Journal of Teaching and Research in English Literature

Editorial

Nishevita Jayendran — 2024-10-01

The Omnipresent Time and Space in Joyce Carol Oates’s The Wheel of Love & Other Stories

Shalini Bhargava — 2024-10-01

Joyce Carol Oates, in The Wheel of Love and Other Stories, has depicted the varied nature of love omnipresent in the chaotic times and aptly placed in the prevailing spatial dimensions of the women living in the threatening world around. Love has been presented with different approaches as well as varied forms and visions reflecting the upheaval of the times. The movement of characters back and forth in time and space brings forth the mental dilemmas and adds to the beauty of the stories in this collection. Her characters keep fighting the terrifying battle against time in their quest for attention but are obsessed with the events in their life and are unable to emerge from their past experiences and cravings which haunt them perpetually. The concept of Time and space in literature and its infinite nature has always intrigued the writers and the relative aspects have been a part of various literary studies. The literary text that is situated in a particular time depicts that period and also reflects certain aspects of space related to it which can be real or virtual. The paper examines the temporal and spatial aspects represented in the stories in the short story collection, The Wheel of Love by Joyce Carol Oates.

Analyzing Third World Urbanization through Selected Texts from Contemporary Indian Literature

Tirna Sadhu — 2024-10-01

Urbanization is more than a modern phenomenon, it is a quick and historic transformation of one’s social roots on a global scale, so much so that an individual’s rural culture gets almost permanently replaced by urban culture. The present paper discusses how the intimate relationships and communal behaviour of the native culture have been overshadowed by the unfamiliar relations and competitive behaviour of the city culture. The ongoing argument can be contextualized in the poems of A. K. Ramanujan, and the novels of Khushwant Singh, Manohar Malgonkar, Amitav Ghosh, and Vikas Swarup. The paper shall discuss the proliferation of the slum culture, the irrevocable degradation of one’s value system, and the apathetic marginalization and embarrassment of refugees, immigrants, and women. There shall be implications about class struggle, alienation, and physical punishment, which have burdened our choice of survival and existence.

The Muted Voice: Marriage as a Continuum of Desire, Discontent and Despair in “The Old Playhouse” by Kamala Das

Meenakshi. R — 2024-10-01

Earning the reputation of India’s best-known writer, Kamala Das is celebrated and remembered for her undaunted expression of the female psyche. She has ventured deep into the sensitive spaces of women’s psychology and voiced the complex nuances of thoughts and the tabooed feelings and sentiments hitherto denied to women. Popularly acclaimed as a confessional poet, she has boldly divulged the often restricted and unuttered aspects of carnal pleasure and pain both in and beyond the confines of conjugal life. The present paper focuses on her work, “The Old Playhouse” and is purposed to examine the conception of power that prevails in the male spouse in the domestic sphere of the Indian household. The study applies the lens of feminism and reveals the docility of the female body as an influence of societal and cultural norms in tune with patriarchy. The findings reveal the ongoing continuum of desire, dissatisfaction, and despair experienced by women in matrimony.

Beyond Language: The Role of Silence, Gesture, and Atmosphere in Fosse's Dramatic Works

Brijesh Kumar Meena — 2024-10-01

This paper examines the distinctive elements of Jon Fosse’s theatrical style, shaped by his profound literary, theatrical, and philosophical background. He uses certain forms of silence and gestures as a weapon in his dramas. Taking inspiration from the Theater of the Absurd, he sought to liberate and experiment with language. Fosse uses silence, gesture, and atmosphere to craft unique dramatic experiences. Silence in Fosse's works transcends dialogue, engaging the audience with underlying emotions. Subtle gestures convey unspoken thoughts, while minimalist settings and evocative language create an immersive atmosphere. This exploration positions Fosse alongside modernist figures like Samuel Beckett, highlighting his commitment to exploring human experience and redefining contemporary theatre and literature. Through innovative techniques, Fosse invites audiences to find profound meaning in the ordinary, solidifying his legacy in modern drama.

Colonial Legacies and Tribal Women’s Identity: An Intersectional Analysis of Kailash Sharma’s Anami Nagini

Abhijita Bordoloi — 2024-10-01

The issue of tribal identity in India is complex, particularly when viewed in the context of the national identity, which emerged from anti-colonial struggles. Historically, tribal communities lived self-sufficiently, outside the mainstream Indian social structure and were excluded by the varna system as “avarna”. As Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak points out, tribes are considered a part of the subaltern, and are among marginalized groups outside hegemonic power structures. Tribal women, facing dual subjugation as both tribal and female, experience a unique form of intersectional oppression not fully addressed by the concept of Brahmanical patriarchy, which focuses on class, caste, and gender within the Hindu caste system. This study examines the identity of tribal women through the novel, Anami Nagini by Kailash Sarma. By analysing the intersection of gender, ethnicity, culture, and socio-economic factors, the study aims to highlight the distinct experiences and challenges faced by tribal women in a patriarchal society. It explores the diverse ways that patriarchal powers garner control over the formation of their identity.