Folklore: Fabricating Womanhood in the Works of Vijaydan Detha

Authors

  • Reena Kumari Assistant Professor, Department of English, Government Girls College Baran

Keywords:

Vijaydan Detha, womanhood, feminist components, patriarchal system

Abstract

Folktales are an important part of cultural legacy and serve as a realistic reflection of that society. These tales are considered as a treasure trove of a community’s collective memory and passed down through generations by word of mouth. Folktales portray the customs that are typical of a certain society. Vijaydan Detha is one of the regional writers who present a panorama of mediaeval Rajasthani culture by providing insights into the social, political and economic practices of the past which continue to influence contemporary culture, shaping cultural heritage and fostering a sense of shared identity among communities. His folk stories have universal as well as regional qualities as his Batan ri Phulwari (A Garden of Stories) which was published between the years 1960 and 1975 in a total of fourteen volumes, emerges with some specific themes related to feminism and the paper throws light on the dreams and dilemmas of women. In a societal structure that is hierarchical, men are in charge of establishing the rules and laws that govern society. In his several collections of short tales, Vijaydan Detha explores the hopes and predicaments that her female protagonists face. A spark of women's assertion can be seen directly in Detha's folk stories, women characters from every caste and class of Rajasthani society are described by him with great attention to detail, and he has tied the tales to the contemporary world in a number of different ways.

Author Biography

Reena Kumari, Assistant Professor, Department of English, Government Girls College Baran

Mrs. Reena Kumari is an Assistant Professor in the Department of English at Government Girls College, Baran. Her career began in 2007 as a Grade- III teacher, selected by RPSC. Over the years, she has held significant teaching roles, including Senior Teacher, School Lecturer, and Lecturer in the Technical Education Department. In 2019, she was appointed Assistant Professor by RPSC, marking a remarkable 17-year journey of dedicated service in education. She has qualified both NET and SLET in 2012. Mrs. Reena has actively contributed to academia by presenting papers at national and international conferences and publishing extensively in reputed journals. Her passion for teaching and scholarship continues to inspire students and peers alike. Her areas of interest are—Indian writing in English and American Literature.

References

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Detha, Vijaydan. Batan Ri Phulwari. Vols. 1–14, 1960–1975.

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Ramamoorthi, P. “My Life Is My Own: A Study of Shashi Deshpande’s Women.” Feminism and Recent Fiction in English, edited by Sushila Singh, Prestige Books, 1991.

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Singh, Vijaymohan. Chhabbis Kahaniyan Vijaydan Detha. Vaani Prakashan, 2011.

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Published

01.01.2019

How to Cite

Kumari, R. (2019). Folklore: Fabricating Womanhood in the Works of Vijaydan Detha. Journal of Teaching and Research in English Literature, 10(1), 32–38. Retrieved from https://journals.eltai.in/index.php/jtrel/article/view/JTREL100106

Issue

Vol. 10 No. 1 (2019): January

Section

Research Articles

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