LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 20:3 March 2020
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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A Comparative Study of Alice Walker’s The Color Purple and Anita Desai’s Fasting Feasting with Bildungsroman Theory

Dr. (Mrs.) Veeramankai Stalina Yogaratnam, M.A., B.Ed., Ph.D.

Abstract

Anita Desai and Alice Walker are extensively acclaimed novelists to emerge in the literary horizon of twentieth century. These two writers have the common trait in their novels, though they hail from different continents. All the protagonists grow psychologically in the novels and in their lives. In the beginning, the women characters are innocent, psychologically weak and immature. Though they hail from different geographical regions an Indian, and an African American, they are interested in women and have focused on major female characters in their novels. In a broad sense, gender inequality is a complex issue. The question of how women and men and in between genders are constructed is a matter of much dispute. In the present paper, it is an attempt made to study the gender and women issues as focus on the gender bias which has become a part of our life.

Anita Desai is often considered to be the representative Indian Woman Novelist in English, who has made a considerable patriarchal society. Alice Walker, the most notable female writer in the world of African American literature today discuss different issues like racism, sexism, classism and child abuse etc. She delineates the humiliation, exploitation and marginalization of the blacks in general and black women in particular.

The present paper investigates into the theme of sexual overtones and gender inequality in Anita Desai’s Fasting Feasting and Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Later on, we could note the growth in these characters when the novel progresses by undergoing many sufferings in their life. Environment, situations, problems and oppression all these elements make them strong psychologically which are related to the theory of Bildungsroman. The main characteristic of bildungsroman is to shape the person intellectually, spiritually through the experiences of the world.

I propose to make a comparative study here on two women writers of feministic views who focus on class, gender, sex, alienation and women psyche. When we try to find out origin of gender inequality and women’s oppression, we must understand that gender and sex are two different concepts. However, when we go through various data available about gender equality and discrimination, we will find that women are far behind than men in various fields of life. On the other hand, women are exploited, degraded, violated and discriminated in their homes and outside world. This type of discrimination is easily seen in Indian and African American society.

Keywords: Alice Walker, The Color Purple, Anita Desai, Fasting Feasting, Bildungsroman Theory, Gender Inequality, Discrimination, Patriarchal Society, Sexual Overtones, Women Oppression.

Introduction

The theory of Bildungsroman represents women protagonists in their novels. The Bildungsroman is identified in the works of two women novelists of two continents. This theory builds up a character from adolescence to a sensible matured being. Self enduring, self-sacrificing women change themselves into a matured personality based on the situations and complications of their sufferings. The main characteristic of bildungsroman is to shape the person intellectually, spiritually through the experiences of the world.

The Harlem Renaissance denoted a defining point for African American literature. Before this time, books by African Americans were essentially pursued by other Black people. With the Renaissance, though, African American literature as well as black fine art and a performance art began to absorb into mainstream American culture. Major Harlemite of the period are Claude Mckay, Zora Neale Hurston, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Gayl Jones, Rasheed Clark, Ishmael Reed, Jamaica Kincaid, John Edgar Wideman, David Antony Durham, Tayari Jones, Mat Jonson and Colson Whitehead. Theoretically African literature comprehends the interconnectedness of race, class, sex, oppression. Subsequently it understands that there are White men and women, and definitely Black people who try to topple structures of their societies.

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

Dr. (Mrs.) Veeramankai Stalina Yogaratnam, M.A., B.Ed., Ph.D.
Senior Lecturer in English Literature
Department of Linguistics and English, University of Jaffna, Sri Lanka
yoharatnam7@gmail.com
Mobile No: 0094758373921, 0094779469547, 00919840403638
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