Research Article | Open Access
Denial of Selfhood in Kavita Kane’s select novels
S.Aishwarya
Pages: 151-155
Abstract
This paper throws light on the denial of one’s own right based on patriarchal impositions levied on women of all ages. Even epic heroines have been voiceless because of the social conventions set by the male dominated society. The prolific writer Kavita Kane has skillfully portrayed the intricate details of the Indian Epics The Ramayana and The Mahabharata by retelling the story from perspectives of unvoiced characters like Urmila, Menaka, Surpanaka and Satyavati. These epic characters are treated inferior for being born as women and subjugated for violence based on gender discrimination, caste consciousness and hegemonic oppression which prevail in our society. Through the concept of recontextualizing the ancient literary artifacts, recent mythology writers like Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Amish Tripathi, Anand Neelakanten, Kavita Kane recreate the marginalized characters in epics to reiterate about the quest for identity. Through the lens of revisionism, writers have brought out the plight of women, battling not only for justice but for establishing their dignity. Emotions of a woman are suppressed under the banner of racial prejudices and inequality. Using mythology as a background, Kane elucidates the journey of women protagonists who manipulate to pave a new way for themselves in this male supremacy world.
Keywords
Selfhood,Identity Crisis, Marginalization,Victim,Caste-consciousness,Patriarchy.