The Making of a man

2005

Abstract: The history of civilization has been the history of women oppression and her marginalization. All religions produced by the patriarchal societies have been the most effective instruments of male chauvinism. This subservience of women from the primitive times and the consequent differentiation made between the two sexes according to their gender identity is evident in the Indian society too. In Indian society, a woman‟s role has been compartmentalized as a daughter, a wife and a mother. She has never been acknowledged as an individual outside these pre-destined roles. Over the decades, however, the position of Indian woman has undergone a transformation, where she appears to be aware, awakened, assertive and empowered. Manju Kapur is a contemporary woman novelist who has projected this transgression in a woman‟s life in her novels, from a state of subservience to selfactualization. In The Immigrant, she has delineated this metamorphosis in the life of her female protagonist, Nina who eventually is awakened to her subjugation in marriage and asserts her individuality. The present paper will highlight a woman‟s struggle and quest for her identity in a patriarchal society. Key Words: Patriarch

Women And Diversity, 2021

The study of Indian literature is till date considered a marginal area among interdisciplinary studies in India. However, scholars from social sciences have recently set their attention towards this discipline with an enhanced interest. This unprecedented step has in turn enlarged the scope of the discourse on literary forms, traditions, texts and languages. If we focus on problematizing the ‘literariness’ of texts as the paradigm shift ushered in by social scientists of the last decade, interestingly we are going to dig the roots of Indian literary history. The present study proposes to explore and rethink the role of Indian women in the making of an identity in Indian literature by giving it a new dimension which is personal as well political, individual as well as social, and, historical as well as modern. The encounter with the west served as a catalyst for the novel form and we find many women-centred novels where protagonists are powerful women and the authors, whether male or female, equally stand for feminine spirit in their works since the beginning of 19th century in India. The voice of Indian women writers not only came to deal with social and cultural issues but also grappled with historical, psychological, philosophical and much more as their themes around mankind. How this voice of resistance turned out to be a process of metamorphosis which proved pivotal in the history of Indian novel writing by women and about women? Who were the pillars that laid the foundation of this change and what urged them to create a space for themselves? The paper attempts to probe into these and a few similar issues with a view to throw light on the significant contribution made by Indian women writers who were successful to carve a niche for themselves.

(2011) "Locating Indo-Australian Fiction in Multicultural Australia," in: Australian Made: A Multicultural Reader. Sonia Mycak und Amit Sarwal (eds.). Sydney: Sydney UP, 139-159.

2009

Modern Indian novels in English have adopted new trends and latest themes that would touch the fresh generations of audience. The writers of English fictions in the subcontinent's context view the complications of the multilingual and diverse cultural clusters of society with contemporary scrutiny. Present lucid reflections of the authors on the national affairs turn out to be interesting plot grounds or settings for their characters. The Socio-political structures and tricky situations caused by caste and religious diversities happen to be the themes in demand nowadays. The incredibleness of the country is the result of the vast cultural diversity and caste system that govern the social status of every individual belonging to some identical group. New English fictions from India with sociological themes try to project public realities. Manu Joseph's novels are such prolific documentations that portray the caste-conflicts in the contemporary Indian society and their consequences. The sarcastic tone of narration taken up by him aptly suits the theme and trends. Having accomplished as a fine representative of the native society through his debut work of art, the second novel of the writer ponders upon the deeper social issues of the nation across the states. Caste hierarchy and cultural myths spinning around that belief are explored in the fictions of the chosen writer. A cognitive analysis about the conflicts arising on the basis of caste in the selected novels would demystify much social confusion. The collective unconscious of the characters and influencing agents that install the caste hierarchy are critically analysed in the article with reference to the author's characters and settings from the novels. The modern writer attempts to demythologize such prevailing psychological perplexity through his realistic words.

South Asian Popular Culture, 2015

2 I have used her first name here, to mark the personal level and cordiality of our acquaintance, but in the rest of the piece, I refer to her as Kapur, respecting the conventions of professionalism. 3 The series of interviews are edited into a single long interview, rather than presented in fragments. This edited versionwhich arranges the material for optimal coherence and flow-is then sent to the interviewee for approval, to check and ensure that there is no alteration in wording, phrasing, or meaning. 4 Suitable interviewees are those who are extremely comfortable with the written word, naturally highly articulate in textual form, enjoy the e-mail medium, and are engaged, involved, and willing to maintain consistency of interaction for a sustained period of time. Successful series-interviews also in part depend on a rapport being established. It seems to appear that for suitable interviewees of the interview-series, this method may be more satisfying than the single interview, enabling them to represent their views more thoroughly and holistically. 5 There are some excellent women writers resident in India, such as Kavery Nambisan, K.R. Usha, Anuradha Roy, some of whom have been writing literature in English for a while, but whose excellent social realism fiction is still relatively little known outside India.