LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 16:5 May 2016
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
         Renuga Devi, Ph.D.
         Soibam Rebika Devi, M.Sc., Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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In Search of Identity & Freedom:
A Critical Study of Mordecai Richler’s Son of a Smaller Hero and Anita Desai’s Cry the Peacock

Shyjee. P. V. and Dr. P. Selvam

Abstract

Mordecai Richler is a native Canadian writer. His second novel Son of a Smaller Hero deals with Noah who tries to reject members of the family whom he resembles physically but not psychologically to find himself he see through them and replace their false values with his own definite values. Cry the Peacock is Anita Desai’s first novel, it explores the inner world of Maya and demonstrates her fear insecurity and strange behavior. Through her, she depicts a world of alienation, loneliness and suffering. Noah and Maya strive to escape from the tradition. Maya’s husband Gautama represents the voice of patriarchy while Noah’s grandfather Melech represents pluralism who strives to retain the Jewish culture in a foreign country, Canada. This paper focuses on the change in the identity of a character when they strive to move away from the traditional concept.

Keywords: Identity crisis, pluralism, alienation, Mordecai Richler, Son of a Smaller Hero, Anita Desai, Cry the Peacock

Noah’s Problems

This paper focuses on the identity of the character Noah in Richler’s Son of a Smaller Hero. Noah’s search for freedom was ignited because he lacked the love by his family and society due to his habit of drinking. Alcohol is unacceptable in Jewish society. The problem of alcoholism is not only a personal problem; rather it disturbs their whole society. He was considered to be a black mark on their family Noah was hurt by hearing the conversation, “If you do things like that you will grow up like Noah” (SH 33). His isolation increased when “At weddings and barmitzahs voices where lowered when Noah joined the group” (SH 33) it is always the strange rules of the family that forced Noah to seek freedom. The family member could ask him “C’mon, have a drink” (SH 33). They didn’t drink with him but watched approvingly. He offered to take their children to the circus or for walks on the mountain. They declined “What? A guy who drinks like you’’(SH 33). Noah feels lost in his own family “I am sorry I think its freedom that I want. I – I no longer have any rules to refer to the way u had’’. Noah reveals to Melech that rather than the Jewish concept his relation is based on money. When Melech remarks that “I wanted you to be somebody. Something. Something not like them. All there is for them is money.” “But, Zeyda, if money doesn’t worry you, why don’t u make my father a partner” (SH 34,35). Noah in this way makes clear to Melech that his attitude was money minded.

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

Shyjee. P. V.
Ph.D. Research Scholar
Post-Graduate & Research Department of English
Government Arts College
Coimbatore
Tamilnadu
India
shyjee.jogy@gmail.com

Dr. P. Selvam
Research Guide
Post-Graduate & Research Department of English
Government Arts College
Coimbatore
Tamilnadu
India
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