Literary Druid
A Peer-Reviewed International Journal of English Language and Literature
Volume- 8, Issue- 1, January-2025
1. Interaction of Caste and Gender in Bama’s Karukku from an Intersectional Perspective
Kiyam John Singh, Research Scholar, Department of English and Cultural Studies,
Manipur University, Manipur, India.
Dr. Rajkumari Ashalata Devi, Professor, Department of English and Cultural Studies,
Manipur University, Manipur, India.
Abstract
Bama’s autobiography “Karukku” raises a powerful and universal voice against all forms of oppression that exist in the caste-ridden patriarchal Indian society. In the novel, Bama narrates her experience as a marginalised Dalit woman who gains enough courage and mental strength to invert the structures of domination prevalent in Indian society. While exposing the hypocrisy of the high-caste people, she reinstates the marginalised Dalit women and asserts the distinctive voice of Dalit women who speak differently from the savarna women. The present paper is an attempt to examine how the interaction of caste and gender function simultaneously in the subordination of Dalit women in Bama’s “Karukku.” By drawing upon the framework of Dalit Feminism, the study explores how Bama’s novel transcends the 'victim' trope by positioning her life story as a place of social and political resistance. It argues that Bama's use of local Tamil dialect and her criticism of religious and social institutions that serve as vital tools for reclaiming organization in a setting of systemic exclusion. The paper explores the novel’s reliance on subaltern orality and folklore and argues that Bama’s use of dialect and communal memory transforms the memoir into a political 'testimonio.' Finally, the study concludes that the novel “Karukku” serves as a linguistic and cultural manifesto that reclaims the Dalit woman's body and voice from the margin of Indian literature to its center to acclaim liberty.
Keywords: Dalit, Caste, Savarna, Gender, Autobiography.
2. Psychological Exploration of Inner Violence and the Ruptured Psyche in the Redrum of Stephen King’s “The Shining”
Ms. Malavika S, Ph. D Research Scholar (FT), Department of English,
Dr. N.G.P. Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Dr. M. Marimuthu, Assistant Professor of English, Department of English,
Dr. N.G.P. Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
The study investigates the principle characters in Stephen King’s novel entitled “The Shining”. The novel weaves a stream of conscious of psychosomatic experiences of childhood trauma, the destabilizing effects of isolation and the destructive patterns of family dysfunction into a narrative. Childhood Trauma unfolds psychological impulse and derives experiences from past events. Isolation and psychological breakdown are related overlapping psychological experiences when a lack or loss of social interaction and a lack or loss of emotional support leads to a deterioration of mental functioning. Family dysfunction is a persistent form of unhealthy relationships and interactions that interrupts emotional care, safety and well-being within the family unit. Power is a multifaceted and destructive power dynamic that shows itself in interpersonal control, family structures and the supernatural powers. Stephen King’s novel entitled “The Shining” is a clear example of such themes. The novel functions as a grim tale of the human mind under extreme stress. It weaves together the supernatural and the sociopolitical perspectives of life. Stephen King portrays the most terrifying 'ghosts' are not those that haunt the hallways of a hotel, but that reside within the memory of a dysfunctional family. The state of isolation, trauma, and power haunt the characters and systematically deconstruct every notion of the 'self,' by leaving behind a ruptured psyche where the boundaries between past, present and future, and reality and hallucination cease to exist. Thus, the novel “The Shinning” is viewed as an exploration of how inherited trauma, poisonous relationships and the isolating power of environment may converge to deconstruct the human psyche.
Keywords: Childhood Trauma, Isolation, Family Dysfunction, Madness, Power Dynamics.
3. Women as Epistemic Authorities in Mahabharata: The Dialogue and Debate in the Shape of Dharma
Dr. Preeti Patanjali, Project Director (ICSSR Minor Research Project), Assistant Professor (English),
Motilal Nehru College, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
Abstract
The Mahabharata is one of the two principal epics in Sanskrit literature, offering a profound narrative of ancient Indian culture and civilization. It transcends a mere recounting of the conflict between the Kauravas and Pandavas, providing a comprehensive perspective on moral and ethical issues interwoven with complexities in relationships and duties. While the male characters are predominantly associated with battles and warfare, the female characters play a pivotal role in addressing and challenging the moral and ethical dilemmas within the narrative. The portrayal of women in the epic is intricate, prompting inquiries into the social and philosophical insights of that era. Despite the patriarchal constraints, significant female figures such as Satyavati, Kunti, Gandhari, Draupadi, and even Amba, are not depicted as passive or silent observers of the male-dominated exploits. They have articulated objections and asserted their individuality when necessary. These women embody strength, foresight, determination, resilience, and intelligence, enabling them to navigate the complexities of social intrigues and court politics. This research paper closely examines some selected female characters in the epic Mahabharata from an epistemic perspective, analysing their role and dialogues in revealing the moral and ethical dimensions of the time. It also seeks to understand how their epistemic contributions shaped the broader understanding of dharma and the role of women within it. By exploring the key female characters and their respective incidents, the paper aims to highlight their dialogues and debates, establishing them as epistemic authorities in the epic Mahabharata.
Keywords: Epic, Women, Mahabharata, Epistemology, Dialogue, Debate, Dharma, Ethics.
4. From Queer Abject to Queer Shame: Navigating the Spectrum of Queer Affect through Reparative Reading to Canonise 'The Banshees of Inisherin' (2022) as a Body Horror
Purbali Sengupta Mitra, Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad University of Technology, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Abstract
The Banshees of Inisherin released in 2022 is a modern day allegory set in the rural Ireland of 1923, rendering the ramification of violence and the cycle of hatred that sparks from quotidian pettiness. Conceptualised in a closed community of mundane survival, the cinematic plot functions like a classic tragi-comedy of existential dread, featuring two companions (read lovers) Colm and Padraic who abruptly drift apart for no apparent reason. This paper attempts to investigate the homosexual relationship between the two men through the prism of queer affect to explore the oscillating impact of the anti-relational (self-annihilating) death drive of the Sinthomosexual and the potential of gay shame as reparative affect. The paper draws its argumentative base from the theoretical paradigms of Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick (Types of Reading) and Lee Edelman's Anti-relational queer theory (with focus on the potential of positive relationality as an alternate model of queer sociality). The queer reading also highlights the challenges and complexities of portraying homosexuality onscreen. It equally addresses the sub-generic possibilities of 'The Banshees of Inisherin' by classifying it as a biological horror aligned with the standard tropes of corporeal assault, desecration and agential violence.
Keywords: Reparative, Sinthomosexual, Queer Affect, Gay Shame, Body Horror.
5. Radical Decentering Towards Self Directed Learning in the AI Knowledge Sharing and Employing Duolingo Application and Methods
Simila B, Research Scholar, PG and Research Department of English, Holy Cross College (Autonomous), Nagercoil-4. Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Dr. R. Abilasha, Assistant Professor, PG and Research Department of English, Holy Cross College (Autonomous), Nagercoil-4. Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Abishekapatti, Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract
Structuralism laying its station on structures and systems had entangled the nation to look at its meanings and identities created out of vibrant intellectually bound minds. Intellectual standard of society goes unnoticed out of a systematized stable footed living. The theoretical boundary reserved is broken in post structuralism. Instead of binding one to the rules and regulations set, the rational sensibility in word and thought links one with the society that recreates all that are stable. This interlinking is carried over by technology. Self-Directed Learning through Duolingo makes inefficiency efficient. Easy handy application compact with the development of Language skills in AI assistance would make a student dive independently against the restricted gorges. This paper is an eye opener to the education system already prevailing and the standard students try to achieve. Hence, the opinion of the students on the methods of language learning amidst boredom created out of physical classroom and the teacher is deeply analyzed and evaluated for the well-being of the students.
Keywords: Decentering; AI Integration; Self Directed Learning, Duolingo.