Generations of Despair: Theocracy, Masculinity and Patriarchy as Reflected in Kirwant

Abstract

Patriarchy, when held as one of the highest forms of virtues or universalised truth of society subjugates women, children, and particularly men. ‘Kirwant’ compels an observation of quintessential Indian men, their children, and women within one such system. Originally published in Marathi, it voices exploitation of the kirwants, brahmin-subcaste. Their suffering remains a cyclical phenomenon under a theocratic structure.  The burden of legacy in the masculine-patriarchal framework remains as much of an issue as the broadly elaborated caste context. This probe into the masculine values of Kirwant’s theocratic society is undertaken through the text’s close analysis. The textual data signifies the imposition of patriarchal norms as the cause of despair for many generations. Additionally, it seeks to explain how the lead male characters were at stake in the hands of patriarchy regardless of being male themselves. The paper explores Indian society’s socio-cultural aspects of the lives of kirwants as reflected in Gajvee’s drama.