LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 19:12 December 2019
ISSN 1930-2940

Editors:
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         T. Deivasigamani, Ph.D.
         Pammi Pavan Kumar, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.

Managing Editor & Publisher: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.

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Revisionist Mythmaking in Varsha Adalja’s Mandodari

Manvi Sharma, M.A. English, UGC-NET

Abstract

The patriarchal and male-centred discourse of mythology has been a matter of concern for the revisionist feminist writers. Therefore, they revisit and re-read patriarchal myths and thus sensitively portray the awakened women protagonists, who through their resistance, and self assertion, deconstruct their “The Angel in the House”, victim or mute observer identity. Revision of myths is thus an attempt to erase the misinterpretation of female identity that the myths continue to provide and propagate.

This paper seeks to examine how the feminist revisionary framework in Varsha Adalja’s Mandodari brings to light, the women protagonists’ struggle, and capacity for intense ambition, freedom and anger, regarding which the epics are silent. Playwrights represent the protagonists as women of immense knowledge and intelligence, who seek their revenge from the patriarchal set-up, through exertion of personal will. Through this process of revision, the playwrights challenge and effectively deconstruct the mute-observer and pativrata image of the mythical women and help them establish and gain their own voice.

Keywords: Varsha Adalja, Mandodari, Feminist-Revisionist, Mythmaking

Research Objective

The Objective of the present study is to critically analyse the English translation of Mandodari by Varsha Adalja. The play depicts revisionist mythmaking which Indian playwrights have adopted to provide agency to the mythical women character, Mandodari, who has been rendered voiceless since ages.

Further, this paper aims to analyse how the redefining of the female protagonist’s image lends more stage space to women and helps them demonstrate their ambition, power, self-reliance and resistance against the patriarchal mythological set-up. The play vehemently creates a character who defies dominant ideologies and resists the impositions, thus effectively deconstructing the voiceless-observer identity, which myths lend to her.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Manvi

Manvi Sharma
M.A. English (SMVD University, Katra, Jammu and Kashmir)
UGC-NET (2018, 2019)
manvi.sharma4779@gmail.com
Phone no 7006963524
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