the societalinfluences of a revolutionary woman who stands outof the crowd. This article tries to interpret this femalegothic through the Nietzschean definition of theUbermensch and tries to see how much it fits intoNietzsche’s definition.II. NIETZSCHEAN UBERMENSCHFriedrich Nietzsche, as stated in Thus SpokeZarathustra defines his Ubermensch as the‘overman’, a man in a super manly state of being.According to Zarathustra, Ubermensch is that stateof being where the human psychology gets linkedwith that of the earthliness and thus the Superman isborn. Nietzsche’s Superman is not born out of ahuman body, after its death; it is not a ghostlypresence. Instead, it is born as a superman, who isfree from the banalities of every other human. Thus,Nietzschean Ubermensch is in other words, a refinedform of the human being, with better qualitiesnecessary to from an idealistic future. He is the idealcitizen of the utopic future which Nietzsche sees ashe feels that a postmodern society is standing at itsthreshold towards destruction. Only the Ubermensch,according to him is capable of saving the society andretrieve all its lost moral values. For this, he needs topractise them himself. He should be reaching thatstate of mind where he has to accept his own faultsand follies and through this acceptance, he becomesrefined and redefined. He should have some uniqueskills and values of his own, absent in every commonman and he should know how to use themeffectively. He is someone who is able to change theworld with his orders, not by dictating it, but bycreatively influencing it through his values ofhumanity. Clearly then, he should have anunderstanding of the past, the present and the future.Therefore, it is all about self-overcoming and thecapacity to repeat life with all its trivialities andbitterness, with the knowledge that life is worthliving that forms the Ubermensch. This Ubermenschis Dionysian in nature having recognition of hiscreativity and a strong regard towards using itappropriately.III. RUSS’ FEMALE GOTHICAs Nietzsche says in Thus SpokeZarathustra, a human being is formed after a processof three steps of metamorphosis. The initial step isthe camel step where the animal is not aware of itsrights and therefore serves as a slave. The secondstage involves the tiger where he learns to rebelagainst his master, yet succumbs to the orders of thelatter. Finally, the third and the last stage is that ofthe man where he learns to live his will within thisworld only. It goes into direct conflict withegalitarian Christianity’s concept of otherworldlinessand herein Nietzsche’s strong protestagainst Christianity gets expressed through theUbermensch. Russ’ female gothic creation of the324 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedAbbess Radegunde is something very close to that ofNietzsche’s Ubermensch. In the first stage of thethree steps of metamorphosis, she is loaded with theChristian values to bear and she bears them withgreat responsibility. In the second stage, she rebelsagainst the values of spiritual purity and physicalchastity when she feels physical, sexual attraction forthe statue of Apollo at Rome. In her final stage, sheovercomes her inner struggles twice, once as shemakes herself return to the stern Christian values ofchastity and again as she understands the meaning oflife through her own experiences and serves forhumanity, which according to her own words is theresult of her own will. Thus, she stands up straight tobe compared to the Nietzschean Ubermensch wholives and leaves her life as an example for others tofollow. Russ is pretty intelligent in her choosing ofthe Ubermensch as a female character who actsagainst the Norsemen in a quite interesting way,tricking them by her powerful speeches and hersuper-womanly supernatural qualities. AbbessRadegunde is thus a strong voice against patriarchyand though set within a twelfth century context,shows very clearly how women should be like notonly in the twenty first century but also in thefuturistic society which is yet to be experienced.IV. THE CONTRAST WITH THE UBERMENSCHAbbess Radegunde’s story and her character,as experienced by a seven years old young boy whoserves as the narrator of “Souls”, leave behind thescope of questioning the true Nietzschean valuesvisible within this character. At one hand, she isabove the level of normal human beings because shehas extra-ordinary skills in learning andremembering things. She knew Latin at a very tenderage of four and could read many languages as well.She showed unique mental faculties which made herAbbess send her to Rome to carry on learning moreaccurately. The way she is gifted with foresight andthe way she fights an intellectual battle against theNorsemen and defeated them successfully, resultingin saving her wards from the fierce Viking men areworth mentioning. On the other hand, she fails torepeat the same life though she understands itsworth. After releasing her wards and after giving anessential insight to Thorvald, the leader of the groupof Norsemen, which will help him save the Abbeyand its inhabitants, Abbess Radegunde leaves theworld with the group of other-worldly extraterrestrialpeople who came to take her back withthem. This shows that though she possesses theinsight to analyse the past, present and future, sheseems to lack the courage to accept the bitterness oflife as she fails to live life all again within its worstconditions. She appears to escape into another world,perhaps a better one, when she finds it difficult tolive on earth. This other world of white-dressedsaints seems to represent the other-worldliness whichCatholicism promises as an after-life. Therefore,Russ’ scientific ending showing Radegunde as analien serves as a trope of attributing to the Christianvalues which Nietzsche tries to run away from.Moreover, Russ moves away from theconventional notion of the Nietzschean Ubermenschbecause her intention is not only to provoke thesuper-natural feeling within her readers, but also toraise a gender awareness which will help her conveyher feminist message. She feels that using a humanbeing for the purpose of her message is not sufficientas a human female lacks the super-natural powersrequired to transgress the worldliness and itsattributes. In her other novels as well, like TheFemale Man and the other stories of Extra(ordinary)People she uses the character of the Superwoman,with unnatural characteristics and prowess whichwill be able to crush man down with one blow.Hence, the use of science fiction is evident in herwritings. Abbess Radegunde is perhaps such ascientific creation which lies above the humanpower, intelligence or understanding. Russ shows heras an alien because she thinks that only an alien canserve her purpose of transgressing the worldliness.Therefore Radegunde cannot be called a properUbermensch in the Nietzschen sense of the term,because though she lives with human beings, she isherself an alien and not a common worldly womanwho overcomes being common.V. THE MALE NARRATORThe figuring of the abbess has anotherperspective. As it is evident from the beginning ofthe novella, her story is narrated by a man who hasexperienced her living period as a boy of seven yearsold. There lies the question. Can the experiences of achild as tender as seven years old be regarded to betrue? They can merely be the hallucinations of ayoung child who might perhaps have forgottenevents. Though he keeps on claiming that heremembers everything by very clearly stating at thebeginning that he is not telling it as it was told to himbut as he saw it, he should not be trusted blindly forhe does not forget to mention that he was a childthen. Throughout the novel, the narrator keepsmentioning how young he was when he used to livein the Abbey as Radegunde’s foster child, how timidand shy he was and how fond he was of his fostermother. At one hand, his tenderness gives the hintthat the whole story about the abbess can be hishallucinations, and at another hand it can also be theimaginations of a seven years old child’s mind.325 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedBesides, the way he was close to the abbess and therespect he had for her are not unnatural to make achild below ten years of age, make up stories in theparticular way he would have imagined his mother.Most of the children have a tendency to createfantasy stories about the person who they regard astheir idol. Radegunde served such a role for thenarrator and therefore imagining her as his fairyGodmother is not uncommon or impossible.Therefore, to call Radegunde a superwoman is alsonot the only conclusion one can draw, as the narratorhimself is confused whether to call her a fairy, achangeling, a superwoman, or an alien. SoRadegunde seems to fall into no single type.VI. CONCLUSIONFrom the Abbess’ story it seems clear thather creator Russ did not want her readers to be ableto label her by a single name. Initially she was sweetand kind like a mother figure, taking care of thewhole of the Abbey and its inhabitants. Graduallyshe showed Ubermensch like characteristics throughher intellectual faculties and her ability to interpretthe past, present and future and through heracceptance to live life, though she denies repeatingits bitterness. For the narrator she was like a fairyGodmother, but eventually she started showingchangeling like features by twisting Thorfinn’s neckand then finally disappears with the white-dressedstrange people, leaving everybody to wonderwhether she was an alien or not.All these show that Russ’ intention was tocreate a superwoman framed within the NietzscheanUbermensch structure, having qualities of kindness,cruelty and peculiarity altogether. Russ aimed topresent a female prototype showing both good andbad natural characteristics to show that a woman canbe both hard and soft in moments of need. Her desireto change the conventional notion of markingwomen as the inferior weak species who can beeasily exploited makes her create such a characterwhich stands as an example of female prowess infront of the patriarchal society, forcing them to facethe mirror, know their true being and see that there isanother gender too standing beside them. The veryfact that Radegunde’s story is being narrated by amale narrator is another of Russ’ techniques to proveher point by praising a woman through a male voice.Thus, Radegunde is a pre-modern, a modern, apostmodern as well as a futuristic utopian woman, allsimultaneously.The author of this article gratefullyacknowledges Joanna Russ for her novella “Souls”which this article is based upon andwww.univeros.com which served as the source of thee-text of this novella.BIBLIOGRAPHY1. Russ, Joanna. “Souls”. The Magazine of Fantasyand Science Fiction. New York: Mercury Press,January 1982.2. Russ, Joanna. Extra(ordinary) People. NewYork: St. Martin’s Press, 1984.3. Russ, Joanna. The Female Man. New York:Bantam Books, 1975.4. Bacon-Smith, Camille. Science Fiction Culture.Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press,2000.5. Cortiel, Jeanne. Demand My Writing: JoannaRuss/Feminism/Science Fiction. Science FictionTexts and Studies. Liverpool: LiverpoolUniversity Press, 1999.6. Delany, Samuel R. “Orders of Chaos: TheScience Fiction of Joanna Russ”. WomenWorldwalkers: New Dimension of ScienceFiction and Fantasy. Ed. Jane B. Weedman.Lubbock: Texas Tech Press, 1985.7. Scanlon, Jennifer. “Joanna Russ” in SignificantContemporary Feminists: A BiocriticalSourcebook. New York, Westport, CT, andLondon: Greenwood, 1999.8. Nietzsche, Friedrich. Thus Spoke Zarathustra: ABook for All and None. Germany: ErnstSchmeitzner, 1883-1885. Trans. ThomasCommon, 1909.9. The Cambridge Companion to Nietzsche. Ed. B.Magnus and K.M. Higgins. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press, 1990.10. Nehamas, Alexander. Nietzsche, Life AsLiterature. Cambridge: Harvard University Press,1994.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS326 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedShades of Womanism in Alice Walker’sThe Color Purple--Sandeep K. ThoratS. S. S. K. R. Innani Mahavidyalaya, Karanja Lad,Dist. Washim (M.S.)Abstract— The present paper attempts to investigate whether the shades of Walker’s womanism sparkle in hernovel The Color Purple through theme of the torture and exploitation of black woman being both black and female bywhite and black men. An analysis of her concept of womanism with help of her novel The Color Purple is the sole aimof the paper. However, the concept of womanism is the part of her literary and theortical writings which seem to be thetwo sides of the same coin. This environment of traditional torture and humiliation of black women is the out come ofracism and sexism in many African countries. Walker, through her concept of womanism, has tried to encourage thewomen of her race and the women of other societies where these practices of torture are common. Walker is the firstblack woman writer to win Pulitzer Prize for The Color Purple in 1983. In the novel Celie, the central figure, narratesthe story of her life through her letters to God and her sister Nettie. The epistolary form helps Walker to employ thewomanist perspective. The novel depicts the torture of black Celie by her cruel father and inhuman husband. The noveldevelops with the theme of racism, sexism and political issues. The black men seem to be created with the purpose ofdominating black women. As black women are surrounded by torture, they think that their next generation is destinedto be the victim of slavery in the white society. Celie, Nettie, Sofia, and Shug are black women characters victimizedby slavery. Celie and Sofia build friendly relations because both are treated poorly by men. Celie and Nettie are sisters.Celie has hope and faith from Nettie to live life. Thus, the woman-woman relationships in the novel reflect the shadesof womanism to some extent.Index Terms—Alice Walker, Shades, Womanism.INTRODUCTIONvery literature is the outcome of theE human expressions, passions,experiences, attitudes, psychology, identityand social concern of the particular country.In fact, English Literature, AmericanLiterature, African Literature, IndianLiterature are the sincere records of socialproblems and milieu of the respectivecountries. So is the case of Afro-AmericanLiterature wherein black writers are seenindulging in a continuous search for identityand freedom. “Afro-American literature wasborn in the songs and narratives of Africanslaves brought to the American soil on theAtlantic seaboard in 1619 to work on theplantation of their American masters”(Sinha, 2007: 1). Though the black peoplecontributed in the building of the wholeAmerica, they were denied human rights andrejected the citizenship of the nation. Theywere nobody in their own country. Againstthis humiliation, some of them raised theirvoices through the medium of literature.They have expressed their anger and hatredsagainst slavery and racism in the form ofAfro-American literature. Philip Whitleywas the first writer to voice the agony of theblack people. Then there is a long list ofAfro-American writers including the blackwomen novelist. Among the leading figuresof black women novelists of the 20 th centuryis Alice Walker.According to David Bradly of the NewYork Times, Walker coined the termwomanist in order to describe the issues ofBlack women in her novels. She calls herselfwomanist rather than feminist. In fact, shehas woven various themes giving preferenceto the problems of black women inSouthern. She explains her concern for blackwomen to an interviewer: “For me, blackwomen are the most fascinating creations inthe world” (Walker 1983: 251). Perhaps, shemay have coined the term womanism insuch circumstances in order to make effortsto bring about a change in the treatmentgiven to black women by black men andwhites in the society. However, Walker triesto highlight the shades of womanism in TheColor Purple through the reflection ofhumiliation of black woman being bothblack and female. The woman-womanrelationship between Celie and Sofia, Celieand Nettie supports and provides a base toWalker’s womanism.327 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedI. WOMANISM: A CONCEPTThe term, Womanism, was first coined byAlice Walker while contributing anintroduction to a book in 1979. She gaveperfect color and voice to the concept ofwomanism in her essay In Search of ourMother’s Gardens: Womanist Prose (1983).Meanwhile, in the late 1980s, there was anideology Africana Womanism which wascoined by Clenora Hudson – Weems. Heargued “Africana Womanism is grounded inAfrican culture that contributes toAfrocentricsm/Afrocentric discourse,focusing on the experiences, struggles,needs, and desires of Africana women of theAfrican Diasporas. It is not a type offeminism, or Alice Walker’s womanism(Hudson– Weems, 1998)”. Hudson –Weems writes – Why the term AfricanaWomanism? Upon concluding that the term‘Black Womanism’ was not quite theterminology to include the total meaningdesired for this concept, I decided that‘Africana Womanism’, a natural evolutionin naming, was the ideal terminology fortwo basic reasons. The first part of thecoinage, Africana, identifies the ethnicity ofthe woman being considered, and thisreference to her ethnicity, establishing hercultural identity, relates directly to herancestry and land base-Africa. The secondpart of the term womanism, recallsSojourner Truth’s powerful impromptuspeech ‘Ain’t I a Woman?’ (Hudson –Weems, 1998).In the early nineteenth century, there wasno any consistent concept like Womanism.But few articles can be found here and thereon the issues of black women’s agony bywriters like Jacquelyn Grant. Then there wasa gradual beginning of emergence anddevelopment of black womanist theologyand ethics. Anna Julia Cooper (1858 - 1963)voiced womanist ideas in the latter part ofthe nineteenth century. She argues that noblack women, white men or women candecide for Black women. She holds the viewof ‘undisputed dignity’ of Blackwomanhood (Cooper, 1892).The late 1970s and 1980s witnessed themovement of feminism which was meant forwhite women only. They excluded blackwomen’s experiences of race and class.Excluded from and alienated by feministtheorizing and thinking, black womeninsisted to bring into focus the issues ofdifference, particularly in relation to raceand class. The existing feminism was notable to entirely focus the experience of blackwomen. It was obvious then to find out aterminology which could voice the blackwomen experiences. As a result of it,Walker got the opportunity to coin the termWomanism. In this respect, Karen Baker –Fletcher remarked that in the term womanistWalker saw a way “to define the diverseways in which black women have bonded,sexual or not” (Fletcher, 1994). Latter onWalker’s term womanism was used by KatieG. Cannon for the theological project ofBlack women. She wrote – Black feministconsciousness may be more accuratelyidentified as Black womanist consciousness,to use Alice Walker’s concept anddefinition. (Cannon, 1995).However, Jacquelyn Grant, Katie Cannon,Delores Williams, and many more havestressed forward the dignity of black womenthrough the concept of womanism. As RufusBurrow, Jr. puts it – They affirm Blackwomen’s experiences, struggles, andvictories. In addition to affirming andcelebrating difference, womanists have beenconsistent in putting forth positive images ofAfrican American women (Burrow, Jr.,1998).In fact, the term Womanism has beenused by different theologians and ethicistsfinding its root in the terminology appliedby Alice Walker. She may be called the firstwomanist in true sense for coining andshaping the term womanism in its true spirit.The chapter attempts to focus the concept ofWomanis in general from the point of viewof both as a theory and practice.328 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedII. WALKER’S CONCEPT OFWOMANISMIn a study of black women’s history,feminism seemsto be a later stage in their lives. Being bothblack and woman, black women faceddouble marginalization. In this respect,Showalter says, for both Afro-Americansand feminists, the black woman is “the otherwoman, the silenced partner” (Showalter,1997: 214). In fact, it needs a feminist revoltin order to bring the status of black womanto that of black men and white women. Onthe other hand, most of the black women donot understand by the concept feminism.They only think that feminism means equalrights given to the women with white men.But from a deeper perspective, feminism is arevolt to end all sexism and sexistoppression. Again a question rises, what issexism? To know sexism needs morefeminist’s understanding. “We are in need ofmore feminist scholarship which addresses awide variety of issues in Black life(mothering, Black masculinity, therelationship between gender and homicide,poverty, the crisis of Black womanhood,connections between health and ourconceptions of the body, sexuality, media,etc.) - work that could have transformativeimpact on our future” (hooks, 1989: 56).hooks means to say that such a feministrevolt may reduce the depth of divisionamong blacks. Therefore, black feminismstands to white feminism to some extent.Considering not parallel to mainstreamfeminism, she has opted for different blackfeminism, which she calls Womanism.Indeed, her concept of womanism appears asa part of black feminism.Alice Walker has defined her concept ofwomanism in her essay, In Search of OurMothers’ Gardens (1983). Basically, theterm womanism comes from the word“womanish” (opp. Of girlish, i.e. frivolous,irresponsible, not serious) A womanist,Walker writes, is “Responsiblle”. In Chargeand Serious. Further, for her womanismmeans a woman who loves other woman.She clears it in an interview: “A woman wholoves other woman…Appreciates andprefers women’s culture, women’semotional flexibility… and women’strength…Loves the spirit…Loves herself.Regardless (Walker, 1983:11-12)”.However, through her definition ofwomanism, Alice Walker suggests someessential qualifications of a black woman.The origin of the term womanism is derivedfrom a folk expression ‘womanish’ whichmeans acting like a responsible and maturewoman. A woman should be bold andcourageous so that she could face anycalamity with the power. She should possesswillful behavior so that she will act with fulldetermination. Woman should love otherwoman but with full devotion of a female’ssoul. Walker prefers heterosexualrelationship between women, which is thestriking distinction between womanism andblack feminism. She should accept and lovemotherhood as a natural instinct. Thus, inher definition of womanism, Alice Walkerhas reflected several different things that areimpossible to sum up.III. WOMANISM IN THE COLORPURPLEIn the beginning of The Color Purple,Celie is separated from her sister Nettiebecause of the brutal treatment by the handsof her Pa and Mr.___. On the other hand,this separation helps her to expand herdomestic world to a global sphere. The bondbetween women becomes stronger whenCelie began to write letters to her sisterNettie instead of God. In addition to hersisterhood with Nettie, Celie’s associationwith Sofia makes her aware of patriarchy.Her relationship with Nettie, Shug as sister,friend and lover, makes her to understandand appreciate the female body. Shug playsthe role of mediator between Celie andNettie as well as between Celie and Mr.___.At the end of the novel, all women and menare reunited as a family and men havelearned to understand and respect thestrength of women.Celie is withdrawn from the school andfelt lonely. This loneliness generates her329 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfurther trust in God. She tries to express herloneliness: “I’m big. I can’t move fastenough (The Color Purple 1982)”. It is thefaith in God which gives her enoughstrength to protect her sister Nettie. Shesays, “I’ll take care of you. With God help(The Color Purple 1982)”. However, thewomen in the novel reform the essentialbases of the relationships. They seem to beextending the bonds of female friendship.Celie slowly grows toward the awareness ofself. Her bonding with Shug makes herrealize that she can stand on her own. It isobvious from the scene when Celie iswaiting for Shug, she says to herself: “If shecome, I be happy. If she don’t, I be content.And then I figure this the lesson I wassuppose to learn (The Color Purple 1982:290)”. Walker gives strength to Celie with astrong bond of love for others, a genuinedesire to survive. In her one letter to God,Celie refers the objects of universe as God.She says: “Dear God, Dear stars, dear trees,dear sky, dear peoples, Dear Everything.Dear God (The Color Purple 1982: 292)”.This highlights Celie’s inner desire andrealization of life in true sense which isexpected by Walker’s womanism. Perhaps,Celie learns the truth of her personal life andbegins to understand the real aim of life. Shehas searched for God and ultimately foundGod in everything, including herself.The quilting episode in the novel bringsmutual understanding between twowomen—Celie and Sofia. Both patch uptheir differences by making a quilt.Basically, quilting was a home business of agroup of women of earning in seventies. It isan act of tearing and reconstructing. Thereconstruction is done through the process ofsewing. The tore clothes pieces are used tomake a quilt. In other words, sewing is anact of union, of connecting pieces to make auseful whole. Quilting stands as a symbol ofsecurity and togetherness. Therefore, Celierightly says: “I see myself sitting therequilting between Shug Avery and Mr.____us three together…. For the first time in mylife. I feel just right (The Color Purple 1982:60)”. This results in a stronger relationshipbetween them. Now Celie does not feelguilty that a bond of friendship is formed.She hardly feels alone and thus she becomesmore secure at home. Besides, quiltingmoves Celie away from humiliation ofpatriarchy into the self-empoweredindividual earning her own living. Thisbrings a type of new hope and security toCelie in the building of her ownindividuality. It opens a fresh horizon of truefreedom for a black woman.The relationship between women in thenovel grows gradually due the realizationand understanding of self out of patriarchy.This broad approach of women towardsother women is the key point of Walker’swomanism. Indeed, womanism pips throughthe bonds between women in the novel.IV. CONCLUSIONAlice Walker’s novels describe racial,sexual and political issues, particularly inrelation to black women’s struggle forsurvival. It is with this purpose that shemight have coined the concept of womanismslightly different from feminism. She,through her concept of womanism, hasrecommended some changes in thebehaviors and attitudes of black women.However, Alice Walker’s The Color Purplegives a realistic approach to her observationsfrom the black lives. She has succeeded inpresenting the pathos and ethos of Blackwomen’s struggle through her characters. Hercharacters seem to be the embodiment of reallife. It seems that her black women characterssuffer due to their irresponsible, immature andunwilling nature. This is what she wants topresent through her concept of womanism. Aliceborn in Georgia to a terrible farmer whose workof sharecropping and dairy farming was in itssupreme progress. In fact, she could express thegrief of thousand and thousand black women inAfrica from awareness of being a black.However, her idea of womanism focuses all timeuniversality. “The women and men of differentcolors coexist like flowers in a garden yet retaintheir cultural distinctiveness and integrity.”(Collins, 1996: 11) Perhaps, she emphasized theidea of a global society where all its memberswill be encouraged to survive.REFERENCES330 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded[1] Baker-Fletcher, Karen. (1994).“Dusting Off the Texts: HistoricalResources for Womanist Ethics”,Harlem Beckley, ed., The Annual ofthe Society of Christian Ethics.Boston University.[2] Boom, Harold, Gen. Ed. (1988),Twentieth Century AmericanLiterature in. Vol. 7. New York:Chelsea House.[3] Callow, James T and Robert J.Reilly, Eds. (1977), Guide toAmerican Literature. New York:Barnes and Noble.[4] Cannady, Joan. (1977), BlackImages in American Literature.Rochelle Park, New Jersey: Hayden.[5] Cannon, Katie G. (1995). “TheEmergence of Black FeministConsciousness” in Katie’s Canon:Womanism and the Soul of theBlack Community by Cannon. NewYork: Continunm.[6] Collins, Patricia Hill. (1996),“What’s in a name? Womanism,black feminism, and beyond”. BlackScholar 26:1 9-17.[7] Cooper, Anna Julia. (1988).“Womanhood A Vital Element inthe Regeneration and Progress of aRace”, Cooper, A Voice From theSouth. New York: OxfordUniversity Press.[8] Floyd-Thomas, Stacey. Ed. (2006).“Darker Shades of Purple:Womanism in Religion andSociety”. New York UniversityPress.[9] hooks, bell. (1989), “Feminism andBlack Women’s Studies”. SAGE26:1 89-97.[10] Hurston, Zora Neal. (1976). Seraphon the Suwanee. New York: Harper.[11] Hudson-Weems, C. (1998).Africana Womanism: ReclaimingOurselves. Troy, MI: BedfordPublishing.[12] Murugan, Seema. (2008), TheFiction of Alice Walker: A Study ofBlack Images. Delhi: Authorspress.[13] Sanders, Cheryl J. (1994).“Womanist Ethics: ContemporaryTrends and Themes,” HarlemBeckley, ed., The Annual of theSociety of Christian Ethics. BostonUniversity.[14] Saunders, James Robert. (1988),“Womanism as the Key toUnderstanding Zora Neal Hurston’sTheir Eyes Were Watching God andAlice Walker’s The Color Purple.”The Hollins Critic 25.4 1-11.[15] Showalter, Elaine. (1991), Sister’sChoice: Tradition and Change inAmerican Women’s Writing.Oxford: Clarendon Press, 162-165.[16] Showalter, Elaine. (1997), “ACriticism of Our Own. Autonomyand Assimilation in Afro-Americanand Feminist Literary Theory.” Ed.Robyn R. Ward and Diane PriceHerndl. New Brunswick, NewJersey: Rutgers University Press,213-233.[17] Sinha, (Mrs.) Mani. (2007),Contemporary Afro-AmericanLiterature: A study of Man andSociety. New Delhi: SatyamPublishing House.[18] Smith, Barbara. (1983), “BlackFeminism Divorced from BlackFeminist Organizing.” The BlackScholar 14.1 38-45.[19] Williams, Delores S. (1987).“Womanist Theology: BlackWomen’s Voices” in Williams ed.Christianity and Crisis. New York.[20] Walker, Alice M. (1982), The ColorPurple. New York: Pocket Books.[21] Walker, Alice M. (1983), In Searchof Our Mothers’ Gardens:Womanist Prose. San Diego, NewYork: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.[22] Walker, Alice M. (1974), “In Searchof Our Mothers’ Gardens”. SouthernExposure. 4.4: 60-64331 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedDATTANI’S WHERE THERE’S A WILL—A CRITIQUE OFPATRIARCHY--Handibag Y.S.S.R.T. College, AmbajogaiThe present paper intends to probe intothe various issues related to patriarchy ingeneral and the autocratic rule of patriarchwhich results in stunted growth of othermembers’ personalities in the family inparticular in context with Mahesh Dattani’splay, Where There’s a Will.Mahesh Dattani is probably one of thebest contemporary Indian playwrights. He is aversatile theatre person – a writer, director,actor, dancer and teacher, all welded into one.He has his own theatre group ‘Playpen’. Hehas also made his directorial debut with thefilm Mango Soufflé. He has besides authored afilm script, Ek Alag Mausam. Moreover, hehas written plays for the BBC Radio. He isIndia’s first playwright in English to beawarded the prestigious Sahitya AkademiAward for his Final Solutions and Other Playsin 1998. His plays principally deal withhumanism in general and justice tomarginalized sections of society such ashomosexuals, eunuchs and women, inparticular. In all of them, he provokes ourthinking, compels us to think afresh about theproblems he presents and appeals to usindirectly like an artist to change ourconventional attitudes and assumptions aboutwhat is right and what is wrong, what is goodand what is evil. Yet he is not a preacher, andhas no new doctrine to propound.Where There’s a Will was first performedby Playpen at Chowdiah Memorial Hall, on 23September 1988, as part of the Deccan HeraldTheatre Festival. It was subsequentlytranslated into Hindi by Rajendra Mohan.The concept of patriarchy has evolvedfrom the struggles of women all over theworld. It encompasses the totality of structuresof domination and exploitation that affectwomen's position in society.The term patriarchy essentially means therule of the father or the patriarch (a malemember of the household or society). Infeminist theory and practice, patriarchy hasbeen looked at differently from the liberal tosocialist feminism. Defined simply however, itimplies a system in which the father or a malemember who is considered as the head of thefamily, controls all economic and propertyresources, makes all the major decisions of thefamily and thereby maintains ongoing controlover all members of the family and thoserelated to it. Very clearly, this systemestablishes male dominance and control overwomen in society, in general, and particularlyso within the family. The "unequal powerrelationship" between men and women, accruepower to men in an important institution ofsociety. Thus, it is important to see patriarchyas both an ideology of women's subordinationand control, and, a concept of struggle againstthe same.Sita Raina, a well-known actress andtheatre director writes in a note on the playthat Mahesh described the play as theexorcism of the patriarchal code. Women—beit daughter-in-law, wife or mistress—aredependent on men and this play shows whathappens when they are pushed to the edge.The play is divided into two acts and eachact is subdivided into two scenes. The actionof the play takes place at the house ofHasmukh Mehta, a rich businessman. Throughthe interpersonal relationships betweenmembers of the family, the playwright haspresented the water tight patriarchal code.The traditional notion of marriage andhaving a son is one of the Indian social beliefs.The parents and grandparents in Hindufamilies do wish to have their children getmarried and have at least a son soon. Thisstrengthens the patriarchal system in Hindusociety even today after so many influencesdue to western education, liberalization andglobalization. The birth of girl child is anundesirable thing and even if they are born,they are supposed to go to their husbands’houses leaving their own homes and familiesafter marriage. Hasmukh Mehta, the centralcharacter in the play echoes the same belief.332 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedHASMUKH. Why does a man marry? Sothat he can have a woman all to himself?No. There’s more to it than that. What?Maybe he needs a faithful companion?No. If that was it, all men would keepdogs. No, no I think the important reasonanyone should marry at all is to get a son.Why is it so important to get a son?Because the son will carry on the familyname? (Pause.) Why did I marry? Yes, toget a son. So that when I grow old, I canlive life again through my son. Why didmy father marry? To get me.(CP I 474-475)Hasmukh Mehta, forty five years old richbusinessman is a self-made man who enjoyssupreme authority at home and at his workplace. His authority at home is somewhatdisturbed by members in the family whereashe enjoys it unquestionably at his office. Hedwells on his past and remembers how he wastaught to work hard by his father. He nevercomplained against his father and followedeverything his father ordered him. He is veryproud and egoist who derides his sonwhenever he finds opportunity.HASMUKH. Today, I, Hasmukh Mehta,am one of the richest men in this city. Allby my own efforts. Forty-five years oldand I am a success in capital letters.Twenty-three years old and he is on theroad to failure, in bold capital letters! Athis age, I was a mature responsible man,not eating my father’s head nibbling atpapads!(CP I 464)He thinks that his son Ajit must alsoobey him and follow his orders. He doesn’tgive him money to invest because he thinksthat his son is spendthrift and doesn’t have anyplans for future. Ajit doesn’t have any rightover anything which belongs to his father. Ajitthinks that he has innovative ideas in his mindwhich he wants to implement but his fatherthinks that his son is a failure.AJIT. And then I can do all the thingsI’ve been wanting to do. All the changesI’ve been thinking of making ...(CP I 455)There is a generation gap of ideologiesbetween father and son. Ajit tries to rebelagainst his father’s authority in his own way.We see in him individualistic bend of mind.He wants to do or say on his own.AJIT. Nobody taught me anything! Whyis it that everything I say or do has to besomething that somebody has said me ortaught me to do! (CP I 459)He even tries to control the behaviour ofhis son after his death through his ‘will’. Hemakes every arrangement as regards hismoney, his business affairs and makes a trustby the name Hasmukh Mehta Trust andappoints Kiran Jhaveri, his former mistress,the trustee of the trust. He has made anarrangement of not to give a single rupee to hisson till he turns forty five and when hisgrandchild becomes twenty one then the trustwill be dissolved and Ajit and his heirs canhave right over money of his father. But thereare many conditions laid down according towhich he has to live his life till he turns fortyfive. If any of the members in the family triesto behave against the conditions in the ‘will’then all the money and the house they live inwill be donated to the various charitable trustsmentioned by Hasmukh Mehta in his will. Hetries to control the lives of members in thefamily through his ‘will’ after his death also.As per the conditions in the ‘will’ Ajit has togo to office regularly at 9 am and work theretill 6 pm. He has to have his lunch at his officeitself. He can’t make any decisions there andhis new projects will not be sanctioned and hewill have to obey the orders of Kiran Jhaveri.Hasmukh Mehta treats his son like a slaveand doesn’t consider that he also has hisopinions, ideas, choices and individuality. Hethinks that his son must step into his shoes andwants him to be his replica.AJIT. I mean that you want to run theshow, play Big Boss as long as you can.Or as long as God permits. And when allof a sudden, you are ‘called to a betterworld’, you will still want to play BigBoss. And you can do it through me. Inshort, you want me to be you.HASMUKH. I should have prayed for adaughter. Yes, I want you to be me!What’s wrong with being me?AJIT. And what becomes of me? The realme. I mean, if I am you, then where am I?(CP I 460)Ajit is always aware of his ownpersonality and wants to have his own identityand is struggling to find a way out. But hisfather expects his son to be a good boy who333 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedwould listen to his father and wouldn’t allowhim to use his ideas.AJIT. Don’t I have any rights at all?HASMUKH. You have the right to listento my advice and obey my orders.AJIT. Thank you. You are so generous Icould kiss your feet.HASMUKH. There’s no need to do that.Just polish my shoes every morning andI’ll be happy.AJIT. You will never be happy. Not untilall of us dance to your tune. And I willnever do that.HASMUKH. Don’t be so stubborn!AJIT. You are stubborn too!HASMUKH. I’m stubborn because Iknow I’m right. You’re stubborn becauseyou are a nincompoop! (CP I 458)Hasmukh is very particular about hisson’s name. He believes in the literal andsymbolical meaning of name and insists incalling him ‘Ajit’.HASMUKH. You know, I always hatedthe way she called him ‘Aju’. I never didcomplain. Maybe I should have. I gavehim a strong forceful name, Ajit. It means‘the victorious’. A powerful name likethat should be bellowed out. (Bellows.)Ajit! It didn’t take her long to change ‘thevictorious’ into ‘Aju’. (CP I 497)Marginalisation of women characters in amale dominated world is one of the recurrentthemes Dattani handles in his plays. Throughthe microcosm of family he has succeeded invoicing the problems of fair sex. Women arevictimized, exploited and are not given anyspace at home and at work place. The play hasthree women characters but all are victims ofpatriarchal code in some or the other way.The very statements made by HasmukhMehta regarding his wife shows how he thinksabout his wife in particular and about womenin general.HASMUKH. Do you know what Sonalmeans? No? ‘Gold.’ When we werenewly married, I used to joke with herand say she was as good as gold. But thatwas when we were newly married. I soonfound out what a good-for-nothing shewas. As good as mud. Ditto our sex life.Mud. Twenty-five years of marriage and Idon’t think she has ever enjoyed sex.Twenty-five years of marriage and Ihaven’t enjoyed sex with her. So whatdoes a man do? (CP I 472-73)He looks at his wife, Sonal as adisinterested and passive woman and regretsof marrying her. He looks at his married life asa tragedy and doesn’t give any freedom to her.HASMUKH. Then when I was twentyone,the greatest tragedy of my life tookplace. I got married to my wife, Sonal.You will soon meet her. The followingyear Ajit was born. Tragedy after tragedy.(CP I 464)Sonal is meek and subservient andalways dances to the tune of her husband. Shedoesn’t have her opinions in her life. We seethat even in kitchen Sonal doesn’t havefreedom to cook the dishes she likes and whenshe wants to have a cook at her home, sheconsults her sister. So, it is quite possible thather dominating husband would rule her.Hasmukh Mehta doesn’t remain faithful to hiswife and keeps an affair with his secretary,Kiran Jhaveri. In his will also he doesn’t makeany arrangement of giving anything to his wifeexcept some allowance to run the house.Through his ‘will’ by making provision of hisformer mistress’s living at his home with hiswife, he has compelled her to have feeling ofinferiority and inadequacy as a wife.SONAL. I know why! This is his way ofgetting even with me! Your presence willkeep reminding me of how . . . inadequateI was. Oh, he had planned it to the lastdetail! (CP I 464)Another woman, Preeti, Ajit’s wife alsosuffers badly due to the patriarchal code buther suffering is not as serious as her motherin-law’s because her behaviour deserves it.She has married Ajit hoping that he wouldinherit his father’s property after his death.She was after her father-in-law’s money.Hasmukh Mehta has identified her nature andat the beginning itself says that she is sly like asnake. His later remarks regarding her helpaudience understand her true nature.HASMUKH. There’s one more reasonwhy I want Kiran here. To keep a checkon my daughter-in-law. If there is anyonewho has me worried, it’s her. She is aclever piece. Might find some loophole inthe will. But Kiran is too clever for her.(CP I 496)334 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedThe thing becomes quite clear when sheargues with Ajit that it was only because ofhim that she didn’t get anything from herfather-in-law. The very language, curt repliesand her behaviour with her mother-in-law andAjit after Hasmukh Mehta’s death andrevelation of ‘will’ is itself an indicative thatshe was after his money. She doesn’t have anyattachment with other members in the family.For the sake of money, she goes to the extentof replacing the blood pressure tablets ofHasmukh Mehta with her vitamin tablets andcauses his death. It is Kiran who finds it outbut instead of disclosing it in front of othermembers of family, she points it out to Preetiand makes her realize and regret her mistake.Kiran Jhaveri, Hasmukh Mehta’s mistressand one of the directors of Mehta Group ofIndustries and the trustee of the HasmukhMehta Trust is another victim of patriarchal setup but not at the hands of Hasmukh Mehta butfrom her husband. She keeps an affair withHasmukh Mehta out of her necessity becauseher husband is jobless and needs a bottle ofwhisky daily. She manages to get a companyflat in a posh locality and also is on thedirectorial board of the company. She is anintelligent woman having sound judgement ofher life, work and other problems which shefaces and resolves successfully.KIRAN. I managed. I managed my work,I managed my house, I managed myhusband.SONAL. And mine too.KIRAN. Yes. Your husband. And yourhouse too now. I suppose that is what heliked about me. I am an efficientmanager. I guess I was . . . useful to him(CP I 505)From the materialistic point of view she isa successful woman but she does it against herwish as her husband is a useless fellow. Therelation had grown not out of her love forHasmukh Mehta but out of pity anddependence on her:KIRAN. He depended on me foreverything. He thought he was decisionmaker. But I was. He wanted me to runhis life. Like his father had. Hasmukhdidn’t really want a mistress. He wanted afather. He saw in me a woman who wouldfather him! (CP I 510)Neither education nor economicindependence would help women in gainingtheir dues unless male ego undergoes completetransformation. The agony of being a womanin such a society is well expressed by Kiranwhen she recalls her past to Sonal, who thinksher lucky as she is educated.KIRAN. Wrong. I learnt my lessons frombeing so close to life. I learnt my lessonsfrom watching my mother tolerating myfather when he came home every daywith bottles of rum wrapped up innewspapers. As I watched him beatingher up and calling her names! I learntwhat life was when my mother pretendedshe was happy in front of me and mybrothers, so that we wouldn’t hate myfather...Yes, Mrs Mehta. My father, yourhusband—they were weak men with falsestrength. (CP I 508)At last Hasmukh realizes that his attemptsto control the family were in vain and also thatwhatever he has achieved in life was all hisfather’s aspirations and not his own but now itis too late as he is now only a ghost watchingthe whole thing:HASMUKH. Is it . . . true? Have I merelybeen to my father what Ajit has been tome? Have all my achievements been myfather’s aspirations for me? Have I beenmy father’s ghost? If that is true, thenwhere was I? What became of me, thereal me? (CP I 511)If Thirty Days in September is Dattani’smost serious play, Where There’s a Will canbe called as the most hilarious one. Hecriticizes patriarchy but he is never didacticand his tone is comic throughout the play. It isrightly observed by Sita Raina, a theatredirector, ‘Joy is the essence of life and I havealways believed that theatre should exudedelight. Where There’s a Will is such a play. Itis not only thought-provoking andintrospective but also provides an evening ofpure entertainment’. (CP I 451)Thus Where There’s a Will makes a boldstatement in favour of the individual’s right tolive his or her life according to his or her ownright. One may fail or come to grief but at leastone would be daring to face life on one’s own.335 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedREFERENCES:1. Dattani, Mahesh, Collected Plays, Vol.I,Penguin Books India, New Delhi, 2000.2. Raina, Sita , A Note on the Play,Collected Plays, Vol.I, p. 4513. Agarwal, Beena, Mahesh Dattani’sPlays: A New Horizon in IndianTheatre, Book Enclave, publishers,Jaipur, 2008.4. Das, Bijay Kumar, Form and Meaningin Mahesh Dattani’s Plays, AtlanticPublishers & Distributors, New Delhi,2008.5. Chaudhuri, Asha Kuthari, MaheshDattani, Foundation Books, New Delhi,2008.6. Prasad, Amar Nath, The DramaticWorld of Mahesh Dattani—A CriticalExploration, Sarup Book Pub. Pvt. Ltd.,New Delhi, 2009.7. Barure S.B. & Siddiqui, M.A. Sami(ed.), Reflections on Mahesh Dattani—An Eminent Indian Dramatist, VitalPublications, Jaipur, 2012.8.http://www.ibiblio.org/ahkitj/wscfap/arms1974/Regl_womens_prog/Women%20and%20Men%20in%20Partnership/05a%20Patriarchy.htm336 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedDattani’s Thirty Days in September:An Amalgamation of Sexual IncestAnd Female Victimization--Miss. Shinde V.D.Research ScholarPeople’s College, NandedMahesh Dattani is a man of multipleaspects. His works express truth of hischoice and situations. For him, his writingis reflective of the ‘ here and now’ ofmodern contemporary urban India. Hischaracters are caught between ‘ traditionand social values’ and ‘ modernity’.Mahesh Dattani is anexistentialist philosopher. His charactersare weak and disabled human beings. Theyare struggling to be perfect and happy inthe world of imperfections and pain.Dattani’s plays have variety and socialrelevance. Sartre is of the view that awriter is relevant only if he responds to theproblems of his times. He must write onlyfor his age and only for his people. It isright with reference to Dattani. He hasdealt with the burning issues, such as childsexual abuse, immoral familyrelationships, problems of eunuchs, andcommunalism.Dattani is indeed a realisticdramatist. He forces us to see what usuallywe can’t and even don’t want to see. Hejust draws our attention to sexualminorities. His characters are commonpeople. He is an experimenter andinnovator. His stage is alwaysmultilayered. According to Iyenger,Dattani’s plays are, “ manifestoes of thenew realism”. Unfortunately, criticscriticize his dramas for being confinedonly to elitists.In present scenario, maledomination is a socially, psychologically,politically, economically and culturallyorganized set up that oppresses the female.The males are oppressed due to classdisparity, whereas women are oppressedbecause of class as well as maledomination. This male domination setuptreats the female as secondary, just as anextension and a slave. Female has beenconsidered as a tool to fulfill the sexual aswell as physical desires of males. Thepresent paper is an attempt to studyMahesh Dattani’s Thirty Days inSeptember with feministic point of view.Dattani’s Thirty Days inSeptember is the best example ofamalgamation of sexual incest and femalevictimization. The play throws light on thedarker side of human life. It is apsychological portrayal of a young girland her mother who have been sexuallyexploited by a blood relative. The playtalks about bitter realities in the life ofthese women, who don’t have support offrom any male counterpart. Shanta, themother and Mala, her daughter arevictims of sexual incest and maledomination.The play is about the sexualexploitation of women by blood relatives.Mala is exploited by her own maternaluncle, whereas her mother Shanta is alsothe victim of the same man. Their ideasabout life have shattered due to thisexperience. Shanta tries to suppress herfeelings, whereas Mala becomesbohemian. For Mala social values,foundations of human life are notimportant. She has lost faith in socialinstitutions, like marriage and family. Shehas started to judge the life on the basis ofher bitter experiences. On the other hand,Shanta tries to console and forget thesebitter memories by praying Lord Krishna.The title of the play signifies bitterrealities in the life of sexually exploitedwoman. The title itself throws light onmental disorder of sexually abused younggirl. It signifies that Mala cannot peruseher relation with any man for more thanthirty days. In the play, her action ofmarking the dates on the calendar revealsthe truth. The act might be a symbol ofeither her mental disorder or it is a revengetaken by her against each and every man337 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedwhoever came in contact with her. Due toher regular molestation, she has becomehysteric. Her behavior is too modern andbohemian. Deepak, Mala’s boyfriend andMala go to a restaurant. Initially, Malasays to Deepak that the man is staring ather breasts. Deepak fights with the man.After that incident she tells Deepak thatthe man was not looking at her breasts,actually she wants that the man must lookat them. The following dialogue betweenMala and Deepak suffice histericity of herbehavior.Mala : Did you see that ?Deepak: What?Mala : The man overthere.Deepak : What about him?Mala : He was staring atmy breasts…Deepak : Did you say thatjust to avoid trouble ?Mala : No he wasn’tstaring at me… I wanted him to…You want to know what I feelMost ?... If he had looked at me, Iwould have felt... truly alive.(CP II p.no.30-31)In this way Mala is using her bodyas a tool to avenge whole manhood. Shewants to engage each man in her physiqueand the size of her breasts She is anemotionally wounded woman turningtowards superficial lust.The beginning of the play throwslight on the abnormalcy of sexually abusedwoman. Mala is a victim of sexual incest.Her ideas about life are totally shaken,still she is very much conscious about heridentity and social value. Actually, humanbeings are more conscious about theiridentity, social prestige than basic needs ofhuman life. In spite of bitter experiences,Mala talks about her identity. She is of theview that whatever has happened in herlife, it was not her fault. According to hera victim should not feel guilty, but thevictimizers. It signifies that in societyvictimizers are living peaceful anddignified life, whereas victims have tohide themselves to avoid socialhumiliations, out of this emotional crisis,Mala says.Mala : Why not? … Ido not hesitate to use myreal name now. Let peopleknow… there is nothingto hide. Not for me. Afterall, it is he who musthide. He should changehis name, not me It is hewho must avoid beingrecognized… Because Iknow it wasn’t myfault….(CP II p. no.08)Mala has started to live her life inunconventional way. Her encounter withRavi, the man and incident in restaurantwith another man exposes herunconventional way of living. Deepakwants to marry her, whereas she is notready to marry him. For her, social values,institutions and human relations aremeaningless. Height to that, she becomesangry with Deepak due to the proposal ofmarriage. Even her mother is very muchfrightened of her behavior, When Deepakcomes to Mala’s house, Shanta tells himthat Mala is not at home. Shanta requestsDeepak to go out of home otherwise Malawill do harm to anything or anyone. Itshows intensity of abnormalcy of Mala.Eliot’s concept of the ‘Hollowman’ is applicable to each and everycharacter in the drama. Mala is so muchengrossed in the sex and sexual activities.She is not sure about happiness or sadnessof the sexual activities. As modernindividual she is dangling between faithand doubt. Mala contradicts herself andseems not sure in what she says and whatshe does. Her words are contradictory toher actions.Well it means that it is no longerSatisfying to me, and I don’t meanThe physical part of it, althoughThat is usually the main attractionfor me … not that I actuallyenjoy it when they are doing itto me… (CP II p.no. 18)Mala’s regretful past does not lether to begin afresh. When Deepak asks herto marry him, she curses and blamesherself remembering her past encounterswith the men. The mode of interactionbetween Mala and Shanta is that of anoppressed and oppressor, it is a kind of338 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedreciprocal abuse on the side of both thecharacters. In Mala’s eyes, Shanta isresponsible for her present status . It isbecause of Shanta’s silence Mala hastransformed into a prostitute–like-figure.“It’s the silence and the betrayal of thefamily that affects me the most. Like inthis case, the mother knew her daughterwas being sexually abused by her uncle,but still chose to keep quiet. It’s thissilence that makes the abused feelbetrayed.” 04 (Santhanam,2001) Her everyattempt towards doing some thing good isa counter movement making her tomemorize her past. For Mala rememberingpast experiences are like-It’s like taking off the bandages onYour face after a bloody car crashthat left your face all scarredbeyond recognition, as if youdid not have a face at all. To wakeup after many many years, as iffrom coma… And to let thebandagesCome off…and suddenly discovera whole new face again. All of asudden you feel that you areentitled to life. (CP II p.no. 33)be present in either man or woman.Sometimes, we also see in society, womenexploit men. That is why, the concept‘playboy’ came into existence.Dattani has presented real pictureof society. He points out that such thingsare happening with men and women ineach class, but because of the socialprestige, no voice is rest against suchissues. Dattani objects this attitude.According to him we should come outwith such problems and try to find outsolution to them.References1. Dattani, Mahesh, Collected playsVol. II (New Delhi: PenguinBooks India), 2005.2. Ibid.3. Ibid.4. Santhanam, Anitha. ‘ It’s theSilence that affects me most’.2001,http://www.maheshdattani.com5. Dattani, Mahesh. Collected playsVlo. II (New Delhi: PenguinBooks India) , 2005.The constant oppression andsuppression compels Mala to degradeherself, in terms of sexual relations withmany men, from a human being to abeastly creature. For Mala, each and everyactivity of uncle Vinay, such asconvincing Mala for marriage withDeepak, giving flat, these are weapons tokeep Shanta mum. Mala is going oncursing Shanta for her present condition.Suddenly, Shanta takes a piece of glassand injures her mouth. Here, we come toknow that Shanta is also the victim ofuncle Vinay.Finally, mother and daughtercome to terms with each other. UncleVinay embraces death. Mala is of opinionthat Vinay deserves death. In this way, theplay talks abut double exploitation of Malaand Shanta, but we can’t blame each manfor this. In the play itself, on one handVinay treats both women in devilishmanner, on the other hand, Deepak tries tosupport them. Actually, sexualgratification or lust is not confined to anygender, these are animal instincts and can339 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedSimone de Beauvoir’s Woman as the Other – the Introductory Part ofThe Second Sex--Miss Asha S B3 rd Sem Student of English LiteratureJSS College,Dharwad (KA)Abstract: Feminism (of late called ‘womanism’) is aserious attempt to formulate the issues and find solutions togender problems. It was started by Simone De Beavoir inThe Second Sex (1949) and gained momentum in the1960s. The Second Sex, a Feminist classic by Simone deBeauvoir is a milestone in the history of feminism, whereshe discusses the social construction of woman as the other,which she believes to be the cause for the oppression ofwomen.God created man in his own image. Andthe Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall uponAdam and he slept; and he took one of his ribs,and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and therib which the Lord God had taken from man, hemade a woman, and brought her up to the man.And Adam said, - “This is now bone of mybones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called awoman. Because she was taken out of man”.They were both naked and the man andhis wife were not ashamed. And the eyes ofthem both were opened and they knew they werenaked; and they sewed fig leaves and madethemselves aprons. Woman is taken out of man(though it is the mother who gives birth to ababy). Adam names his wife Eve; God is male(‘created man in his own image’). Man iscreated first.It is said that those who mane theobjects, in fact, own them and those who rule theworld. Not only in the text given above but alsoeverywhere one can see a deep – rooted genderbias; the bias has become part of the historical/textual tradition.Whether it is the popular saying that tenmeasures of a speech descended of on the earthand men took only one while women took nineor the common belief that a baby girl startsspeaking earlier than a boy (may be women tooknine!), or the notion that boys are good atmathematics and girls at language there are allkinds of conceptions and misconceptions aboutthe sexes expressed through language/ literature.Feminism (of late called ‘womanism’) isa serious attempt to formulate the issues and findsolutions to gender problems. It was started bySimone De Beavoir in The Second Sex (1949)and gained momentum in the 1960s. She saysLegislators priests, philosophers, writers andscientists have striven to show that thesubordinate position of women is willed inheaven and advantages on earth’: she points outthat women are not a minority like the blacksand they are not a product of history like theproletarist.Feminism with history of over twocenturies – than as had its influence in all thefields – is a movement supporting equal rightsfor women.Simone de Beavoir’s The Second Sexpublished between 1920 and 1980 are some ofthe works that have had their great influence onthe Feminist movement till today. Among theseSimone de Beavoit’s Le Duxieme Sexe or TheSecond Sex published in 1949 stands out to bemost influential one.The modern feminist movement gets a sharpfocus in the writings of women whose works canbe classified as follows:340 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded• Work in the area of women’s studies orfeminism (research and studies ingeneral about the problems of women insocial, cultural, economic, linguistic andother areas).• Women’s writing, mostly literary and• Feminist criticismWomen’s writing in the west has beenwriting oriented because of the high rate ofliterary in western societies and feminism in thewest has its roots in books and literature; incountries like india where there is a strong oraltradition and a high rate of illiteracy, the importof these studies was confined mostly to urbanareas and only reantly the awareness is felt in therural areas under the influence of the electronicmedia, which has revived the oral tradition.Though there are different shades offeminism one can broadly say – that feminismhas developed along the following lines;• Radical feminism which rejects thesymbolic order and which is moremilitant in its approach.• Liberal feminism which demands equalaccess to the symbolic order.• Rational feminism that challenges thenotion of male/ female identity ofmasculinity/ femininity as metaphysicalconstructed and concocted.Though at the beginning the tone was moreemotional and militant in attacking the maleversions of the world, feminism changed itsattention to exploring the female experience andtowards what is termed as ecriture, feminine, aFrench expression for feminine writing.There is a conscious and concentratedattempt towards (re)presenting biologicaldifferences and their implications, (re)valuingWomen’s experience, (re)thinking the canons oftext, discourse and language, (re)reading the(re)presentations of the conscious and theunconscious and (re)cognizing the sociocultural, economic and political conditions in thesociety.The content includes various fields likethe history, styles, themes, genres and thestructure of writing by women, thepsychoanalysis of female creativity, thetrajeclory of the individual or collective femalecareer and the evolution of laws of a femaletradition.In all tradition women have always beenconsidered inferior and incapable of any seriousthinking irrespective of religion, country, race,the period in which they live, more or less thesame perception and sex stereotyping is seen inlanguage and literature.Simone de Beauvoir (1908 – 1986)Simone de Beauvoir, the Frenchnovelist, essayist, journalist and socialphilosopher, made a remarkable contribution tothe development of existentialism and feminism.Simone Lucie Erustine Marie Bertradede Beauvoir born on 9 January 1908 came underthe influence of existentialism and its pioneerJean Paul Sartre in 1929, and gave many workslike The Ethics of Ambiguity, All Men areMortal, The Second Sex, The WomanDestroyed, She came to stay and The Mandarins.The Second Sex, a Feminist classic by Simonede Beauvoir is a milestone in the history offeminism, where she discusses the socialconstruction of woman as the other, which shebelieves to be the cause for the oppression ofwomen.Women as the OtherIn “Women as the Other”, the introductory partof one of the most celebrated works of the341 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandednineteenth century The Second Sex, Simone deBeauvoir has dealt widely with all the aspects ofmarginalization of woman as the other by thesociety from time immemorial and raises thefundamental questions on the same.The essay opens with the very question – “Whatis a woman?” with which she further traces thepatterns of male oppression of women citingexamples from history, literature and mythology.But for this one finds no answer in the presentessay. Answer to it lies in her most famousstatement – “One is not born a woman, butrather becomes one” that appears in the laterchapters of the book.In this part, she compares and analyses theproblem of status of women in the societysetting it against that of Negroes, the Jews, theproletarians and the industrial workers. Andfinally she shows how different is this problemfrom the other problems.Women, Negroes and Jews or ‘theeternal feminine’. ‘The Black soul’ and ‘theJewish character exists? On such questions shebuilds her essay. Just as ‘the Black soul’ and theJewish character’ are the false notionscontributed by their oppressors, the eternalfeminine’ is a false notion that dominates in thepatriarchal society. ‘The eternal feminine’, ‘truewomen’, ‘equality in difference’ – are theconcepts she analyses that are used by thepatriarchal society as the instruments to suppressthe women and to justify it.Here she quotes Aristotle, St. Thomas,Benda and Michlet, which send a clear messagethat “woman – is the incidental, the inessential,as opposed to the essential. He is the subject. Heis the absolute- she is the Other as thought andperceived by generations of men”.Otherness as de Beauvoir stresses hasbeen and is the fundamental category of humanthought. And this concept of the other hasentered man – woman relationship too, whereman has set up himself as the subject and thewomen as the other. Further once again, sherefers to the Jews and the Negroes.In case of Jews and the Negroes one cantrace historical events that have contributed tothe subjugation of the weaker by the strongerand in case of proletarians it is a historicaldevelopment.But what contributes to the subjugationof woman who forms the half of humankind?Even if the men and the patriarchal society haveset up women as the other, why does shecontinue to accept it? – “how is it then that thereciprocity has not been recognized between thesexes, that one of the contrasting terms is set upas the role essential denying any relativity inregard to its correlative and defining the latter aspure otherness? Why is it that women do notdispute male sovereignty?” – is yet anothermajor question that de Beauvoir raises andpoints out the fact that women have chosen tocontinue in this state as it is convenient for them.She analyses how women themselveshave contributed to the strengthening ofpatriarchal thoughts. “If woman seems to be theinessential which never becomes the essential, itis because she herself fails to bring about thischange…They (Women) have gained only whatmen have been willing to grant; they have takennothing, they have only received” declaresSimone de Beauvoir citing the examples ofOmphale and Hercules, Jason and Medea, andthe Sabine women, Women, being the necessaryhalf could have controlled men, but did not doso. Why did they not do it? – is yet anotherquestion that Simone de Beauvoir deals with.“They live dispersed among the males, attachedto certain men – fathers or husbands – morefirmly than they are to other women” –342 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedexpanding the same, she says how unlike Jewsor Black or the Proletarians, women cannotthink of exterminating their oppressors.‘The bond that unites her to heroppressor is not comparable to any other’. Thisway, despite bringing about a comparison, sheconcludes how the problem of the subjugation ofthe woman is all together a different one.Speaking of the gender relation, deBeauvoir refers to the industrial revolution andthe entrance of women into productive labor andits consequences. She states how men dreadcompetition from women and consideremancipation of women as menace and want thesubmission of women to continue which is attheir benefit.She draws several examples from thecontemporary society highlighting the attitude ofmen towards women. Along with it she pointsout at the changing situations under whichwomen have entered the workplace that wasformerly restricted only to the men. But the maleego continues to treat her as the Other by citingthe quotations from Aristotle and St. Thomas.“Since the ancient times satirists and moralistshave delighted in showing up the weaknesses ofwomen”, saying so de Beauvoir makes clearhow women have been pushed to the peripheryfirst and them is justified to be fit for the sameplace.vertical and the oblique, and perfection andimperfection.this way, dealing with the concept ofwoman as the other, de Beauvoir analyses itconsidering the different perspectives –interrogating, comparing finally coming to herown conclusion with a justification of her point.Throughout the essay, she challenges theconventional notions with which the womenhave been made to accept their marginalization.With every new question that she raises, shesends a clear message that women should rejectthe traditional restraint of the patriarchal society.Bibliography• Contemporary Literary Theory : AStudent’s Companion, by NKrishnaswamy, Farmer professor,CIEFL, Hydrabad.• The Second Sex – Simone de Beauvoir.• Biography – Wikipedia.Speaking of the social discrimination,she points out how even the most sympathetic ofthe men cannot completely comprehend theproblems of women. Speaking of all those whohave been sympathetic towards women, shementions Montaigne, Diderot and J S Mill. Butat the same time highlights the fact that none ofthem has championed the cause of women.Drawing towards the conclusion shegives a call to start afresh discarding the vaguenotions the superiority and inferiority; the343 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedFeminism: A General Survey--Asia ParveenResearch Scholar, Telangana University,Nizamabad (AP)Women are undoubtedly equal to men inall spherves of life. But, unfortunately there isdiscrimination between men and women in allSocieties throughout the world. Thereforefeminists have been fighting for freedom frommale domination patriarchy.Feminism is an organised movement forwomen's rights, interests, freedom andequality. There should be the political,economic and social equality of sexes in maledominated society. It is the aim that womenshould have the same rights and opportunitiesas men and so it needs struggle to achieve thisaim.According to the famous criticSethoraman, Feminist criticism is concernedwith "Women as the producer of textual,meanings with the history, thems, genres andstructures of literature by women".Feminism or feministic criticism was notinaugurated until late in 1960s as a distinctiveapproach to literature. Since 1969 there hasbeen an explosion of feminist writings. InAmerica, England, France and other countriesit is not a unitary procedure. It includesadaptations of psychoanalytical Marxist anddiverse poststructuralist theories. Westerncivilization is pervasively patriarchal infamilial, religious, political, economic, social,legal and artistic. Women themselves aretaught, in the process of being socialized, tointernalize the reigning patriarchal ideology.Simone de Beauvoir puts it,"One is not born, but rather becomes, awoman----- it is civilization as a whole thatproduces this creature ------ which is describedas feminine". By this cultural process, themasculine in our culture has come to beidentified as active, rational, creative,dominating, adventurous and feminine aspassive, emotional, timid, conventional.There are five main focal points:1. Biology:- Biological differencebetween man and woman has been the groundon which different, constructions have beenbuilt throughout mans history. But, makingbiological difference a base feminists reversethe theories rejecting the woman assubordinate, erecting massive theoretical framework. Gilbert, Gubert and Auerbach point outthat this difference rather should be regardedas special asset denied to men.2. Experience:- There are some people whoperceive women's experience as somethingspecial and unique, since woman haveundergone female experiences only they canspeak of women's life. The study of theliterary representation of these differences inwomen's writing has been calledGynocriticism.3. Discourse:- Women have been oppressedfor centuries by male dominated language.This aspect is discussed in Dale Spenders bookentitled "Man-made language". Roberttakeoff, another critic treats womens' languageas inferior, uncertain, trivial.French feminists give linguistic studypriority over other considerations andemphasize need to develop womens languageRevolutionary idea of 'parole de femme'strongly advocated by Annie Lecleve aimed atmaking the final beak with the dictator ship ofpatriarchal speech. Xaviere Gauthier andothers observe that at the moment women haveto choose between remaining mute or speakingin the language created by men and joiningthem. The need is to create third option, alanguage that would disrupt male dominatedspeech. This would deconstruct thePallacentric structures.4. The Unconscious:- The basic differencebetween men and women is psyche. It isshaped by the body, the growth of languageand sex role socialization. French feministsconcentrated on Freudian, neofreudian, andLacanian, Psychoanalytical theories, seeking to344 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandeduncover the role of oedipal phase and fantasyabout genitals.Miller counters Freudian theory showsthat women's un-satisfied desires and dreamsare mainly erotic and shape their texts andplots, at the other side male desires and dreamsare egoistic. Ericsonan perceptions have alsobeen studied by critics like Annis pratt, AnnDouglas and others. Nancy Chodorows "TheReproduction of Mothering" psychoanalysisand the sociology of gender (1978) has atremendous influence on womens studies. Shesays, it is post-oedipal phase that cultural andsocial constructions are imposed on her ofdifferentiation.5. Social and economic conditions:-Viginia woolf is a famous feministwriter she was the first women writer to takeup the sociological dimension of womenwriting she said, "It is more unpleasant to belocked In" This describes her harrowingexperience of being denied entry into theUniversity library as she was a woman and'ladies are only admitted to the library ofaccompanied by a fellow of the college or ifthey come along with the letter ofIntroduction". "A Room of one's own" page 5written by "Virginia Woolf".In India there are some women writerslike Shashi Deshpande, Kamala Markandaya,Anita Desai and host of others who expressedtheir Ideas about the Injustice being done towomen.Anita Desai in her famous novels "Crythe Peacock" (1963), "Voices in the city"(1965), "Bye Bye Black Bird" (1971), "Whereshall we go this summer?" (1975) etc., hasgraphically presented the turbulent psyche ofthe modern Indian Women.We come across political feminism inthe works of Kate Millet, Germaine Greev,Mary Eilman, Sholamith firestone and MicheleBarrett. Her book "Sexual Politics", (1969)vehemently argues that women are in such anintolerable, Subordinate position in thepatriarchal social setup that most of themrepress and deny its existenceShe Writes:-"The phenomenon of Parents" parentalpreferences for male issues is too common torequire such elaboration. In the light of theimminent possibility of parents actuallychoosing sex of their child, such a tendency isbecoming the cause of some concern inscientific circles.Kate Millet, sexual politics, London:Rupert Hart Davis, 1971,56-57. GermaineGreev, too, belongs to the same brand ofmilitant feminism, and goes to the extent ofsaying that "If women are to affect a significatamelioration in their condition it seemsobvious that they must refuse to marry.Gemaine Greev in her "The femaleEunuch". St Alabama:Paladin, 1976,319.Elaine Showalter also made contribution infeminist movement specially in the area ofGynocriticism. Her essay "towards feministpoetics" describes two types of feministcriticism "with women as a reader", as theconsumer of male produced literature and"woman as a writer", producer of textualmeaning.Mary Ellman in her work "thinkingabout women" attacks phallic criticism. Shemocks at Walter Paters phrase of "Manliness inart" she draws our attention to women whocelebrate the subtle joys of femaleindependence.In India, the Trio-Mulk Raj Anand,RK Narayan and Raja Rao did not pay muchattention to woman emancipation, Narayansportrayal of woman characters ranges frommeek and submissive wife like in "the financialexport" and "Savitri" to radical women likeDaisy in "the painter of signs" etc. In RajaRao's novels woman character suffers fromdomestic injustice and tyrannical tradition etc.,like we have the role of savitri in "the serpentand the rope".Thus male writers owing tomisconception about or ignorance of thewoman in general have failed to give honest orreal portrayal of their woman characters. Theyhave either expressed their weakness and drawbacks , or placed her on a high pedestal anddefied it like in Bhabani Bhattacharyasportrayal of woman is too optimistic likeKajoli in "So many Hungers"/undergoes345 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedimmense suffering but her spirit remainsinvincible.Now the times have changed for thebetter for womens writers, they have greatermeasure of freedom and are venturing intoregions of experience which were earlierconsidered taboo.S. Deshpande SaysThe Women in my books are peoplewho come to realize what it is to be a womanin the process of their own lives and thesituations they face not through books andtheories. I think feminism is an entirelypersonlized perception. It is when you startquestioning preconceived notion about yourroles".Desphpande in her "that long silence:A study", Indian women Novelists, edited byR.K. Dhawan, Delhi: Prestige books, 1991,157.Nov there exist a number ofspecialized feminist journals and publishinghouses, alomost all the colleges anduniversities now have programes in women'sstudies and courses in women's literature etcand important place is given to writings by andabout women.346 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedWOMEN IN LIMBALE’S OUTCASTE : A FEMINIST VIEW.Mr. V. S. BongulwarS. D. College, Hadgaon.Dist. Nanded.When we discuss Dalit and Dalitism it remain incomplete unless we take into account astrong undercurrent of Dalit women and their condition as a part as well as a separate stream underthe overall space of Dalit literature. With it, it can also be argued that any perspective on Dalitwomen is bound to be lop –sided unless we take into consideration the perculiar socio-economicmilieu in which she is placed. Dalit women are rightly seen as “thrice – subjugated as women, asDalit women, and as Dalit women who perform stigmatized labour. Dr. Ambedkar saw the Hinducaste system as a pyramid of earthen pots which are put on one another. In this structure not only theprivileged castes of Brahmins and Ksatriyas are at the top and Shudras and untouchables at the bottombut within each earthen pot “men are at the top and women of that caste are on the bottom likecrushed and wasted powder. And at the very bottom are the Dalits and below them are the suppresseddalit women.” Thus on the one hand a Dalit woman shares with her male coiinlerpar the deprivationsand disabilities due to her position at the lowest ladder of brahminical hierarchical social order, on theother as a woman she has to bear the tortures and invisibilities which our patriarchal social orderimposes upon tie supposedly 'fair sex'. It has been her fate as a dalit to bear threats of rape andviolence from the hands of upper caste, upper class people. While dalit movement brought in its wakehope for a better treatment and equality, with the rise of identity concerns and community feelings italso increased the risk of objectification of dalit women. While feminism asserting the femaleidentity tended to ignore the peculiar socio-economic environment which made her experiencestudicdiv .different from the upper class female, the dalit movement also cannot be absolved of thecharges of showing strong patriarchal leanings. The outcome of it has been that dalit woman has beenleft in lurch by both modern feminists and male dominated dalit movement, as noted by AnupamaRao:"The women's movement has in its enthrallment of'sisterhood' failed to note the 'caste' factor while theDalit movement has remained patriarchal and sees (lie dalit women's oppression merely as a casteoppression."The Outcaste by Sharankumar Limbale is a noteworthy work in dalit writings. Together with theauthentic representation of dalit sensibility where caste is seen as a collegium of multiple socio-347 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedreligious prejudices against the untouchables, the autobiography gives some of the most memorablepictures of dalit women facing the vicissitudes of life bravely. Though the book has a plethora offemale characters, the most important women character in the novel is Santamai, the grand mother ofthe narrator. The narrator is so much attached with her that instead of his monther Masamai, lieprefers to live with her: "Masarnai, my mother, always treated me as if I were her step son. I wasmore attached to Shantamai , my grandmother. Whenever Masamai began to hit me Shantamai wouldintervene and save me." 6 She too treats him like her own son and undergoes great hardships to bringhim up and educate him. Whenever the narrator does something outstanding, she feels proud of him.Very early in the navel when Sharan goes in a procession with other school boys on Republic day,Shantamai feels "her dream liad come true" (p. 6). Shantamai is an ordinary dalit women, who hasbeen described in no flattering terms: "Her mouth smelt foul and her teeth had turned quite baick fromthe herbal powder she-used to clean them with" (p. 6-7). She gathers dung for making cakes of dungto sell them. Due to her hard work and constant starvation her skin has dried up and shriveled. Sheherself eats bhakaris made out of the jowar grains washed out of the dung of animals and gives Sharanbhakaris out of the floor collected as alms. Once when the narrator insists on eating the bhakariswhich Shantamai used to eat, lie feels nauseated. Constant hunger and deprivation has made herimmune to the stink of the dung in the bhakries: "Shantamai ate those bhakris as a matter of course,her blackened teeth turning those bhakaris into pulp. |... She gave no sign of being assaulted by thestink of dung. She just pushed it into her mouth and it went down her stomach, whereas the dungheaved up in mine" (R 11). The description, on the one hand, brings out the mute, expressionless lovein Shantamai for her grandson whom she gives the bhakaris made of better flour while slie herself eatsthe bhakaris made up grains collected from dung, on (lie other Sliaiitamai's indifference to the smellof dung presents her as a woman who has been treated so inhumanly by the caste system throughouther life that she has now 'naturalized' to the conditions. She shares a very thorny existence witli dada,her muslim partner, and the narrator, perhaps more difficult than her male counterparts. It is she whohas to bear the burden of begging, sweeping and arranging for the survival of her family. When sliequarrels with Masamai on account of the narrator, she leaves the house and starts living at the busstand with the narrator and dada. Whenever the narrator felt hungry, Shantamai begged Bkakari forhim. When Sharan was a little baby, she used to tie him to her back while sweeping the village streets.Her attachment to the narrator is genuine and deep. She has no affectations and is withoutostentatious feelings. Her love for the narrator is laced with the authentic feeling towards him. Oncewhen the narrator brings his friends to her, she gives them whateve she could spare. Later when thereis only one bhakari left she give it to the narrator pretending that they have flour in the tin box. Aftereating it, the narrator discovers that the tin box had no flour but a stone which Shantamai had putthere so that the narrator could eat comfortably, because they had nothing for themselves. When tshegoes to meet the narrator in the city, despite her poverty she doesn’t forget to take beef with her whichwas greatly like by the narrator.348 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedAnother equally important women character in the novel is Masamai, the narrator’s mother.Masamai was initially married to Ithal Kamble, who leaves her when he discovers Masamai’s secualrelation with Hanmanta Limbale, a Patil and the landowner. Masamai was forced to leave her littlebaby and four year old son due to her liason with Limbale. Ithal Kamble remarried after thisseparation. The writer aplly comments on the difference between the man and woman in our society :“A man can eat paan and spit as many times as he likes, but the same is not possible for a woman. Itis considered wrong if a woman does that. Once her chastity is lost, it can never be restored” Out ofthe union of Masamai and Limbale the narrator is born.The narrator reflects on the dilemma of Masamai, which is in a way the dilemma of every womanwho loves and is lost. The reflections voice the situation of a dalit women who becomes a tool toassuage the lust of the powerful people: "Why did my mother say yes to the rape which brought meinto the world? Why did she put up witli the fruit of this illegitimate intercourse for nine months andnine days and allow me to grow in the foetus? Why did she allow this bitter embryo to grow?" (p. 37).After birth of the narrator, Limbale started avoiding Masamai and refuses to acknowledge the narratorhis son. The result of which was that Masamai had to take shelter in the house of Shantamai. The allaccepting and forgiving characteristic of woman is emphasized when the narrator comments that"only a mother and the earth can accommodate and stomach everything" (p. 37). The beauty of awoman becomes a curse for her if she is born in a low caste as she lias to constantly bear the assaultsof lustful people. The writer forcefully and realistically presents their condition in our caste governedsociety where they are taken as nothing more than tools for sexual gratification: "The Patils in everyvillage have made whores of the wives of Dalit farm labourers. A poor Dalit girl on attaining pubertyhas invariably been a victim of their lust. There is a whole breed born to adulterous Patils. There areDalit families that survive by pleasing the Patils sexually. The whole village considers such a house asthe house of the Patil's whore. Even the children born to her from her husband are considered thechildren of a Patil" (p. 38). Later Masamai becomes a keep of another Patil, Yeshwanlrao SidramappaPatil who is called Kaka and gives birth to eight children. Despite her liberality in sexual matters, sheis portrayed as a victim of the social order which makes the dalit women an easy prey to the licentiousupper caste landlords. The shift of allegiance from Kambale to Limbale and then to Kaka makes thenarrator vender about her life: "What sort of life had she been living, mortgaging herself to one ownerafter another and being used as a commodity? Her lot has been nothing but the tyranny of sex" (p. 59).The abject poverty and helplessness of these women made them surrender to the lust of Parels and theso-called illegitimate children were born out of such unions. In the Author's Note the writer calls her"not an adulteress but the victim of a social system" (P. ix) who has been raped by the upper castemen. Despite bearing so many children, she is not allowed to visit Kaka's house, who lives with hislegally wed wife and children in a big house. On rare occasions when she visits his house, she istreated I'ke an outcaste by the wife of Kaka, who does not hide her displeasure from her. Thus it is not349 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedonly the upper class males but females also who are willing carriers of the prejudices of caste.Masamai asks the children to call him whenever slie needs him. Since they were not allowed to enterthe house of Kaka, she told them to steal his chappals as a signal to him. Masamai is not the only keepof Kaka, he had another women called Jani, a Gondhali woman as his concubine.In our patriarchal society a child is identified by the name of his father and not by mother. While thename of mother depicts certainty, the father is nothing but a faith and a belief particularly in societieswhere sexual liberty is more pronounced. The anguish of the narrator verges on questions regardinghis identity when confronted with such brute questions: "Can anybody guarantee that he is theoffspring of the father whose name is added to his name? Has anyone seen who sowed his seed? Hasanyone seen the intercourse of his parents that resulted in his birth?" (p. 59). On the narrator'srepeated questionings regarding the identity of his father and why he does not live with themMasamai "clammed up like Kunti" (p. 60). When the narrator needs his father's name for freeship inschool/she tells him to tell the teacher that she was the Patil's whoreThe dalit women are not only victim of upper caste male lust but the males of their own castetoo take part in their degradation. It is the skill of the writer that he does not seem to glorify the dalitmale. They are rather blamed for their neglect of their wives and mothers, the drunkenness, the apathyand lack of action on their part. Dalit males live in a world of stupor caused by acute moraldegradation and centuries old social conditioning. Hence it is not surprising that most of the malespale behind their womenfolk who are more active, responsible and vibrant. Although the femaleworld in the autobiography is mired in poverty, superstitions and all (lie ills surrounding them,nowhere does the writer blame lliein lor (respite being (lie victim of constant exploitation through thebands of upper class and the subservient position in the household, they are depicted with sympathyand understanding. They are more dynamic and carry on the struggle for survival single liandedly andwithout any help from their husbands. While the men are mostly lost in the haze of drunkenness andhave surrendered themselves abjectly before the soul sapping socio-economic exploitation, thewomen, by and large, continue to struggle despite sucli heavy odds. Their refusal to surrender to thedegrading conditions, the desire to live and move forward gives them a sense of tragic dignity whichis denied to male dalits.The sexual freedom as granted to females is curbed by caste panchayats when it involves a womanwho either elopes or gets pregnant. Most of the time adultery is settled within the home with husbandbeating the wife or wife quarreling with tlie other woman and abusing her. While the misadventuresof man are either ignored or taken lightly, the burden of carrying honour of the family falls on thewoman her self. Further, when such relationship involves a man of upper caste and woman of lowcaste, the woman invariably becomes the object of fury and censor and the responsibility of the man isconveniently forgotten. Harya when catches his wife in a room with lagannalh Paul's son threatens (o350 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedcut (lie nose and breasts of Ill's wife, while ignoring the Patil’s. The dichotomy between male andfemale vis-a-vis the liaisons shows patriarchy within the dalit l society, Feminism persaptive seems tobe absent from the autobiography Nowhere does the women portrayed in it show group awareness; asfemales and held males responsible for their woes. The focus of the book is primarily on theexperience of living as a dalit and caste is seen as the deciding factor. If a person is seen asaggravating the suffering of his women, it is only individually and not collectively and species or agroup. Undeniably the portrayal of women, particularly Shantamai and Masamai shows signs ofcompassion, the women question are largely missing from the text. Does the writer does it knowinglyor because his attention is largel focused on his situation as akkarmashi and caste concerns? I thinkthe answer lies somewhere between the tow. While as a male it is perhaps more difficult for him toappreciate and empathise with the women in the narrative – the writer largely models them on thetraditional roles of mother as earth – the main reason lies in his preoccupation with the caste as adecisive disabling factor in our society.REFERENCES1. Anupama Rao, “Introduction : Caste, gender and Indian Feminism,” ed. Anupama Rao(New Delhi: Kali for Women & Women unlimited, 2003)2. Anupama Rao, “Introduction : Caste, Gender and Indian Feminism.”3. Anupama Rao, “Introduction : Caste, Gender and Indian Feminism.”4. Sharan Kumar Limbale, Akkarmashi Trans. Santosh Bhoomkar (New Delhi: Oxford Uni.Press. 2003) 42.351 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedIMPACT OF FEMINISM ON THE POETRY OF W. B. YEATS.INTRODUCTION :Feminism is both an intellectual commitment and a political movement thatseeks justice for women and the end of sexism in all forms. However, there aremany different kinds of feminism. Feminists disagree about what sexism consistsin, and what exactly ought to be done a bout it; they disagree about what it meansto be a woman or a man and what social and political implication gender has orshould have.Nonetheless, motivated by the quest for social justice, feminist inquiryprovides a wide range of perspectives in social, cultural, economic, and politicalphenomena. Important topics for feminist theory and politics include the body,class and work, disability, the family, globalization, human rights, popular culture,race and racism, reproduction, science, the self, sex work, human trafficking, andsexuality.W. B. Yeats (1865-1939) was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of theforemost figures of 20 th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and Britishliterary establishments, W. B. Yeats is the most powerful voices in modernliterature. He is very potent and have a great impact on the minds of modernreaders. Impact of feminism is seen on his poems.W. B. Yeats struggle begins with his identity: white, protestant, middleclass man of the British Empire who ‘belonged to the dominant literary tradition’.It was an interesting time for Yeats to grow up. The seeds of struggling womenmust have been planted in youth by his father who was a practitioner of JohnStuart Mills, the man who championed the rights of women. When Yeats beganhis literary career in the 1880s, deep and resounding advances for the rights ofwomen were being enacted. In 1870, the ‘Married Women’s Property Act’ waspassed, finally giving married women some sense of relief in securing property.Women also began to acquire greater access to higher education and birthrate felldown as contraception became more widely accessible.But unlike many men of then, Yeats ‘moved in circles sympathetic toemancipation’. Regarding his attitude towards women, it is said and observed that‘Yeats loved, liked, collaborate with, and respected woman most of the time. Heencouraged their intellectual and creative work, assumed their professionalcompetence, chose them as allies, His best friends were all women, ‘MaudeGonne’ is a good case. She was a fierce advocate for girls and women and the352 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfeminist founder of a women’s Organization ‘dedicated to’ all the girls who.....resented, being excluded, as women, from National Organization’. And she can befound every where in Yeats life, spilling over into his word and into his works.His work is uniformly good. He writes on such subjects as an ancientlegends, love, folklore, politics, history, Female plays major role in his poems. Herights with perfect ease and mastery of themes taken from every possible sphere oflive.These tumultuous political times along with strong feminist women withwhom Yeats associated with, created a unique philosophy, one which he wouldstruggle with his entire writing career. Yeats believed that the masculine andfeminine created the foundation on which all other types and forms of oppositionsare generated. His poetry reflects that for the sake of his destiny in his life andmoral purification in the next, the poet must allow the feminine free and formativeplay in his life and psyche. But a gender cannot survive without the other. Both areneeded in order to create harmony and unity of being.His later poetry is mostly impacted by feminism so it is characterized bynaked realism, much brutality and coarseness, and by masculine vigor and force.W. B. Yeats ‘Adam’s curse’ appeared in the Monthly Review of December 1902,and in 1903. The poem has an autobiographical touch. It was written for MaudGonne. The relationship between woman and man is the core of existence.Whenever this relationship in harmonious and firmly rooted in live, there isflowering of life. But, often we see friction in this relationship. It brings miseryand ruin in life. The following lines refer :Half drew she him Half sank he downAnd nevermore was seen.The derogatory aspect of woman-man relationship is the presence of vices likedoubt, deceit and betrayal. Women often plays the role in the drama of life. If weturn the pages of old Testament of the Bible, we will find the story of Adam andEve. God had placed the first man, Adam and first woman Eve in the garden ofEdan, a place of perpetual bliss. Eve had been created to provide company toAdam because he felt lonely as a solitary creature.Yeats speaks of the three parallel labours in the poem. These are the Poet’s,the beautiful woman’s, and Lovers. It is precisely parallel to the women’slaboriously achievement of beauty. These lines are :And thereupon that beautiful mild woman353 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedfor whose sake, there’s many a one shall findout all heartach.(Lines 14 - 16)Yeats ‘Leda and the Swan’ is another good example of this kind. It is one of themost perfect poems ever written by Yeats, It is an amalgam of History, myth, sex,love and vision. The poems narrates in near-naked words. The sexual atrocityperpetrated by Zeus on delicate Leda.‘Leda and the Swan’ is a great and complex sonnet. It is based on aMichelangelo painting. The quality of violent sexual passion is forcefullyconveyed in the poem. The poem is one of the episodes of ancient GreekMythology Zeus, changing himself into a huge swan raped the princes Leda. Thispoem pictures Zeus’s rape of Leda.This my theological story is the theme of Leda and the swan. A girl isbathing naked in a pond. A big bird suddenly soops down upon her. As in thegiven lines:A sudden blow : the great wings beating stillAbove the staggering girl, her thighs caressed,By the dark webs, her nape caught in his bill.A big bird caresses her thighs, holds her nape with his beak and presses herhelpless breasts her helpless breasts upon his own. The terrified girl feels helplessin the grip of bird and her thighs loosen. The lines are :How can those terrified vague fingers push,The feathered glory from her loosening thighsThe God, Zeus enjoys a woman. The incident had far-reaching consequences. Itresults in a series of a grim and gruesome events ensured.It happened for passion’s sake not history’s. The women had no choice.The poem reminds us that beautiful women have always been a cause of disaster.Helen, the most beautiful woman, she murdered her husband with the help ofparamour.So for women in general, and specially for the women Yeats life, “Spiritualism and occultism offered a mode of behavior for women which signaledthat they would no longer accept the prescribed roles that the determined for themin suburban isolation from political and social power”. And this upsetting ofprescribed gender roles influenced Yeats in a profound and lasting way, a way thatin played out in his own poetry and prose.354 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedYeats theory about poetry and the writing of it was just as unique and histheory of gender and of women’s place in society. Yeats understand that passionhas the most value in the writing of poetry. So when reading his poetry aboutwomen, we must be suspect. Yeats is not writing of his own opinion of women ishis poetry but depicting condition and position of women of his contemporarysociety. It is an impact of feminism and his own opinion about female through hispoetry.Yeats ‘poetry is really an internal quarrel raging inside the poet. It is abattle between the conscious self and other self. Cullingford explains that thistension, this quarrel is always between women and their emancipation. It reflects,Yeats personal experiences on some level, or between the convent ions that heinherited in his own life. Cullingford explains that “Yeats’ choice of womenyoung and old to voice......... protest represents both a return to his identificationwith feminity and a realization of who would suffer most from the regressivesocial policies of the new state”.He identified and befriended some of the strongest women protesting thesevery politics. Through various poems, clearly articulate the struggle that Yeats wastrying to resolve between what society aspects of women and women themselveswant. Yeats created a poem about woman’s increasing social power and theambivalence created by her empowerment.In ‘No Second Troy’, Yeats created a poem about woman’s increasingsocial power and ambivalence created by her empowerment.“Why should I blame her” the poet asks. She is simply seeking her own freedom.She takes charge of her own destiny, crating a new society with courage, violenceand desire. Cullingford explains, “the poems heroine transgresses all thestereotypes of feminity : she is violent, courageous, noble, fiery, solitary and stern.Chavan Vishnu Mohansing(M.A.(Eng.), B.Ed., L.L.B. M.Phil., P.hd, (Reg))Mob. 9921955383355 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedREFERENCES1. The New Shorter Oxford English Dictonary. Volume-l, A.M. Publishedin the United States by Osford University Press, Inc. New York, Edition1993, P.No. 933.2. Varma, A.S. Pratiyogit Sahity Series, SHAHITYA BHAWAN, 3/20 B,Agra Mathura Byepass Road, AGRA.3. Ms. Ehyme/Diane Elam, Feminism And Deconstruction. Pub. 1994, byRoutledge, 11 New Fetter Lane London, EC4P4EE, P.No.7.4. Abrams M.H.A. Glossary of Literary Terms, Prism Book Pvt. Ltd.BANGALORE-560 070. P. No. 88.5. Frank Bros. A Spectrum of Literary Criticism. Frank House, A-84,Sector-ll, NOIDA (U.P.)6. Eagleton, Mary. ed. Feminist Liteary Criticism. New York, Longman,1991.7. Dhawan, R.K. Feminism and American Literature, Prestige Books, NewDelhi. 200 P. 21.8. Misra, B.P. W.B. Yeats. pub. Kitab Mahal Pyt. Ltd. Delhi. 1962. P.No. 74.9. Sarkar, Sunilkumar, W.B. Yeat’s poetry and plays. Atlantic publishersand Dist ributors, New Delhi. 1997, P. 135.356 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded‘Silence! The Court is in Session’ through Feministic PerspectiveProf. Dnyaneshwar S. ChavanV.V.M’s S.G.Patil College of Arts,Commerce and Science, Sakri (Dhule)Alexander Dumas, French Dramatist, first coined the term Feminism in 1872.Later this term is used with various layers of meaning. The concept stands for a belief that womenshould have the same right, power & opportunity that men have. This concept became an impetusbehind what we call today “Woman Empowerment”. Socially woman is considered as weak soshe is dominated by men. The whole society is based upon the system of Patriarchy. Men notonly looked at woman from this point of view but also forced woman to look at themselves fromthe male point of view. This is what said by Simone de Beauvoir differently. She has said in herfamous book, ‘The Second Sex’ that woman’s idea of herself as inferior to man and dependent onhim springs from her realization that ‘the world is masculine on the whole, those who fashionedit, ruled it and still dominate it are men’. She further insists that one is not born but ‘becomes’woman. In patriarchy, power is equated with aggression and masculinity; weakness withcompassion and feminity. Women are supposed to bear male oppression silently and meekly.Where they fail to do so, they are considered as `loud’ hysterical, crazy and punished.This research paper is a humble attempt to study the drama ‘Silence! The Court is inSession’ by Vijay Tendulkar through feministic perspective.Actually society consists of men and women and literature is considered as ‘mirror ofsociety’. It should be natural that a major portion of society who is exploited through many agesshould have been seen in the literature with her pains but reality is very different. In Indiancontext after independence some sort of writing is seen in favor of women and this has been doneby women writers like Kamala Das, Kiran Desai, Anita Desai, Kamala Markandaya, Shobha De,Imtiaz Dharkar etc. Very few male writers depicted the real picture of women exploitation andVijay Tendulkar is one of them. Vijay Tendulkar is a prominent Marathi playwright. His playsare different in form and content which has power to question on social individual tensions andcomplexities of human character.The ‘Silence! the Court is in Session’ is a play about the difficulty of a youngwoman, who is a victim of the male dominated society. Tendulkar has criticized the folliesprevailing in the society. The original name of the drama in Marathi is Shantata! court chalu Ahe(1967). It was translated in English by Priya Adarkar. The action of the play revolves around thecentral character Ms. Leela Benare. She is a school teacher as well as depicted as rebellious357 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedcharacter. She is also working in the amateur theatre group called ‘The Sonar Moti TenementProgressive Association’ along with other members like Mr.Kashikar, Mrs.Kashikar, BaluRokade, Sukhatme, Ponkshe, Karnik, Prof. Damle, and Rawate. They all belong to the urbanmiddle class from Mumbai.In the first act, at the beginning we find use of satire by Tendulkar. Ms. Benare ironicallyintroduced other characters to the villager boy Samant. According to Benare, Mr.Kashikar isalways works with the intension of spreading enlightenment. Kashikar can’t take a step without a‘prime objective’. Mrs.Kashikar is ‘Hand-That-Rocks-The-Cradle’. Sukhatme is an ‘Expert onLaw’ and Ponkshe as ‘Hmm! Sci-en-tist! Inter-failed!’, Karnik, an unsuccessful actor. They haveno identity of their own & no job. Still they keep themselves integrated with the urban societyby showing off as a theatre group dedicated to the lofty ideals of society. They all suffer from akind of complex. Benare is different from them because she earns her livelihood. This cannotbear by her male counterparts .Their male psyche cannot bear this. So they decided to trap Benare& exploit the opportunity to mock-trial to dissect her privet life & humiliate her in the name ofgame .Her personal life is exposed in mock-trial. Surprisingly Samant witnesses by reading adialogue from the novel. That is what a resembled with what happened in between ProfessorDamale & Ms Benare. When she came to know that she is trapped she wants to escape. but shecannot do because the door is locked means she cannot escape from the chains of maledomination. The absence of Professor Damale is a symbol of his total withdrawal ofresponsibility. The mock- trial is a type of violence that is psychological violence. Other point isfocused by Vijay Tendulkar is that in this violence & exploitation of women, women issupporting male in this suppression means she is a conductor of patriarchal system. This womanis shown in the form of Mrs Kashikar. Mrs Kashikar never misses an opportunity to insinuate hervenomous comments on Benare. She is very jealous of Ms Benare because she is a bachelor &having extremely independents including economical security in opposition to that Mrs Kashikaris a married woman & she did not have much freedom. Though the silence is imposed on MsBenare but it is also imposed by Mr Kashikar. Not only the word ‘SILENCE’ is symbolic but alsothe title has ‘IS’ which denotes continuation i.e. Contuniation of subjugation of woman.The end of the play is with the monologue of Ms Benare. She breaks her silence whichwas imposed on her by male domination that monologue becomes a symbol of what a womanwants to express her feelings but her voice is always silenced. The trial ends with the judgmentthat seeks infanticide by Ms Benare but she opposes. The mock-trial ends up with an interruptionby visitor reminding of their being late in the show. This brings them back from illusion to realityexcept Ms. Benare.So in the play, Tendulkar exposes the hypocrisy of the male-dominated society. Tendulkar’s‘Silence! The Court is in Session’ depicted the tragedy of an individual victimized by society.The female protagonist becomes the victim of sadism of his male counterparts. This sadismmakes Tendulkar very impatient that why he says, ‘As a social being, I am against all exploitationand I passionately feel that all exploitation must end.’ So his drama became a vehicle of thoughtof equality in the society.358 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedWorks Cited:-Silence! The Court is in Session-Vijay Tendulkar Translated by Priya AdarkarOxford University PressThe Plays of Vijay Tendulkar-N.S.DharanCreative Books, New DelhiVijay Tendulkar’s PlaysAn Anthology of Recent Criticism-Edited by V.M.MadgePencraft InternationalVijay Tendulkar-A Pioneer PlaywrightShailaja WadikarAtlantic Publisher, New Delhi359 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedFeminism in the Poetry of Kamala Das--G.B. ShelkikarP.N. College,Pusad9421091217Introduction :Feminism is a collection of movementsaimed at defining, establishing, and defendingequal political, economic, and social rights andequal opportunities for women. Its conceptsoverlap with those of women's rights.Feminism is mainly focused on women's issues,but because feminism seeks gender equality,some feminists argue that men's liberation is anecessary part of feminism, and that men arealso harmed by sexism and gender roles.Feminists are "person whose beliefs andbehavior are based on feminism."Feminist theory, emerging from thesefeminist movements, aims to understand thenature of gender inequality by examiningwomen's social roles and lived experience,developing theories in a variety of disciplinesin order to respond to issues such as the socialconstruction of sex and gender. Some of theearlier forms of feminism have been criticizedfor being geared towards white, middle-class,educated perspectives. This led to the creationof ethnically-specific or multiculturalist formsof feminism.Feminist activists campaign forwomen's rights – such as in contract law,property, and voting – while also promotingbodily integrity and autonomy and reproductiverights for women. Feminist campaigns havechanged societies, particularly in the West, byachieving women's suffrage, gender neutralityin English, equal pay for women, reproductiverights for women (including access tocontraceptives and abortion), and the right toenter into contracts and own property.Feminists have struggled to protect women andgirls from domestic violence, sexualharassment, and sexual assault. They have alsoadvocated for workplace rights, includingmaternity leave, and against forms ofdiscrimination against women.Feminist Literary criticism primarilyresponds to the way woman is presented inliterature. It has two basic premises; onewoman presented in literature by male writersfrom their own view point and two woman’spresented in the writings of female writers fromtheir point of view. The first premise gives riseto a kind of feminist criticism known asphallocentricism and the second premise leadsus to another kind of feminist criticism knownas gynocriticism.In the contemporary Indian literaryscenario, Kamala Das occupies a prominentposition as a poetess of talent and artistry.She, as a major Indian poetess in English, hasattracted international attention by virtue of herbold, uninhibited articulation of feminine urgesalong with other poets like Gauri Despande,Mamata Kalia, de Souza and others. Mrs. Dashas written some books of poems, i.e. Summerin Culcutta.” “The Descendants”, “The Oldplayhouse” and other poems. Her anguishedaffirmation of independence is available in herautobiography, “My Story”, Das’s quest foridentity is directly the progeny of an old socialset up, oriented towards the total annihilation ofthe feminine personality. Love and sex are, nodout, the leitmotif of her poetry but the depth ofher distress seems to have left a constant stingin her soul, and that does invest her identitywith a certain tincture of pangs. As K.R.S.Iyengar points put the subject of her poetry.“Love is crucified in sex, and sex defiles itselfagain and again” 1M.K. Naik depicts that same figure, “The mostobvious feature of Kamala Das’s poetry is theinhibited frankness with which she talks aboutsex referring nonchantly to the musk of sweatbetween the breasts” the warm shock ofmenstrual blood; and even ‘my pubis”, Iattempt to explain feminism in some poems inwhich Mrs. Das has projected a new device toliberate the women from the bondage of slaveryin man dominated society.360 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedIn her poem summer in Calcutta” shedescribes the sensuous absorption of sunlightwhich my be thought a metaphor for poetess’sdestination. The male chauvinism on thefeminine psyche is reduced when she letsherself participate in the world of nature andstimulation of life Independently. She writes“HowBrief the term of myDeviation, how briefYour reign when I withGlass in hand, drink, drinkJuice of April Suns.” 2The above poem explains thesubjugation of male dominancy over females.There is a passivity as well as rebellionagainst a male dominated world. In anotherfine lyric in the collection. ‘The Freaks’ thenymphomaniac persona breaks down, andadmits that her lust is a defence mechanism forseveral, a cover for her sense of inadequacy.“It’s only to save my face, I flaunt, at/ times agrand, flamboyant lust” 3Stripped of her mechanism for survival whichbreak down, the neurotic persona finds herselfprofoundly alone and longing for the cessationof conflict, however temporary this cessationmay be ‘Luminol’ records these feelings with aquietness and controlled brevity which make itone of the most moving poems Kamala Das hasritten“Love-lornIt is onlyWise a times, to let sleepMake holes in memory, even,If itBe the cold andLuminus sleep banked inThe heart of pills, for he shall notYour ruthless one,Being human, clumsyWith noise and movement, the soul’s male,Arena,That silent sleep inside your sleep.” 4K.R.S. Iyengar writes, “Kamala Das isa fiercely feminine sensibility that dareswithout inhibitions to articulate the hurts ithas received in an intensive, largely, manmadeworld” Satya Dev Jaggi also affirms that,“she is intensely conscions of herself as awoman.” Suresh Kohli is of the same viewwhen he says that, “her vision is vitallyparticularized by the woman’s point of view.”In her typical poems, the male desire is quicklyapprehended and described.…….these men who call meBeautiful, no seeingMe with eyes but with handsAnd, even…….even……..love 5In the poem ‘An Introduction’Mrs. Das presents the naked truth and placeswords boldly in such a manner in which peoplehave than no oncoming. Her expressionbecomes dramatic, Strong and against oldimages:“I was child and later theyTold me I grew, for became tall, my limbsSwelled and one or two places sprouted hair.WhenI asked for love, not knowing what else to askFor, he drew a youth of sixteen into theBedroom closed the door.”Mrs. Kamala Das presents a feministmovement through her poetry. She discoversthe male-hegemony from the inner care of herfeminine conscionsness. Mrs. Das’spersonality has its irreparable anchors in sexuallove and when it is refused she feels her lifemeaningless, barren and waste land, she burstsout in the poem “ The Suicide”“O sea, I am fed up,I want to be simple,I want to be lovedIf love is not to be had,I want to be dead.”Kamala Das’s acceptance of thepatriarchal, heterosexual marriage may poseproblems with regard to her being placed in thefeminist tradition. From a certain feministpoint of view, most specifically that which seesall marriage, and all heterosexual relationshipsas inevitably oppressive to and exploitative ofwomen, Kamala Das may not only be afeminist, but also probably an anti feminist,who betrays the central concerns of feminismand creates needless “mystification of the maledominance implicit in marriage andheterosexuality.”Her marital life if based onincongruity. She was married at the early ageof fifteen to a bank official tout a faitinsensitive to a young girl’s longings. KamalaDas is bound to do the domestic duties in thefamily against her tender feelings and yearningsfor emotional involvement. This sort ofexistence in her husbands home presents themiserably predicament of a woman an instanceof pray and predatory’ image. The male361 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandeddomination on feminine psyche can bediminished, and dilapidated by women she letsherself participate in the world of nature and inthe amelioration of her states independently.From many Wollstonecraft to BettyFriedan Simone de Beavivoir, an argument hasbeen made that education for women will freefrom constraint and coercion. This wasbelieved to encourage thought and choice andthis was not an argument for formal education.The purpose of education may be said to bebroadly the creation of self awareness and thecapacity to foreground one’s self againstconstraints imposed by crises situations. In thissense, too, Kamala Das conforms to thedemands of feminism because she constantlyeducated herself by vast reading. And thisexposure to the world of books helped has inunderstanding her needs, her aspirations and inhelping her to exercise her options to achievehappiness and harmony in her otherwise emptylife.Mrs. Das is a authentic Indian poetesswho tries to highlights the various problems ofthe women. Here is undoubtedly she is afeminist writer articulating the hopes andoppressions the concerns and tensions, ofmankind, exploits, she writes about love, sexand marriage and exploitation of women.References :1. K.R.S. Iyengar ; Indian writing inEnglish2. M.K. Naik ; A History of IndianEnglish Literature3. Herbert Marder ; Feminism and ArtA study of Virginia Woolf .4. Mary Evans : Jane Austen’sFeminism : Women’s StudiesInternational Forum5. Showalter Flaine ; Toward aFeminist Poetics Women’s writingand writing About Women in theFeminist Criticism ; Essays onWomen, Literature and Theory.”6. Kamala Das Original poems.362 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedA Feminist Reading of Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye--Shri. Shaikh G. K.K.K.M College, Manwath.Dist. Parbhani (MS)Feminist literary theory is aninterdisciplinary enquiry in to signifying culturalpractices and products. It is a challenge to all thestructures which focus on gender as the fundamentalcategory. It is the product of women’s liberationmovement of 1960’s and 1972’s. It challenges,ideology, socio-cultural practices. It is a politicalphilosophy working against sexual, textual politics ofmen in life and literature. It is concerned with thechanging uneven gender relationship. Like Marxism,it also believes that interpretation of philosophy is notthe purpose but the point is to change it FeministLiterary theorist believes that there are no facts, butonly interpretations of manmade facts. Feministliterary theory is an oppositional practice. It is longeraccepts of certain lack of politics. Women has simplybeing projection on screen for playing out amasculine fantasy or negative and reconstructive.Toni Morrison is the leading Nobel winnerblack Feminist writer of America. She laid the bandof black women writers consisting of Alice walker,Alice Childress, Paule Marshall, Gloria Naylor andso on. The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Soloman, jazz,Tarr Baby, paradise, Beloved dramatizepsychological progression of black women’s life inAmerica. It is Toni Morrison who embodies the blackFeminist philosophy which Focuses on reconstructionof black womanhood, the question of self image, lossand recovery of black feminine self, womanism,return to black cultural past through folklore and soon.Toni Morrison’s First novel The Bluest Eye(1970) dramatize black women’s existential crisis. Itfocuses on the idea of domination of blacks by theexisting American standards of beauty such as Blueeyes, white skin, and soft silly golden hair. Thestandard of beauty symbolizes the white valuestructured and their ideological implications.Everything that does not go with these standards istaken as ugly, inhuman and inferior. It reduces anegative image of one’s own self. Right from thetime of slavery black women’s psyche was socializedout of existent. Therefore, The Bluest Eye is story ofmillions and millions of black girls who need thebluesteye.The singular and superlative for meaningfulexistence. Failure to fulfill is impossible dreamresulting in to possible death, madness and psychicimpairment.The novel is set in a small Midwestern townin Lorain, Ohio, during the depression. It tells thestory of Pecola Breedlove who hates her black selfand craves for bluest eye. Pecola, 11 years old childof Pauline Breedlove, who works for a white Familyand a slave of slave. Pecola’s father ChollyBreedlove is victimized by white society. further,Cholly victimizes his family and ruins their life. TheBreedlove Family migrated from American South tothe North. Under the effect of liquor, Cholly rapedPecola and became the father of her child. The nameBreedlove is ironical because none of themBreedlove. Cholly beats Pauline, raped Pecola, drinkswine excessively.Toni Morrison has introduced a Justapposing device in the novel. On one side she haspresented the Dick and Jane Shirley primer or a storybooks describing the character. The Breedlove’shome is a converted story showing every mark ofpoverty. Pecola’s mother Pauline has seem all ofdreams Failed in to nothingness. She finds escapefrom her ugliness by working as a servant to thewhite family.Her own Family is destroyed, her husbandbeats her and children mercilessly. so, Pecola’sparents have nothing the parents of Dick and Jane.The Breedlove family is a place of Sexual violence,psychic violence, and poverty. Structures in the bodyof text are also the world of Frieda Macteer andClaudia Macteer. Claudia macteer is the narrator whobegins her account with the fall of 1940. Whenpecola was temporarily living in macteer homethough black macteer Family is descent and living inpeacefulness. As the novel opens one comes acrossthese structural devices. This device Just apposing ofdifferent families intensifies Pecolas’s tragiccondition. Toni Morrison also introduces the seconddevice called four seasons autumn, winter, springsummer etc Within each of section the actionoccurred is indirect opportunity to what the seasonsbring to mind. There are no manifold in the fall of1941. spring does not hold the promise of youthfulbudding for pecola. Pecola is raped by cholly in themonth of spring. In the summer season she waspregnant and top of the town brought madness topecola.Toni Morrison further elaborates a patheticstory of 11 year black girl after her rape. She lies inthe bed and longs to make herself disappear. Shedesires for bluest eye and constantly seeming for363 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedlove. She believes that if only she had beautiful eyes,the world look prettier and the Family life would beorderly and happy. Tragically pecola’s baby does notsurvive. The third factor contribute to pecola’stragedy is treatment given by West Indian spiritualreader Sophead Church. He assumes to give her blueeyes and grant her life wish. Sophead uses Pecola toread himself of a neurosis of a maggie old dog, whichspurts his days on his door skape. He gives pecolapoisoned meal to feed the dog and informs that, dogsresponse will sign to her whether she will get or not.pecola watches the dog constantly and the dog dies.This episode remains a mile stone in the life ofpecola which indicates the desire of not only her butof all the back girls. Pecola starts to imagine herbluest eyes which were not seen by any other. But thefact is that, she is having nothing of it and finally sheis seen with her mother and sometime lonely inmadness outside the village.Black Feminism is a vast area even, thefictional world of Toni Morrison equally vast.However, the present study is limited to her firstnovel The Bluest Eye. Toni Morrison is basicallyconcerned with the collective problems of blackwomen in America. Toni Morison started from tragicFigure Pecola and shows black women as victoriousand psychological strong. In her further novels, shedefines them as phoenix who can rise from ashes.The study provides general theory of Feminism. Nostudy of black Feminism is complete without ToniMorrison.The study of Toni Morrison also heled us tounderstand and interpret texts by Dalit women writersin India. Because, the Dalit women also haveundergone more or less the similar experiences inIndian culture.References:-1) Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eye. Renchartand Winton, 1970.2) Barbara, Christian. Black Womens Novels: ADevelopment of Tradition. Greenwoodhouse: Berkely, 1980.3) Evans, Marry. Black Women Writters: ACritical Evaluation. Eastwood Press:New York, 1985.4) Duvall N John. The Identifying Fictions ofToni Morison: Modernist Authencityand post Modern Blackness.Macmilan,2000364 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedReflection of Feminist Anger against Gender Discriminations inArundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things--Mothe Prashant SubhashraoAdarsh Senior College,Omerga. Dist.Osmanabad(MS)Arundhati Roy’s debut novel ‘TheGod of Small Things’ rapidly become a worldrenowned literary sensation after it waspublished in New Delhi in 1997 and wonprestigious Booker Prize Award. ‘The God ofSmall Things’ is a protest novel which isradical, subversive, unconventional and taboobreaking.It is in this sense that the novelwould be read as a post-colonial novel becauseit aims at destroying the old power-structure.Roy expresses her disillusionment with thesocial conditions of the post-colonial world inwhich the untouchables of the past still face ahostile society that does not let them live asfree and independent individuals.Roy vividly portrays the acutesuffering and deep frustration of the weakersections of our society like the Paravans, theScheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes, Dalitsand so on. The Paravan, Velutha, whom wemay call the male protagonist of the novel, islooked down upon almost at every stage in hislife. As a small boy, when he visits theAyemenem House in the company of hisfather to deliver the coconuts plucked from thetrees in the compound, they come from theback entrance and later as a mature man, he isfalsely implicated in a case of attempted rapeof Ammu.Roy powerfully portrays the miserablecondition of the Paravans in The God of SmallThings. Here discrimination expresses itself inmarginalizing the ‘untouchables’ in theirpersonal and public life. A completeappreciation of ‘The God of Small Things’requires an awareness of the caste system inKerala. The community represented in TheGod of Small Things is Syrian Christian. TheChristians of Kerala are divided into fivecategories: Roman Catholic, Orthodox Syrian,Nestorian, Marthoma, and Anglican. In thenovel religions differences appear in thedisagreements between the Roman CatholicChurch and the Marthoma Church. Roy pointsout number of Paravans and members of otherlow castes converted to Christianity, they weremade to have separate churches and thuscontinued to be treated as Untouchables. Royaptly put in plain words as, “It was a little likehaving to sweep away your footprints with abroom or worse, not being allowed to leaveany footprints at all” (p.57). AfterIndependence, they were denied governmentbenefits created for ‘untouchables’ becauseofficially they were Christians and thereforeCasteless. “They were not entitled to anyGovernment benefits like job reservation orbank loans at low interest rates” (p.71).Velutha, the Paravan, can perhaps becalled the hero of the novel and he is the ‘God’in The God of Small Things. He is a carpenter,a rebel, a trade unionist. Velutha is highlyintelligent an excellent carpenter with anengineer mind, but he is also ‘The God ofLoss’.Roy articulates, “He left no footprints in sand,no ripples in water, no images in mirrors”(p.265). The untouchables were made to sufferhumiliations at the hands of the Hindus andChristians. On the one hand we have a groupof characters, Mammachi, Baby Koachammaand Kochu Maria the cook, who perpetuate thedivision of caste, race and gender. On theother hand, Ammu and Twins, Rahel andEstha, consciously and unconsciously resistthese hierarchies. Roy throws light on,“Perhaps Ammu, Estha and Rahel were theworst transgressors. They all broke therules…they all tampered with laws that laydown who should be loved and how. Howmuch” (p.31).Mammachi discovered Velutha’stalent for carpentry when he was just eleven,about three years younger than Ammu. Sheenrolled him into the Untouchable School thatwas started by her father-in-law. Everyafternoon after school Velutha worked withJohn Kelin, a carpenter in Bavaria and learntcarpentry. But his self-assurance disturbed hisfather, Vellya Pappen. As a result of familybickering, Velutha left home. Apart from hiscarpentry skills, Velutha had a way with themachines. Mammachi often said, “If only hehadn’t been a Paravan, he might have been an365 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedengineer” (p.62). He mended radios, clocks,water-pumps and look after the other electricalgadgets in the house. He knew more about themachines in the factory than anyone else. Hewas a useful handyman in the Paradise PicklesFactory. . He excels his fellow workers in theParadise Pickles Factory, but they resent towork with him for his untouchability. Caste isthe dominant factor on party lines. Even Pillaicalls Velutha not by his name but by his caste,a ‘Paravans’ (p.278). Velutha’s lack ofcomplacency causes him many problemsthroughout the novel. Roy clarifies that, “Itwas not entirely his fault that he lived in asocially where a man’s death could be moreprofitable than his life” (p.267). At anotherplace Comrade is seen discussing from hisTouchable like job as, “But see, Comrade, anybenefits that you give him, naturally others areresenting it. They see it as a partiality. Afterall, whatever job he does carpenter orelectrician or whatever it is, for them he is justa Paravan” (p.82).Velutha is caught inbetween right and wrong, sanity and insanity,morality and immorality.It is a story about the rights of thewomen and the untouchables verses age oldrestrictions imposed by the tradionalists Indiansociety. The higher ups in the society are ableto do all kinds of damage to those who are inthe lower strata of the society. Veluthacertainly stands out as a very tall figure in thenovel. After returning to Ayemenem , Ammuslowly got drawn to Velutha , the bare –bodiedParavan. Ammu’s quest for emotional supportends in Velutha, a low caste or untouchablecarpenter, whose family has been serving inAmmu’s house since a long time. It was hisdesire to ‘relive’ as a touchable that triggeredthe tragedy. Ammu, another ‘untouchable’within the ‘touchable’, cannot perceivehappiness. Ammu, the biggest victim of thesystem, is an archetypal image of marginalizedsociety. Pappachi insisted that a collegeeducation was unnecessary expense for a girl.Roy throws light on the fact that, “There waslittle for a young girl to do in Ayemenem otherthan to wait for marriage proposal” (p.38).Ammu had no choice other than acceptingwhatsoever her family offers her.Unfortunately her husband turns out to be adrunken man. The marriage ends in divorce.She has only marginal existence in the familystructure. It is also visible at Sophie Molsfuneral, “Ammu, Estha and Rahel wereallowed to attend the funeral, and they weremade to stand separately, not with the rest ofthe family. Nobody would look at them.”(p.12).In his profession, he was unbeatable and evenin his ‘affairs’ with Ammu he was unique inhis own way. For Ammu and Velutha, Casteor Status do not matter. What matters most isto preserve the bond of pure love. Veluthaglanced up and caught Ammu’s gaze,“Centuries telescoped into one evanescentmoment. In that brief moment Velutha lookedup and saw things that he hadn’t seenbefore…for the first time he realized thatRahel’s mother is a woman” (p.56). Roy needsto be congratulated for exposing this foul playof post-colonial India to the entire world.When Velutha has an affair withAmmu, he breaks an ancient taboo. He breaksthe rigid social rules of the caste system. Theyturn deep lovers of each others, throwing awayall scruples of caste, creed and community.Through an untouchable and a communist,Velutha’s presence gives Ammu enoughemotional and physical satisfaction andprotection. Roy passionately describes theirlove scene as, “Her brownness against hisdarkness, her softness against his hardness”(p.68).His love for Ammu and his loyalty toAyemenem House are suspected as a betrayal.The police know that Velutha is innocent yethe is arrested on Baby Kochamma’s FIR. Forsince the day Baby Kochamma was publicallyhumiliated by some of them archers in Cochin,she had focused all her fury on Velutha. In hermind Velutha had grown to represent themarch. Inspector Mathew tells her, “ youpeople …first…spoil these people, carry themabout on your head like trophies , then whenthey misbehave you come running to us forhelp” (p.261).She succeeds in convincingInspector that Velutha’s attempted rape ofAmmu, the children’s disappearance from thehouse and Sophie Mol’s death could not beunconnected. The high caste power isadministered through the police. Velutha istortured to death in police custody, and thehigh caste psyche gets a respite from low castenuisance when, “His skull was fractured inthree places- his nose and both his cheekbones were smashed, leaving his face pulpy,undefined”(p.310).366 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedVelutha, the ‘God’ in ‘The God ofSmall Things’ was made to suffer humiliationsat the hands of the upper-class Hindus andChristians. The right to love a man of herchoice should not be scuttled in the name ofreligions, caste, colour and class. Thetraditional society was not only conservativebut authoritarian for it laid down who shouldlove whom. The ultimate outcome of the novelis the tragic death of ‘untouchable’ by the‘touchable boots’ at the police station. God isno more control of ‘small things’ ratherturning him to ‘The God of Loss’.In fact, this is a tale of all theuntouchables in the dark alleys of History.Velutha is simply a representative of such men.The circumstances around him grow hostileand he is finally eliminated and his footprintsare totally erased by the caste and genderconscious society. Roy expresses herdisillusionment with the social conditions ofthe post-colonial world in which theuntouchables of the past still face a hostilesociety that does not let them live as free andindependent individuals. Thus, caste andgender discriminations express inmarginalizing untouchables and females intheir personal and public life. Arundhati Roy,the twenty-ninth Booker Winner, demystifiesgender and caste concept. She has depicted theintolerable plight of the marginalized class.Arundhati Roy herself has remarked, “Thebook is not about what happened but abouthow what happened affected people”.Works CitedDe Beauvoir, Simone: The Second Sex.London , Jonathan Cape, 1982.Dhawan,R.K.(Ed):Arundhati Roy:The NovelistExtraordinary, New Delhi, PrestigePublication, 1999.Roy, Arundhati: The God of Small Things,New Delhi, India Ink, 1997.Surendran, K.V.: The God of Small Things: ASaga of Lost Dreams, New Delhi, AtlanticPublication,2000.367 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedRavindranath Tagor's Chitra in Post-modern Feminist Perspective--Ms. Nakade Meera M.Shri Yoganand Art's College,Basmath.Dist. Parbhani (MS)Post - modernism is not a single termbut was paralleled by other theories like Post -colonialism, Post-structuralism, Reader-responsetheory, New Historicism, Marxism andFeminism also. The term Post-modernism firstoriginated in 1930's by Jean Francois Leotrad'sThe post-modern condition : A report onknowledge (Manchester university press 1979).The age highlighted many importantcharacteristics like absurdity, age of virtualreality, consumerism, capitalism, super market,federation of culture, age of flux, cyber age, lossof faith in god and religion.Feminism is called as women'smovement of the 1960's by asking questionsabout their inequality in society. It is a women'soutlook at everthing. It is political ideology bymale that challenges the roles of male dominatedsociety and feminism tries to expose themechanism of patriarchy in works of art. Thusfeminism is a movement by women, for womenand for the sake of women about the vindicationof rights to overthrow socio-political andeconomic oppression by male world and herthrust for self identity, self help, self knowledgeand self realization which leads to mutualunderstanding between both the sexes.Feminism is basically a western termwhich is derived from a series of twentiethcentury founding texts of Virginia Woolf's "Aroom of one's Own" (1029), Simon DeBeauvoir's "The Second sex" (1949), KateMillet's Sexual politics and earlier works byMary Wellstone Craft's "Vindication of TheRights of Women" and John Stuart Mill's ;"Subjection of Women". All these books are builtupon feminist literature and tried to expose malepolitics, their double standard of sexual moralityand stereotype representation of women and soon. It resulted a kind of boost in women andgave birth to the image of new woman inliterature who tried to fight against maledominated culture, tradition, religion and so on.Rebhindranath Tagore's era was full ofinjustic and cruelty towards women, sati rite,polygamy, widows are not allowed to remarry,an unjust cast system was prevalent in socity.Under these circumstances Manisha Roycomments about him as, "Ravindranath Tagoreis the first modern Indian writer who brought hiswomen out of the kitchen and bed room in to theparlour where they argue with men andexchange ideas while still remaining feminine"1.Hence Tagore is the feminist and verysuccessfully put forth before the reader the ideaof mutual understanding between both theopposite sexes to run the chariot of life.The present paper highlights Tagore'sconcept of feminism in Chitra (1984). Chitra isthe quintessence of romance. The play is acelebration of Tagore's fascination for the loveof beauty and nature. The idea of writing theplay Chitra was entered in his mind while hewas travelling, he saw a beautiful flowerbudsalong the railway track in a spring season.At that time he felt that a lovely woman mightfeel humiliated for being loved for youth andbeauty and not by her soul. According to Tagorethe gift of soul was in reality imperishablealways bright, pure and alive which is life'sbiggest treasure. Hence beauty is transient it cannot last long and love of soul is genuine andeverlasting.This thought remembered Tagore theChitrangada episode from the greatest epicMahabharata and created such a beautiful playChitra. In the play he dramatized the sensuouslove between Chirtra and Arjuna. The play iscast in nine scenes of exquisite beauty involvingthe mortals and the immorals. In the present playManlura becomes Manipur and beautifulChitrangada becomes a plain boyish looking368 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedprincess who is extremely couragears, royal andgallant by behaviour. Chitra protects her subjectsfrom enemies and wild beasts with her bows andarrows. Hence she is called - she is a tom boy,delighting in all manly activities like archery andhuniting (Roy 41).2Chira is a perfect lady, a protector ofvillagers. She was the terror of all evils doers.Her presence in the kingdom assures people tolive in freedom. They only feared natural death,but had no other fears.Arjuna has fallen in live with Chitrawho, barrowed exquisite beauty from God ofVasanta and God of Madana loved their lifevery happily. After one year passed Arjunapleaded his inability to accept the love preferredby Chitra to him. She felt disappointed but didnot lose her heart and tells Arjuna, "Iam not thewoman who nourishes her despair in lonelysilence feeding with nightly tears and covering itwith the daily patient smile a widow from birth.The flower of my desire shall never drop into thedust before it has ripened to fruit"3. Sheachieved her goal by her superb beauty receivedas a gift from Madanan and Vasanta and withthe help of this gift she brought the world'sfamous hero to her feet.Chitra has extraordinary power of selfanalysis and realised that she was loved byArjuna not for her innate qualities, but for herborrowed beauty she quotes Arjuna in bittersarcasm ;"When a woman is merely a woman,when she winds herself round and round men'shearts with her smiles and sobs and service andcaressing endearments then she is happy". Sheasked then what is the use of her learning andgreat achievements.4She found that Arjuna had becomeweary of the idle life of love making and wantedto hear daring - manly acts of princess ofManipur who used to extend protection to hersubjects. Arjuna was unaware of the real identityof the lady with whom he was spending his daysnights. Chitra put to him a straight question :"would it please your heroic soul if the playmateof the night aspired to be the help mate of theday, if the left arm learnt to share the burden ofthe proud right arm."Chirtra being a full control of herpoentials cherished from a long, a desire to seeand challenge. Arjuna the word's greatest archerto prove her skills in single combat with him andquotes, "Many a day my young ambition hadspurred me on to break my lance with him tochallenge him in disguise to single combat andto prove my skill in arms against him".5At last she disclosed her identity veryproudly and declared : "Iam Chitra. No goddessto be worshipped, nor yet the object of commonpity. to be burshed aside like a moth withindifference. If you disign to keep me by yourside in the path of danger, If you allow me toshare the great duties of your life, then you willknow my trueself." (136 Chitra)6In this way Chitra's personality with theexposition of feminism in India has multi rolesin her-a beautiful lover, a good wife, a mother, adaughter and an archer, a protector of people.Long before she met Arjuna and had dreamt ofdefeating him. That very time the idea ofproving equality of women in the field which isespecially reserved for men is difficult, daringand noteworthy one. Tagore's Chitra is superiorand not meek, mild, traditionally stereotype. Shenever nourishes her despair in lonely silence, onthe countray in full control of her potentials, shechallengs male domination.This is the goal and achievement offeminist movement. These above lines areinspiring to young educated women in India andpost-modern generation. The protagonist Chitratruly advocates the ideal of co-partnershipbetween man and woman in the great path oflife. The Tagore's play Chitra is the quintessenceof romance and rear combination between youthand beauty and the beauty of her soul which ispermanent and everlasting. She is not onlybeautiful but also dutiful in the great business oflife. Her perfection in life pleased Arjuna andimparted his last words," Dear I am fulfilledtoday (62 Chitra)7 to take over the futureresponisbility of a child. Hence RabindranathTagore assigns a central place to women whoare strong bold, to achieve new image and readyto face any problems and difficulties in theirlives.Reference1. Tagore Rabindranath Glimpses of Bengal1890 : 49369 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nanded2. Roy R.N.2005 Tagore Rabindranath. TheDramatist. Nagpur : Roy Publishers.: 413. Tagore Rabindranath : Chitra : Bareilly,Prakash Book Depot 1994.4. Tagore Rabindranath : Chitra : Ibid Chitra :1365. Tagore Rabindranath : Chitra6. Tagore Rabindranath : Chitra7. Tagore Rabindranath : Chitra : Ibid : 628 Krishnaswamy N, Verghese John, MishraSunita, Contemporary Literary Theory.9. Barry Peter : Beginning Theory AnIntroduction To Literary And CulturalTheory. 2011.Viva books Private Limted.10. Iyengar K.R.S. Indian writing in English.New Delhi : Sterling Publishers.11. Dr. Kulkarni P.D. : The Dramatic world ofRabindranath Tagore.12. A.N. Gupta, Satish Gupta : RabindranathTagore's Chitra A Critical Study.370 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedThe Role of Women in Postcolonial LiteratureMr. Sachin L. Patki & Mr. Suyog S. DodalAssist. Professor in EnglishAdarsh Education Society’s ACS College,Hingoli.The influence of women has shaped and modelled nearly every society existing withinthe planet earth, whether their stature is moderate, subservient or prevalent. The femalepersuasion is an underlying current society, a community within a community, a species of itsown. The distinct differences between men and women create a figurative rift or subcategoryin each and every aspect of being. There may be black or white, gentile or Jew, master orservant, but within each of these lies as aspect which truly defines the individual – feminism.In Postcolonial literature, one might see the opposing forces as being the colonizer and thecolonized, but within each lays the innate qualities of distinct gender, making each subculturenot a unified front, but a multi-faceted and radical society. J.M.Coetzee’s Magda in “In theHeart of the Country” and Arundhati Roy’s Rahel in “The God of Small Things” help toestablish the ever-changing role of a Colonized women in African and Indian Postcolonialliterature.The roles of women in literature are often quite wide in spectrum. Women are oftenportrayed as secondary characters to the greater men who carry the story line along, while thefemales are simply offer a supporting role in the midst of the action. However, in theturbulent times of colonization, a great and powerful woman has arisen, rather a form offeminine strength that has risen from the ashes of pitiful literary damsels. The two fictionalwomen representing South Africa and India in the aforementioned literary works areremarkable and incredibly strong willed. A sense of self and reason has perpetuated theactions of these women and while merely fictional help to represent the new birth of a culturevia oppression.Magda, an unnerving self-proclaimed spinster and the protagonist of J.M.Coetzee’sSouth African novel “In the Heart of the Country” is an independent, though excruciatinglydisturbed young Caucasian women who acts as the novel’s unreliable narrator. BecauseMagda is perpetually insane, her thoughts and notions are succinct, scoffing at the fact thather father brings home mistress after mistress. There is an air incest, an unnerving notion thatMagda and her father have participated in a sort of twisted sexual relationship and thisparticular situation is the jumping-off point for Magda’s insanity. Because she feels as thoughshe is not pretty enough to compete with her father’s suitors, she exercises her womanlyconcerns, which ultimately lead to her downfall.Magda’s inherent femininity drives her down a deep spiral that results in anuncompromising end. If her gender were to be different, the novel would immediately lose ofall its relevance, as the fact that her sex has set her aside from her own flesh and bloodbecomes the driving force of her latent inhibitions. After fantasizing that she murders notonly her father, but his new wife as well, Magda begins to live in a world that she creates,manipulating those within it via her sexuality and feminine mystique. She attempts to seducethe lowly servant Hendrick because she secretly feels as though his lover, Klein Anna, ismore beautiful than she is. Herein lies the subtle distinctions of postcolonial existence;Magda is white while Anna black, but her color does not hinder Anna from becoming asexual object. While Magda already feels outnumbered by the black inhabitants of SouthAmerica and is considered an outsider, she is further secluded due to her gender, and even371 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedmore so due to her unattractive appearance. Magda is hence placed below Anna on thefeminine spectrum, making her less worthy of attention and love.However, throughout the novel, Magda remains strong-willed and determined,faltering only in her own mind while not revealing her true emotions. She has distinctopinions and voices them to the reader, she has definitive objectives and goes forth withaccomplishing them that is ultimately murdering her father and having a sexual relationshipwith Hendrick. In this case, Magda is a direct product of the postcolonial movement as shehas been uprooted, secluded and emotionally oppressed. She is also a product of her genderwhich has in turn affected hr in the same way.However, in a different light, one must first look at the source. Magda, who longs tobe a complete woman, was created by J.M.Coetzee, a South Africa male. To understandMagda, we must first understand her aspects of femininity and thus we must understand therelationship the author has with his protagonist. Coetzee has taken much criticism due toassuming females roles simply because he cannot truly know the feminine mystique. Criticsof Coetzee claim that he is deeply concerned with language and textuality.Rahel, in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small things represents a very different typeof strong woman. While Magda was strong-willed in action, Rahel had an incredible intellectwhich became apparent, even at a young age. Rahel has the power to see past the everyday, tolook beyond borders of family, postcolonial oppression and gender. Rahel’s pervasiveimagination allows her to lead two lives, one completely inside her head and the other as anunfortunate young Indian woman with an increasingly decrepit family. While her twinbrother, Estha, merely accepts the fate that has been chosen for him, Rahel dares to defy theodds and think outside of the box. She is strong willed, independent and never sees herself asa victim.Many of Rahel’s qualities mirror that of her mother, Ammu’s. Ammu also did notaccept the life that was handed to her; rather she embarked on a journey with a man sheloved- an untouchable that begged more trouble than ever anticipated. While her lover hadalready been oppressed. Ammu chose the road he had been set upon in order to be with himand it resulted in her demise. The strong willed mother set an example for her independentdaughter and at a young age, Rahel was able to see past the boundaries of death, circumstanceand fate.While Estha, who had lived much the same life as Rahel until their young separation,moped around mutely and lived in a closed off world, his twin sister dared to dream and letherself go. She imagined what she could not conjure. She believed what she could not see.Rahel’s willingness to see the good in people inherently brings out her feminine qualities andthe relationships she embarks on much like her mother reflect this. She has become a productof post colonialism but decides not to let it shape her and in this she defies the movementaltogether.Arundhati Roy presents the most believable and relatable woman in Rahel becauseher book is slightly autobiographical. Roy herself grew up in similar conditions to Rahel andin the same region, giving an air of authenticity to her protagonist Flavia Rando in TheEssential Representation of Woman, writes “ Both poststructuralists and cultural feministscan be seen working in reaction and in relation to the Western cultural ideal, man a rationalindividual with free will” (48). Roy embraces her heritage and her femininity as well as theconcept of woman versus man which she expertly illustrates as she juxtaposes Rahel andEstha. She also integrates the concept of British rule overwhelming a culturally enrichedtown, like many other women of her status and situation. Roy turned to what she knew inorder to write. “Instead of English lanes, cottage houses and cart horses, Anglo Indian womenpainted India’s mountains and hills, its villages and bazaars, its rundown temples and ancient372 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedmonuments and above all its curious natives with their colourful attire”. Roy did just such butwith text.Due to the gender of the authors, some maintain a certain authenticity that eludesanother. Coetzee, whose works constitute fiction as criticism, lack a feminine touch due tothe fact that he is not writing what he in fact knows. His vision of Magda is a critique onsociety and is solely based in perpetual fiction. Roy however crafted a perfect female lead,believable, independent, multifaceted and completely true. Of the immerging female postcolonial authors, Roy remains close to her roots and stands out amongst the her male peers.“Women writers have become involved in literary work to the extent that the conditions oftheir lives, as women have permitted. From the days when women writers were small innumber and restricted to one sector of society to the diversity of contemporary creators, thejourney has been long but fruitful”. Roy is in fact one of those writers.The literary women of the postcolonial movement are all affected in different ways,but the qualities that define them as women helps to tie them together. Their determinedindependent and strong willed peace of mind perpetuated their culture despite Imperialisticpower and women of their stature have helped to mould subcultures out of communities andform femininity from the dust. While the postcolonial movement has had a great impact ofthe women of each culture, the strong female perspective has helped to shape the everchangingand radical world of today.373 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedFeminism : A Post – Modern Trend-Ranvirkar S.G.Madhavrao Patil ollege,Palam, Dist. Parbhani.Feminism is a post-modernapproach to the world of literature inwhich the image of woman has beenanalyzed from the feministic pointof view. Feminism is defined byWebster’s Dictionary as-the policy, practice oradvocacy of political,economic and socialequality for women.(Webster’s Dictionary)The Oxford English Dictionary, inits seventh edition, defines feminism, as ‘theissue of equality for women’. It was aserious attempt to formulate the issues andfind solutions to gender problems.Traditionally, IndianSociety is a male dominated andman has been regarded as aprotector, a master and a guardian ofwoman. Generally women seen tohave been looked upon as beinginferior to men. Women are alwaysoppressed, suppressed andmarginalized by men. They havebeen ill-treated and exploited in allwalks of life. In her introduction to‘The Second Sex (1953)’, deBeauvoir wrote:She is defined anddifferentiated with referenceto man and not he withreference to her, She isincidental, the inessentialopposed to the essential. Heis the subject, he is theAbsolute. She is the other.()The term ‘other’ wasoriginally introduced by Simone deBeauvoir, she argues that one is notborn but rather becomes a woman.The general view appears to be thatwomen had to be under the care ofparents in their childhood, under theprotection of husband in their youth,and in their old age they had to beunder the control of their sons.Though she is a master figure in thefamily, she lived the life of slavery,suffering and suppression. VirginiaWoolf, describes the woman’s placein a male dominated world :“A very queer, composite.Imaginatively she is of thehighest importancepracticallyshe is completelyinsignificant. She pervadespoetry from cover to cover,she dominates the lives ofkings and conquerors infiction… Some of the mostinspired words, some of themost profound thoughts inliterature fall from her lips,in real life she could hardlyread, could scarcely spell,and was the property of herhusband”.Virginia Woolf shows howthe woman is subjected to slaveryand suppression. They are alwaysrecognized by a relationship likeKaku and Kaki, Atya and Vahini,Ajji and Mami which is relational toher father or husband or son.In this patriarchal society,the standard of womanhood is set bymen for women. The traditionalrole assigned to her has been that ofa dutiful wife and mother. It wasthe Universal assumption thatwoman belonged to the home aswife and mother. Her entire life wasdevoted to her family and sheremained in confinement within fourwalls. Marriage is considered a374 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedgreat ambition and ultimate goal of ayoung girl. Simone de Beauvoirpoints out that“Marriage is the destinytraditionally offered towomen by the society”.She has to perform the roleof a happy and satisfied wife. Thisidea is expressed in one of KamalaDas’s poems entitled ‘Suicide’ButI must PoseI must pretendI must act the roleOf a happy womanHappy wife.The root cause of all thediscriminations and bias that womenface in their social, cultural, politicaland economic life rests in religion.It all starts from the religion andthen stems outward. Christianity isthe first religion which emphasisthis point that it is because ofwoman Sin, suffering and deathstarted. In our holy books Bible,Ramayana, Mahabharata womenalways portrayed negatively.When the independencemovement began, men and womencame together for the first time.Reformers like Raja RammohanRoy, Mahatma Gandhi andAnnasaheb Karve appeared on thesocial and political scene. Aftergetting education, women began torealize the extent of injusticeinflicted upon them. Literacy playsa dominant role in the improvementof women’s status.After independence, manyIndian women novelists have raisedtheir voice against the exploitationof women. Many men novelistshave also portrayed womencharacters with great sympathy andunderstanding. It was started bySimone de Beauvoir in ‘The SecondSex’ (1949) and gained momentumin the 1960s. In the postindependenceperiod women’sliberation has gradually come aboutthrough education. Educationbecame available to the masses andit changed the attitude of both menand women towards life. Moderneducated woman is no longer adocile or meek but a career-oriented.In this post-modern era, women inspite of her career, she has to dohousehold work for the family. DeBeauvoir rightly says that even afterthe attainment of equality, women’sideational world would remaindifferent.References :1. Webster’s Dictionary, 1987Ed.2. Oxford Advanced Learner’sDictionary, Seventh Edition.3. Simone de Beauvoir, ‘TheSecond Sex’ Vintage Books1989.4. Kamala Das, ‘My Story’(New Delhi : Sterling, 1977)375 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedSuppression of a Women--Sheetal JeevannavarM.A. III SemJ.S.S. College, Dharwad (KA)Introduction :We seen from 19 th century thewomen’s suffers lot and what is theconditions of women’s physical & &Mental health and When the womenstarted against male. And when thefeminism was started all that have seen.And what are the drawbacks of thewomen in those days all are seen.Feminist Theories:Feminism is “basic lies asociological ideology” It is nothing thebasically a life connected movement inthe world. And it is a westerncontribution to the knowledge and thefeminist theory 3 important stages.i) Feminism stages i it starts from1840-1880ii) Feminists state (1880-1920)iii) After 1920’s :in this stage thefeminist writer they left imitation &degeneracy became protestant. Theyachieved an autonomy on their writing.When women’s together thisfeminist theory was birthed. When thistheory come to all end their is oursociety will be trilling for a women andwhat is the importance’s of women isknow to the male.So now we seen in the shortstory and “the Veil” it is fully concernedwith feminism so what are the criticalconditions women has sulfur in thosedays so all are rear in this 2 short stories.Key words :i) Social norms in society.ii) Supprenious of a womaniii) Female imprisonmentII)iv) Gender discriminationsv) Male prostitution towards female ideai) In those days the society made up thefemale like a prison the can’t get anyopportunity or any freedom or her ownidea. Women sits in home she cant gooutside ours she do Wales this is thecondition of women in those days so inthe short story “The veil” also depictssame attitude. In that short story“Goribi” She is the main character in thisshort story. So whatever she think andwhat’s the idea in her mind it is notlisten by others and in the age of 14 sheis married with a black fellow calledkalmia he is so black and he is a verystubborn, immature, aggressive and henever used to submit himself to other’swin there some character of thispersonality. In this short story the maincharacter of “Goribi” is one of the main& important character and she is a verybeautiful and extremely sky modestlacking cur rage girl. When she marriedthat black boy she did know aboutmarriage and that maturity level was notincrease in their mind and she alwayswearing “Veil” it represents thesuppression of the women. It is not onlya cloth but it is a prison for a women. Sowhen she wear that veil it is a acompulsory for the Muslim religions. Sowhat society do that is the final for everyreligion so it is in those days veil iscalled as a imprisonment for a women’sbut now a days it is not compulsory.In every religion has herown tradition and he own cultural andher own identity but apart from this theman should not revolt against theresocial norms. So every man has followher own religions rules so in this shortstory we seen social worms in society.In the olden days the w2omenhas not given equal status grow and inevery path she cannot grow. And inthose days the female child is bad for thefamily. And she not given her ownfreedom and whatever she like she can’tdo what in the family tells only that thing376 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandediii)she said yes so this is the custom ofthose days and in this short story depictsthe suppuration of a women.When the feministtheory was raised whatever the badimpact on the women is gone and somany feminist written they gave theiropinion threw her ideas.So in this point ofview this short story depicted what are iv)the sufferings faced by women and howshe faced this problem and this shortstory is beings to the “Veil” it is not onlya cloth which covers face but it is asymbol of a “suppression of women”suppression is in not one way but inevery field of society In this short storykalmia husband of “Goribi” he force touplift the “Veil” of her wife but she can’tallow to uplift the veil because if shebecome get freedom from society shedefiantly uplift the “Veil” but the societyis the main cause for her life. WhateverShe uplift the “Veil” She become aindependent\. When her husband cometo uplift the veil she cant give thepermission because Society itself maidthis system for the Muslim religion.Gender discrimination is a mainIn ancient time the female will be like aprisoner in jail. Because in those daysfemale do not get any privacy andwhatever she do she do it in home notoutside so this is seem how our ancestorstrict to the case of women and women isnot go outside she whatever do it in thearound the 4 walls the home so this pointof view in the short Story the veil anddepicted same problem. The maincharacter “Goribi” She also live in thatprison also here prison refer to the “veil”it represented the suppression of awomen “Veil” is like a prison. In everywomen’s like she become a beautiful buthere the face itself around with the veilhow she depict her feelings her ideas andher voice to others.And in this short story “Gouribi”is a prisoner in the hands of kalmia Sheis a beautiful and very courageous girland very externally sky modest girl buther beauty is not seen to other only forher husband only. So whatever we seennow a days women get all the freedomand every field she become a first thiskind of system is their in those daysgoribi did not suffer this type of sort.Prison in not her beautybut also in the prison is her freedom andher Idea her think So his is also one of akey word.problem in those days our ancestor willbe main cause for the life of female. Inthose day our ancestor told that maleonly do heavy work, male itself a greatand they do whatever work and nobodyhas equal to the male and male isconsider as a superior than female andmale is a great so there all differencesmade only ancestor. When the womentogether they itself wrote her ownpro9blems and then the feminist theorywas started.When feminist theorywas started the position of the malebecome low. And in every field womendo equal work towards male and she alsogave equal status to male and not onlymale will be great but women also raisedthen voice against male and through thistheory feminism will be growth.In this short story alsowe seen the gender discrimination howkalmias discriminate her beautiful wife“Goribi” It is seen in this story. Goribialso suffer lot from male and how“Goribi” her feelings and her ideas willbe suppressed from he husband so in thisstory also we seen gender discriminationgender discrimination is the big problemto the society because through the genderthe quarrel will be started.But now a days thisquarrel will be give full point. No genderwill be low both male & female areequal today and in one hand female willbe first rank in the achievements indifferent fields.V) olden days male idea towardsfemale is not good. In those days maletreated female like a worker and whatare the work has all that work’s has do377 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedand live and she has not get any freedomand her feelings and her Idea andwhatever male do that is right in case ofmale whatever he do correct. Female is aonly for enjoyment only for pleasureaccording to male and male told tofemale is you are not strong you areunhealthy and useless for male andfemale is a sensitive female is a verydelicate are there idea in the minds ofmale.So in this short storyalso depicted the male idea towardsfemale is seen all 14 year old girl abeautiful girl her marriage will be fixedfor a one of a inferiority and he has nofeelings about her wife what are theemotions about her husband is not askany for them. So here also the same waywhat ancestor follow that is continued.So gender discrimination is not givenculture of nature but it is a cultural andwhy female is called as a sensitivebecause her purity and her charity, hervirginity are made by her own identity.So this is a male Ideatowards the female. But now a days itwill be changed that discrimination is notappear in these days.The women should dressdifferently from male it is a genderdifferences. In a patriarchal Societydifferent roles are given to differentgender women had to defend upon mane3conomically. These are sometraditional or patriarchal impose onwoman because of her biologicalhelplessness she had to depend uponman she was always like a creeperseeking some support So there were thetraditional concept of a woman sofeminism is the protest againstpatriarchal society man is a greatexploiter.So all these 5 keywords are constructed with feministtheory. And in those days and feminismis basically a sociological ideology.Earlier Feminism was included inculture but now it has became westernpassion other countries also started tostudy it. and these all some positivequalities the women is more intuitivethan man women is more imaginativethan man women can be moreimaginative or lyrical woman all morepoetic and women as a symbol ofsacrifice so there are the some points.So as the end the shortstory “The Veil” depicted all these fivepoints and through the think of feministtheory Is mat chugtai wrote itbeautifully and what are the sufferingsand emotions are faced by the maledominated society all seen verybeautifully and how the Is mat chugtaiwrote very short so actually this is abased on the feminist theory.So in this shortstory “The Veil” represents so many badthinks as well as good things and inthose times how the male dominatedsociety ruled women and what are thesufferings there had all that are we seenalready. but after the “Feminist Theory”the woman is worshiped as a God. Sonow a day the equal status will be givento the woman and as she like she shouldlive in the society nobody bought aboutothers.378 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1