Literary Druid
A Peer-Reviewed International Journal of English Language and Literature
Volume- 6, Issue- 4, October-2024
1. A Comparative Study of Kannadasan and Ralph Waldo Emerson
Dr. M. Jothilakshmi, Guest Lecturer in English, H.H. The Rajah's College, Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu, India..
Abstract
The present study is designed to estimate the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson from American Literature with Kannadasan of Tamil Literature in the light of Vedanta. It is an effort to study the authors’ select poems that contain the philosophy of Vedanta. Both poets show their interest in Vedanta with their respective languages and culture. Emerson’s Essay “Over-Soul” and Kannadasan’s poetry “He is Only God” are the epitome of the paper. Kannadasan’s “Arthamulla Indumatham” is an attempt to prove the existence and the work of God in all existence in the cosmos. The select writers belong to different countries and centuries and yet their point of view of God looks the same. They believe in the soul in animate and inanimate objects as said in Vedanta. Emerson calls God a ‘Universal soul’ who encompasses entire objects of the world. Kannadasan views God as a ruler who dominates and activates everything and every work in the world. Thus, their belief in the presence of the Supreme Soul or God in every individual soul and all things becomes dominant throughout their writings. Hence, this present study aims to find the ideas of Vedanta in the writing of Emerson and Kannadasan and the parallel ones among their writings.
Keywords: Comparison, Kannadasan, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Vedanta.
2. Transcreating Carceral Subjugation, Ethnic Erasure and the Limits of Human Subjectivity on Screen: An Enquiry into the Prison Narratives of Schindler’s List and Orange Is The New Black
Payel Ghosh, Research Scholar, Department of English, Cooch Behar Panchanan Barma University, West Bengal, India.
Abstract
Amid different forms of adaptation, film adaptation occupies a significant place in contemporary creative industries. The process of transferring a literary work onto the big screen can be viewed in translational terms and adaptation can be regarded as a creative process like translation. In translation Studies, adaptation is often viewed as a set of translative interventions which gives birth to a text that is not generally accepted as a translation but still represents a source text to some extent. So, adaptation is posited with the techniques of translation which ultimately aims at relevance rather than accuracy. In that sense, adaptation can be viewed as a creative translation where the message of the source text gets filtered through the creative vista of the adapter. As a translational process, adaptation depends on the sociocultural context in which it takes place and stimulates new readings of the source text. Thereby, it reverberates with the notions of rewriting, reinterpretation and recontextualization. Therefore, adaptation operates by Lefevere’s idea of refraction where Lefevere points out that the adaptation of a work of literature works to influence how the audience reads the work. Lefevere points out that translation is a rewriting of a source text and it carries a work of literature over from one system into another. This paper attempts to focus on ethnic erasure, female captivity and female carceral subjugation, respectively in the two trans-creative texts- Schindler’s List and Orange is the New Black. Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993) is one of the most popular epic drama movies of World War II ever produced. The screenplay of this movie is adapted from the novel Schindler’s Ark written by Thomas Keneally. Schindler’s List has an uncommon story, it is a historical movie about historical events. The horror of the ethnic cleansing which is reflected in Schindler’s List is one of the appealing aspects that is interesting to be studied. In this proposed study, I would also like to talk about the female victims during the period of Holocaust. Next, Orange is the New Black (2013-2019), a comedic drama with seven seasons, is one of the most-watched original series on Netflix. Based on Piper Kerman’s memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Years in a Women’s Prison, the show follows the main character Piper Chapman as she serves time in Litchfield Penitentiary, a women’s federal prison. OITNB highlights how women in prison experience the foundations of the criminal justice system: policing, arrest, prosecution and sentencing that disproportionately target poor communities and communities of colour. Prison for most of us is an unknown experience and anything we know is mainly through representations in media. This show sheds light on the lives of the female jailbirds and their experiences in prison. So, this paper will try to delineate the lives of the women who are victims of ethnic erasure and also the female inmates who are in prison experiencing the pangs of incarceration.
Keywords: Carceral Subjugation, Ethnic Erasure, Film Adaptation, Prison Narratives, Female Jail Birds.
3. A Re-Reading of Judith Guest’s Ordinary People in the Perspective of Beth Jarrett
G. Pradeep, Guest Faculty, Department of English and Communicative Studies,
Gandhigram Rural Institute, Gandhigram, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
The ‘ordinary’ American woman writer Judith Guest became ‘no more ordinary’ after the release of her first novel, Ordinary People, in 1976. This novel gained worldwide attention for its unique plot, which deals with the psychological struggle of a suburban family after a severely traumatic event. This novel is more about the rehabilitation of the protagonist, a 17-year-old boy coping with his mental illness and deals with the theme of family disintegration, mental health issues, adolescent development, and domestic relationships. Judith Guest narrates the entire novel from the perspective of Conrad and Calvin; however, this paper tries to bring Judith Guest’s woman character “Beth” to light in an attempt to recognize this character along with the other strongest female characters in literature like Hester Prynne, Janie Crawford, Jane Eyre, Wife of Bath, Celie and so on. The article deconstructs the novel from the perspective of Beth, who is physically attractive, emotionally strong, rational, and an absolute perfectionist in the novel, Ordinary People. Despite all domestic struggles, Beth's sensible, realistic and practical approach toward life helped her make a controversial yet compelling decision that attained her self-identity at the end of the novel. Therefore, this research paper is a re-reading of Judith Guest’s Ordinary People in Beth Jarrett’s Perspective.
Keywords: Gender, Self-Identity, Domestic Issues, Existential Feminism.
4. Cognizing the Cultural Discourses: An Analysis of Cultural Assimilation and Trauma in Kate Grenville’s The Secret River
Ms. S. Sarandhini, Full-Time Scholar, Department of English, Dr NGP Arts and Science College,
Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Dr. M. Marimuthu, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Dr NGP Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
This article focuses on the cultural clash and the ensuing struggle between the European settlers and the Indigenous Australians as illustrated in the novel “The Secret River” by Kate Grenville. Cultural studies investigate how cultural practices and representations help a group of people create their identities. It also takes into account how various aspects of our identities interact and shape one another to produce distinctive viewpoints and experiences. During the colonisation process, European settlers frequently engaged in violent confrontations as a means of controlling and dominating Aboriginal tribes. Aboriginal communities used a variety of tactics, including violence and cultural traditions, to oppose the invasion of their territories and the destruction of their civilizations. Australian society's current dynamics are still shaped by the cultural struggle that existed between European settlers and Australian aboriginal people. To address the past and present effects of this conflict, reconciliation initiatives, land rights movements, and growing public understanding of the value of honouring and conserving aboriginal cultures are all ongoing. The Australian novelist Kate Grenville is well-known for her works that examine social issues, cultural disputes, and historical fiction. She explores timeless themes in historical contexts, frequently concentrating on Australian history, indigenous experiences and cultural identity. In her novel “The Secret River”, Kate Grenville exposes the misery and devastation inflicted on Indigenous populations by depicting in graphic detail the cultural misunderstandings and conflicts resulting from colonisation.
Keywords: Cultural Clash, Identity, Aborigines, Kate Grenville, The Secret River.
5. Feminism in South Asian Literature
Dr. A. Sasikala, Assistant Professor, Department of English, KLN College of Engineering, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India..
Dr. Andi Asrifan, S.Pd., M.Pd., Lecturer of English, Graduate program, Makassar State University, Indonesia.
Abstract
Feminism in South Asian literature is a modern trend that portrays the status and life of women in a society of close cultures. Feminist literature analyzes the social hierarchies and gender norms and redefines the present space for women in both individual and social realms. The essay highlights the state, diversity and intricacies of feminist voices in select South Asian literature from the legendary times to the present. Feminism is deeply rooted in the socio-political and cultural contexts of any region. South Asian literature portrays the state of women from the cultural and political point of view. It represents the dissimilar women’s voices that suffer from male hegemony. The traditional gender roles and social norms of women are different and women have individuality in the past and the present full of problems. The major works from ancient epics to modern narratives of South Asian literature offer a clear stand for feminist discourse. The South Asian feminist literature analyzes systemic inequalities of women’s roles in society both culturally and politically. Select authors like Mahasweta Devi, Ismat Chughtai, Taslima Nasrin and Bama were chosen for study. This article explores the feminist voice as seen in select South Asian writers by tracing their progress from traditional narratives to contemporary expressions.
Keywords: Feminism, South Asian Literature, Gender, Patriarchy, Social Transformation.
6. Vermilion - (Poem)
V. Bhavya Shree
Abstract
V. Bhavya Shree is a poet and teacher born in the beautiful village of Paravadukkam in Kasargod district. Following graduation and teacher training, she decided to pursue a career as an English language and literature teacher. She hopes and longs for the readers to have a deeper grasp of Marginalised sections and therefore, focused on herself as a bilingual poet of social and personal realism in minimalist poetry
Keywords: Vermillion, Hinduism, Marriage, Women's Rights, Freedom.
7. Water & Because we have invented plastic... - (Poems)
Dr. Pulkita Anand, Assistant Professor, PM College of Excellence, Shahid Chandrashekar Govt PG College,
Jhabua (MP), India.
Abstract
The poems are about the climate crisis and the ongoing impact of climate on sentient beings, humans and life at large. Water is an elixir of life but we have been polluting it without fail. The poems are ringing the alarm bell about the lurking danger. They talk about how our inventions are the cause of our destruction. They are about how media highlights the world's glam and fame and completely sidelines the cause and effect of the environment at large.
Keywords: Water, Elixir, Plastic, Climate Change, Destruction.