The writings by the so-called lower caste communities of India have long been pushed to the realm of ‘marginalized literature’. As one would read the various texts under the umbrella term of Dalit writings, it comes across as another attempt at sidelining the so-called lower caste from the mainstream Indian writing in English. The inclusivity/exclusivity of a text must be dependent on factors that are verifiable through a research-based analysis. This paper will primarily juxtapose the portrayal of women characters by a globally celebrated author, Anita Desai with a Tamil Dalit writer Bama Faustina Soosairaj. The implicit and explicit character analysis along with the character journey that unfolds under a thematic framework will be studied using western critical theories by Barthes and Vladimir Propp. This analysis seeks to bolster the aesthetic value of the Dalit writings and strengthen the place accorded to them among the so-called mainstream writers. Often Dalit narratives are considered for their cause and not for their artistic expression. Their language is representative of their people who did not have the exposure to a privileged lifestyle. It is reminiscent of their hurt and suffering, but can their writings also contribute to the corpus of mainstream literature? Can the budding writers take notes on characterization, use of language and thematic framework from the Dalit writings? Can their literary culture strike a common chord with audiences? To answer these questions, this paper will examine the literary culture of Dalit narratives as opposed their mainstream counterparts.

Authors:
Chandna Singh Nirwan, Majan University College, Oman

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Chandna Singh Nirwan is the Faculty Director of Quality Assurance and Assistant Professor in the Faculty of English Language Studies, Majan University College, Muscat, Oman.

Connect on Linkedin
http://linkedin.com/in/dr-chandna-singh-nirwan-0a1482208

See this presentation on the full schedule – On Demand Schedule

Bookmark