Languages, Literature And Culture - Research Publications
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Item Ecocritical Study of Kalidasa’s Lyrics and Selected Poems of William Wordsworth(Central University of Punjab, 2018) Yeshpal; Kaur, ZameerpalThe present thesis is based on an Ecocritical analysis of the selected poems of Kalidasa and Wordsworth from a comparative perspective. The main focus of the thesis is to explore the ecological consciousness and aesthetics as manifested in the selected texts; further, the thesis endeavors to construct the organic relationship depicted between the natural world and human culture in both the poets. The thesis traces the evolution of Ecocriticism over the time; different issues of ecocriticism such as ecology, deep ecology, social ecology, romantic ecology, wilderness, and environmental aesthetics, are likewise investigated in the selected texts. The thesis through the study of the selected works of both the writers tries to show how both the writers envision an idealistic view of life which would empower humans to achieve maximum synchronization and interdependence with their natural or physical environment. Kalidasa represented the Hindu way of life in ancient India; his works mirror the socio-cultural milieu of the ancient India, and a system of shared moral and ethical values towards Nature can be gleaned from his works. In the poetry of Kalidasa, Nature is cherished with a profound spiritual passion; for him, Nature speaks to divine balance, divine music, and heavenly harmony. Kalidasa doesn’t merely use nature as an idealised setting for his works but endows it with living attributes and v a personality of its own. While Wordsworth may represent a cloud, Kalidasa sees the cloud in Meghaduta as having a fully developed consciousness; both the poets invalidate the idea of customary anthropocentrism and support ecocentrism. Wordsworth believes that man is a part of nature and nature is a holistic living organism; he believes in the equality of the natural and the human world, the former is not subservient to the latter. Wordsworth considers it indispensable to have an ethical attitude of humility and the reverence to reestablish the severed connections between humans and the natural habitat. Thus, both Kalidasa and Wordsworth can be seen as eco-spiritual poet-thinkers, remarkable for their ecological consciousness and aesthetics, and could be considered precursors of the present-day environmentalists, and ecologists.Item The Construction of the Mythical Subject in PostColonial Context: A Study of Select Indian Plays(Central University of Punjab, 2019) Chandel, Priyanka; Saini, AlpnaThe dramatic foundations of postcolonial Indian dramatists are based on the assimilation of colonial dramaturgical practices into the native dramaturgical traditions which have created a new hybrid space. Earlier the native cultural narratives were used to propagate the hegemonic dominance, but now they have been decentered in such a way that they have paved a way to a unique construction of postcolonial subjectivity. The postcolonial writers translate the native myths and incorporate them in the texts through hybridised language and an entirely new perspective and hence, shift the marginalised colonial subjectivities with the unique postcolonial hybrid subjectivities. The postcolonial playwrights incorporate themes such as the existential interrogations and encounters of postcolonial human, fragmentation, hybridity, disillusionment, isolation, the quest for identity, gender issues, philosophical dualism, and construction of subjectivity. The introduction of pre-colonial past in the forms of aboriginal presentation like rituals, myths, folktales, history, music, songs, dance, local settings, and oral style of storytelling, prove to be effective strategies in restructuring the leading practices of western dramaturgy. They have also assimilated in their works the traditions of some of the famous proponents of modern theatres, such as Samuel Beckett, Bertolt Brecht, and Jerzy Growtowski, etc. The translation of the native texts is also used as a technique to construct a new postcolonial subjectivity and the language used for the translation of native texts is an exclusive new form of nativised language, which is neither a western mimetic form nor a completely native one, but an amalgam of both. Thus, the iv postcolonial playwrights have neither applauded nor judged the native myths, but they have explored the consequences of unyielding codes imposed by culture. Thus, an original, hybrid postcolonial subjectivity, based on the interplay of gender, myth, language, and culture emerges through an exploration of the selected texts.Item The Subaltern Speaks: The Construction of Marginal Identities in Selected Films on Partition of India(Central University of Punjab, 2018) Singh, Barjinder; Saini, AlpnaRecognising the excruciating pain and trauma the Partition of India has caused to the lives of the millions of people in the Indian sub-continent, the present thesis embarks on to study a hitherto unexplored area concerning Partition studies, e.g., construction of marginal identities in Partition films. The present thesis contends that the selected Partition films— that I taxonomise as Subaltern Partition Cinema—as a distinct voice from the mainstream Bollywood cinema, depict Partition history in a radically different way than that of the official, colonialist and nationalist historiographies, giving voice to the subalterns of Indian Partition; like women, Dalits, minorities, and refugees. Taking Rosenstone’s views on the relationship between film and history as a springboard, it considers cinema as a significant medium to engage with Partition history, and attempts to foreground how cinematic narratives and practices can be vital resources for rethinking Partition history. Subaltern Studies’ methodology has been used to demarginalise the subaltern experience in the selected film texts; an attempt is made to study the structure and dynamics of film language concerned with the representations of history, memory, violence (abduction, rape, killing), in the selected films. The methodology of the research work involves an in-depth mise-en-scene analysis and other formal aspects of film semiotics wherever possible. The thesis attempts to retrieve the subaltern historiography of Partition of India as it emerges from the selected films; v further, to see such subaltern revisionings of history as alternative forms of history and as counter-narratives to the perspectives of mainstream history. The analysis of the sufferings of the subaltern identities as portrayed in the selected films entails a critique of the communal nationalisms in South Asia. The post-Partition Hindi cinema can be seen as a site of cinematic heterotopia to dispel the dominant nationalistic perceptions about 1947 perpetuated by the conflicting terrains of the elite nationalist histories of the two nation-states. The study of the representations of history in the films like Gandhi and Jinnah points out the highly discursive nature of Partition history as well as cinema’s potential in the promotion as well as destabilisation of the received history. The study also points out how the refugee experience in the cinema of Ritwik Ghatak can be seen as a cinematic displacement of his latent angst against the idea that the East Bengal and the West Bengal constitute two different cultural or national identities and could be divided on the basis of religion. Partition films should not be seen as capturing the exact picture of the past that must be faithful to the contemporary reality. But these films must also be considered as creative reconstructions, constructions or deconstructions of the past to the extent the specificities of the medium allow.Item Exploring Dalit Experiences: A Comparative Study of the Autobiographical Narratives of Balbir Madhopuri, Tulsi Ram, Sharankumar Limbale and Siddalingaiah(Central University of Punjab, 2018) Gora, Devendra Kumar; Sen, Rajinder KumarDalits have been regarded and perceived inferior and substandard within the wisely constructed hierarchical society in which caste controls the behaviour pattern of the subjects. This research tries to explore the marginalisation, oppression, and exploitation of Dalits in Indian social set-up by undertaking the comparative analysis of autobiographical narratives of Balbir Madhopuri, Tulsi Ram, Sharankumar Limbale and Siddalingaiah. The selected four writers represent contemporary Dalits of the different geographical locations Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka respectively. Being the representative of Dalits, these authors deal with the cause of Dalits in their literary creations. They voice against the victimisation of subjugated Dalits into the diverse socio-cultural locations. The research interrogates social and cultural norms in different episodes of selected autobiographies and use the personal experience of writers to expose the discrimination and subjugation of Dalits. A thematic approach from Dalit perspective has been adopted for this study. The research probe into the positioning of Dalits in hierarchical structure and how the basic rights are violated. The study comprehensively exhibits the effort of the writers to create new space using education as the mean for upward mobility.Item REPRESENTATION OF DALIT VOICES IN LITERATURE: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SHORT STORIES OF OMPRAKASH VALMIKI AND S. R. HARNOT(Central University of Punjab, 2018) Chitra; Sen, Rajinder KumarMarginalisation of Dalits denotes their wretched conditions in the Indian society. They are socio-economic-cultural and politically exploited for ages. After many years of independence, they are still facing discrimination and untouchability. Every human being has right to entertain their Human Rights freely but the Human Rights of Dalits are also violated. Dalit discourse voices the humiliated and stigmatised experiences of the underprivileged. They are fighting for survival in the society and trying to claim their rights. This research examines the attempt of Dalits in constructing an identity under the influence of education. By exposing exploitation, suppression, human rights violation and assertion of Dalits have been critically expressed in this research work by focusing on the short stories of Omprakash Valmiki and S. R. Harnot. Apparently, both writers belong to different geographical locations, both revealed and exposed the present scenario of Dalits in their literary works bluntly. The primary objective of this research work is to understand how they are facing and fighting with their caste based identity and how they are trying to overcome from their situations, this work raises question regarding ages long suppression of Dalits and also tries to locate some suggestions to the problems of Dalits.Item VIOLENCE AS A PSYCHO-SOCIAL DISCOURSE IN WOMEN’S WRITING: A STUDY OF SELECTED WRITINGS OF TEHMINA DURRANI, MEENA ALEXANDER AND ANITA NAIR(Central University of Punjab, 2018) Kaur, Manpreet; Saini, AlpnaThe present research work entitled “Violence as a Psycho social Discourse in Women’s Writing: A Study of Selected Writings of Tehmina Durrani, Meena Alexander and Anita Nair” attempts to explore the theme of violence in selected women’s writing. It focuses on the psycho-social discourse constructed through the theme of violence in selected writings. All the three writers selected for the study are recognisable contemporary women writers writing in different parts of the world, deal with the exploration of the implications of physical, psychological, cultural, economic, political, and communal tendencies of violence with special reference to its manipulation in a woman’s life. The basis of this research project is to understand the implications of this multi-dimensional term in a woman’s life. The attempt was to analyse the underlining ideologies and beliefs responsible for constructing gender identities through manifestation of violence. Study of selected texts foregrounds the diverse subtle forms of violence with the help of theoretical insights by Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, Michel Foucault, Mahatma Gandhi, Rene Girard, Slavoz Zizek and Frantz Fanon. The present thesis is organised into five chapters. The first chapter deals with manifestations of violence and its associations with various discourses. Further it focuses on critically examining the complex and subtle association of violence with patriarchy, justice and power. The introductory chapter foregrounds the history of women writing which depicts violence and survey of the work done previously. Second chapter examines the various dimensions of violence, i. e, physical, sexual, psychological, and communal violence in the selected texts. The third chapter studies the depiction of social, cultural, economic, political and religious discourses responsible for constructing an individualistic identity of a woman despite of their socio-cultural and political locations. The fourth chapter brings forth the making of woman through subjectivity. The woman when subjected to violence, alienation, and identity crisis gives rise to consciousness and rationality and this subjectivity crafts the woman. The conclusion of the thesis tries to bring forth how the theme of violence works as a psycho-social discourse in women’s writings with special reference to the selected writings of Tehmina Durrani, Meena Alexander and Anita Nair. The iv writings of three authors from varied socio-cultural backgrounds help us to understand the transformation of subjected women from complaint to rebellious for asserting their position in the patriarchal societies.Item VOICING THE SILENCES: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE SELECTED SHORT STORIES OF BHARATI MUKHERJEE AND BUSHRA EJAZ(Central University of Punjab, 2018) KAUR, SHYAMKIRAN; Sen, Rajinder KumarWomen have been viewed and perceived within the constructed patriarchal structure of gender difference. The present research work tries to probe into the silences, subordination and voices of the Third World women in the Eastern and the Western world by undertaking a comparative study of the selected short stories of Bharati Mukherjee and Bushra Ejaz by using feminism as a theoretical framework. The selected short fiction taken for this research work includes Mukherjee’s Darkness (1985) and The Middleman and Other Stories (1988) and translated short stories of Bushra Ejaz, Selected Short Stories of Bushra Ejaz (2010), which are from her collections Barah Anne ki Aurat (1994), Aaj ki Sheharzad (2005). Mukherjee and Ejaz are representatives of contemporary women of India and Pakistan respectively. The selected writers are from diverse socio-cultural locations but what joins them is their dissent against the social and cultural construction of gender. Both of the authors can also be regarded as feminists because they express their rebellion by constructing a variety of adversarial stratagems against the patriarchal culture in their creations. The comparative study leads us to a comprehensive exploration of these writers understanding of the subordinated position of women, their struggle to assert their voice and their audacious efforts to propose new patterns of feminine existence. The selected writers, through their literary creations, try to create a space for the Indian immigrant and Pakistani women that throws a definite challenge to the masculine tyranny. The study also raises questions by dealing with serious and clandestine matters of women. Thereby, their literary creations can be commended as the voice of the women world. The research work depicts the positive role of Indian-American, and Pakistani writers in the on-going conflict of establishing female selfhood. By comparing the selected writers and their selected works, the study contributes to the spectrum of Comparative Literature.Item Negotiations between History and Fiction: New Historicist Readings of Shauna Singh Baldwin’s What the Body Remembers and Anita Rau Badami’s Can You Hear the Nightbird Call?(Central University of Punjab, 2018) Bansal, Tania; Saini, AlpnaThis thesis is an attempt to negotiate between history and fiction with regard to new historicist readings of Shauna Singh Baldwin’s What the Body Remembers and Anita Rau Badami’s Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? It delves, into four historical incidents namely Komagata Maru (1914), Partition of India (1947), Operation Blue Star (1984), and Air India Flight 182 Bombing (1985), through a parallel study of nonfiction and fiction as these form the background subject of the novels taken for study. All these issues, as referred to in the twentieth century, highlight Sikh community with regards to colonialism and diasporic ethnic group politics in the concerned period. An analysis has been done to show the hardships suffered by women at the altar of patriarchy and the turbulences suffered by the Sikh community in general under the said four incidents. Racist incidents have also been included. These incidents as shown by the authors have gone a long way in fiction to negotiate with history. The theory of new historicism has been used with regard to an analysis of power paradigms contributing in re-fashioning the identity of characters in the said novels through varied discourses floating in the society in the chapters of the thesis.Item Articulating Marginalised Identities of Women: A Critique of the Selected Novels of Shashi Deshpande and Toni Morrison(Central University of Punjab, 2016) Pahuja, Poonam; Sen, Rajinder KumarItem Vocalising the Concerns of South Asian Women: A Gynocentric Critique of the Novels of Bapsi Sidhwa(Public Knowledge Project, 2015) Singh, BarjinderThe present paper through a study of the selected novels of Bapsi Sidhwa tries to vocalise the nature of the subjection of women in postcolonial South Asia, a space marked by a history of gender based violence or exploitation, sexual stereotyping, and gender roles. Bapsi Sidhwa through her novels tries to combat this attitude of society towards women. Sidhwa presents a gynocentric critique of the South Asian society in her novels. Most of her fictional work is devoted to the analysis and dissection of the structures of traditional patriarchal cultures, as well as the colonial or nationalistic endeavours that collude to subjugate women in the postcolonial South Asia.