Journal of Teaching and Research in English Literature

Editorial

Shaila Mahan — 2024-07-01

Gendered Dynamics of Violence during Partition: A Study of Urvashi Butalia’s The Other Side of Silence

Sowmya Gulati — 2024-07-01

Characterised by widespread violence, mass migration, displacement and trauma, the Partition of India in 1947 remains to be one of the most tumultuous events in history. Through an analysis of Urvashi Butalia’s The Other Side of Silence, this paper aims to unravel the unending echoes of trauma and violence that reverberate through the narratives of women who witnessed and survived through the catastrophic events of Partition. It throws light on the role patriarchal structures and ideologies play in perpetuating violence. By centring the experiences of women within a historical context, this study aims to investigate how gendered violence, in the name of religious and national pride, took place during the Partition of India for the creation of Pakistan.

Examining the Dialectics of Belonging within Subaltern Counterpublics in Bijoya Sawian’s Shadow Men

PF John Bosco — 2024-07-01

Amidst the pressing need to reconstruct the traditional socio-political structure, the native population’s persistent fears of losing their indigenous cultural heritage and manifestations of xenophobic politics become more evident in unprecedented ways. The conceptual gap, in this situation, between the prevailing state power and “excluded” subjects typically gives rise to “subaltern counterpublics” with countercultural values. In subaltern counterpublics, the dominance of congruent ideologies recreates the separation between the controlled and dominating classes inside the same public sphere, even when the participants are members of the marginalised group in the discursive formation process. Within subaltern communities, class consciousness, hegemony, and subalternity are pervasive at the micro-level, characterized by multipolarity, fragmentation, and divergence. This opposition extends even to totalitarian tendencies, including within the “subaltern itself” (Malik 37). This paper aims to examine the dialectics of belonging within subaltern counterpublics in the context of Meghalaya’s insider-outsider discourse by highlighting this crucial location of intra-subaltern conflicts. For this purpose, Bijoya Sawian’s novel Shadow Men is used to examine how the insider-outsider binary can be used as an ideology by the elites to further their own interests within the subaltern group. It also attempts to explore how the elites’ anti-egalitarian ethos inside subaltern counterpublics manipulates subaltern politics itself while, on the other hand, the inclusive approach of the “non-conformist” subaltern postcolonial subjects occasionally appears to dispute and reassess the very basic ideas of subaltern counterpublics.

Gujarati Literary Periodicals: A Historiographic Study

Ujas Pandya — 2024-07-01

A historical examination of Gujarati literary magazines is the focus of this paper. More than 168 years have passed since the first Gujarati literary magazine was published. It has been over a century since the first Gujarati literary magazine was published, but it continues to expand and adapt to today's digital world. Gujarati's literary magazines shine the brightest amid their rumoured demise in the digital world. Since Gujarati literature spans several eras, the present paper looks at multiple avenues of the evolution of the most prominent Gujarati magazines. Because of their long history of publication (over 168 years), literary magazines in Gujarati represent the current state of knowledge and public interest in the Gujarati language, literature, and culture. However, as do the ideas that guide the development of art and literature in any given period, these elements change over time. We can better understand the characteristics of any literary magazine by dividing these magazines into different eras and their influence over society in that particular period. Within several eras of Gujarati literature, this study examines the numerous typical Gujarati magazines, their qualities, and their contribution to developing literature and society.

Patriarchal Problems and the Concept of Independent Woman in Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters

S. Kanagarasu — 2024-07-01

This article aims to analyse the portrayal of the "new woman" in Kapur's book, addressing the intricacy of life, diverse historical backgrounds, cultures, and value systems in a socio-cultural context. Kapur's writings reflect the hardships and unjust treatment faced by women in remote communities, experiencing discrimination and prejudice under the influence of patriarchal subjugation. Her works depict the emergence of a new era for women, characterized by liberation and empowerment, where they strive to define their own-self. Kapur in her works, also illustrate the plight of women and their subjugation, emphasizing their marginalization in terms of rights. The female heroines in Manju Kapur's works are typically well-educated with great fortitude but find themselves confined by traditional cultural constraints. Their education fosters independent thought, making their family and society unbearable. Consequently, they engage in a personal battles against family and society, dedicating themselves to the pursuit of a distinct identity as accomplished women.

From ‘Fair’ to ‘Glow’: A Discourse Analysis of Commercial Beauty Advertisements in India

Akansha Narayan — 2024-07-01

This paper presents a discourse analysis of commercial beauty advertisements in India, focusing on the linguistic strategies employed to construct and perpetuate beauty standards. Through critical examination of advertisements from brands like Lakme and Garnier, the study unveils the intricate interplay of language, power dynamics, and societal norms in shaping perceptions of beauty. Using discourse analysis and drawing on Fairclough's framework of critical discourse analysis, the analysis discusses how advertisers strategically use language to sell not just products, but also an idealized image of beauty deeply entrenched in patriarchal values and racial biases. By deconstructing the language and imagery in these advertisements, the study aims to disgruntle the idea of beauty levied by the advertisers and at the same time understand the linguistic strategies used by the advertisers to sell their products.