Women, from time immemorial, are always considered subservient to men, and they have remained at ... more Women, from time immemorial, are always considered subservient to men, and they have remained at the disposal of the head of the family, the father. They are denied their basic human rights and the ‘biological control over their bodies’ as woman is the sexual property of her family and at the same time her body is negotiated for sustaining family honour. The female body is subjected to regulation and control in order to achieve the intended docility, a process through which power is dissociated from the body. The guardianship of women’s bodies make men proud possessor of property rights as well as self-acclaimed protector from their enemies. The body of the woman is the site for contesting where men can take revenge upon other men by violating her sexuality, thus, taking revenge on her‘owner.’ Usha Ganguly’s play, Hum Mukhtara, an adaptation of Mukhtar Mai’s sensational and inspirational autobiography,In the Name of Honor: A Memoir, registers the protest of a victim of an institution sanctioned gang rape who later became one of the foremost figures of women empowerment in one of the most hostile countries for women in the world, Pakistan. Although the play brings out the inhuman brutality of the patriarchal society, it is a play of hope and inspiration as the protagonist emerges victorious by transcending the notions of ‘izzat’ (honour) and stigma to fight back against her tormentors, turning her docile body into a site of resistance. The present paper seeks to interrogate Usha Ganguly’s use of the theatrical space in the play to protest against the materialisation and objectification of female body by advocating forcefully for the empowerment of women and emancipation from their bodily constrictions. KEYWORDS: Body; power; feminist representation of rape; docility; protest
History is "a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending ... more History is "a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and the past" (E. H. Carr 35)
The story, "The woman and the Snake", originally titled "Nari o Nagini", explores the intricacies... more The story, "The woman and the Snake", originally titled "Nari o Nagini", explores the intricacies of man-woman relationships and explicates the psychology of the woman mind, especially the interplay of the twin emotions of love and jealousy. The present translation of the short story by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the foremost short story writers of Bengali literature, is an attempt to present the complexity of text to the global readers. Special care has been taken to retain the original flavour of the source language text by following a judicious blending of metaphrase, or word for word translation, and paraphrase, or sense for sense translation, methods.
The story delves deep into the psyche of women and subtly analyzes them from the inside, as the p... more The story delves deep into the psyche of women and subtly analyzes them from the inside, as the protagonist of the story, Shaila, is caught up in a situation peculiar to Indian women, between her paternal home and her father-in-law's house. She exaggerates her father's financial condition while staying in her father-in-law's house and vice versa, that leads her into some serious trouble. The present translation of "Tasher Ghar" by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the most notable short story writers of Bengali literature, recipient of "Padmasree", "Padmabhushan" and "Gyanapith Award", strives to faithfully render the intricacies of the source language text by following a judicious blending of word for word translation and sense for sense translation methods. Utmost care has been taken to render the source text as objectively as possible and equivalent words are searched -literal where possible and interpreting where necessary.
The story, "The Gypsy Woman", is an exploration of the psychology of women and portrays the multi... more The story, "The Gypsy Woman", is an exploration of the psychology of women and portrays the multifarious primordial facets of women's mind-their hopes, aspirations, cravings, love, desire, lust-without being judgmental. The protagonist of the story, Radhika, is a human being of flesh and blood, full of lust and passion, driven by basic instinct, whose passionate outburst disregards the traditional system of the domestic household. The present translation of "Bedeni" by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the foremost short story writers of Bengali literature, is an attempt to faithfully render the complexity of the original text and the nuances of the dialects spoken by the nomadic communities. A judicious blending of metaphrase, or word for word translation, and paraphrase, or sense for sense translation, is followed throughout to present the pleasure of the source language text.
Draupadī, the wife of the five Pāṇḍavas in the Mahābhārata, is a much discussed character who has... more Draupadī, the wife of the five Pāṇḍavas in the Mahābhārata, is a much discussed character who has been interpreted in various ways, ranging from a tragic character, the heroine of the epic to a witch who is responsible for causing a mass destruction, the Kurukṣetra war. With all the complexities, Draupadī remains one of the most intriguing characters who has baffled the readers and critics alike over the ages. The present study seeks to analyze the explications of one of the most haunting episodes of the Mahābhārata, the disrobing of Draupadī, in the contemporary folk art and theatre, which demythologize one of the most controversial characters in the canon of Indian literature and deconstruct the Phallocentric ideology that informs the epic. The study takes into consideration Saoli Mitra's play Nāthavatī Anāthavat (translated as "Five Lords, Yet None a Protector"), which is an attempt to see Draupadī from "a pair of woman's eyes"; and Teejan Bai's dramatized rendering of "Draupadī cīrharaṇ", and seeks to draw comparison from the original epic as well as between the works of these two theatre artists and their style of narration, to evaluate how far they have succeeded in providing a radically different interpretation of the character and provide the essential message of the episode. These two artists share some striking characteristics in taking up the rural folk tradition entering the male bastion, using dramatized theatrical techniques, like live music, dance and act out multiple roles, all the while recontextualizing the episodes, often offering a social critique, demythologizing the myth, presenting the essential message of the epic that is expressed in mythical terms.
The scholarly articles in this compiled and edited volume probe into the theoretical complexities... more The scholarly articles in this compiled and edited volume probe into the theoretical complexities to understand and critically evaluate the varied perspectives of gender discourse. The critical study of the introduction of the book will serve as a quick and easy reference to masculinism and feminism. The diverse nature of the essays range from exploration on Masculinism, Feminism, Gender Studies and Queer Studies engaging with the analysis of literature, film, magazine and popular media. It is hoped that the essays will open new vistas for further exploration and this rich volume would be of great help to the students, scholars and academicians.
Women, from time immemorial, are always considered subservient to men, and they have remained at ... more Women, from time immemorial, are always considered subservient to men, and they have remained at the disposal of the head of the family, the father. They are denied their basic human rights and the ‘biological control over their bodies’ as woman is the sexual property of her family and at the same time her body is negotiated for sustaining family honour. The female body is subjected to regulation and control in order to achieve the intended docility, a process through which power is dissociated from the body. The guardianship of women’s bodies make men proud possessor of property rights as well as self-acclaimed protector from their enemies. The body of the woman is the site for contesting where men can take revenge upon other men by violating her sexuality, thus, taking revenge on her‘owner.’ Usha Ganguly’s play, Hum Mukhtara, an adaptation of Mukhtar Mai’s sensational and inspirational autobiography,In the Name of Honor: A Memoir, registers the protest of a victim of an institution sanctioned gang rape who later became one of the foremost figures of women empowerment in one of the most hostile countries for women in the world, Pakistan. Although the play brings out the inhuman brutality of the patriarchal society, it is a play of hope and inspiration as the protagonist emerges victorious by transcending the notions of ‘izzat’ (honour) and stigma to fight back against her tormentors, turning her docile body into a site of resistance. The present paper seeks to interrogate Usha Ganguly’s use of the theatrical space in the play to protest against the materialisation and objectification of female body by advocating forcefully for the empowerment of women and emancipation from their bodily constrictions. KEYWORDS: Body; power; feminist representation of rape; docility; protest
History is "a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending ... more History is "a continuous process of interaction between the historian and his facts, an unending dialogue between the present and the past" (E. H. Carr 35)
The story, "The woman and the Snake", originally titled "Nari o Nagini", explores the intricacies... more The story, "The woman and the Snake", originally titled "Nari o Nagini", explores the intricacies of man-woman relationships and explicates the psychology of the woman mind, especially the interplay of the twin emotions of love and jealousy. The present translation of the short story by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the foremost short story writers of Bengali literature, is an attempt to present the complexity of text to the global readers. Special care has been taken to retain the original flavour of the source language text by following a judicious blending of metaphrase, or word for word translation, and paraphrase, or sense for sense translation, methods.
The story delves deep into the psyche of women and subtly analyzes them from the inside, as the p... more The story delves deep into the psyche of women and subtly analyzes them from the inside, as the protagonist of the story, Shaila, is caught up in a situation peculiar to Indian women, between her paternal home and her father-in-law's house. She exaggerates her father's financial condition while staying in her father-in-law's house and vice versa, that leads her into some serious trouble. The present translation of "Tasher Ghar" by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the most notable short story writers of Bengali literature, recipient of "Padmasree", "Padmabhushan" and "Gyanapith Award", strives to faithfully render the intricacies of the source language text by following a judicious blending of word for word translation and sense for sense translation methods. Utmost care has been taken to render the source text as objectively as possible and equivalent words are searched -literal where possible and interpreting where necessary.
The story, "The Gypsy Woman", is an exploration of the psychology of women and portrays the multi... more The story, "The Gypsy Woman", is an exploration of the psychology of women and portrays the multifarious primordial facets of women's mind-their hopes, aspirations, cravings, love, desire, lust-without being judgmental. The protagonist of the story, Radhika, is a human being of flesh and blood, full of lust and passion, driven by basic instinct, whose passionate outburst disregards the traditional system of the domestic household. The present translation of "Bedeni" by Tarashankar Bandopadhyay, one of the foremost short story writers of Bengali literature, is an attempt to faithfully render the complexity of the original text and the nuances of the dialects spoken by the nomadic communities. A judicious blending of metaphrase, or word for word translation, and paraphrase, or sense for sense translation, is followed throughout to present the pleasure of the source language text.
Draupadī, the wife of the five Pāṇḍavas in the Mahābhārata, is a much discussed character who has... more Draupadī, the wife of the five Pāṇḍavas in the Mahābhārata, is a much discussed character who has been interpreted in various ways, ranging from a tragic character, the heroine of the epic to a witch who is responsible for causing a mass destruction, the Kurukṣetra war. With all the complexities, Draupadī remains one of the most intriguing characters who has baffled the readers and critics alike over the ages. The present study seeks to analyze the explications of one of the most haunting episodes of the Mahābhārata, the disrobing of Draupadī, in the contemporary folk art and theatre, which demythologize one of the most controversial characters in the canon of Indian literature and deconstruct the Phallocentric ideology that informs the epic. The study takes into consideration Saoli Mitra's play Nāthavatī Anāthavat (translated as "Five Lords, Yet None a Protector"), which is an attempt to see Draupadī from "a pair of woman's eyes"; and Teejan Bai's dramatized rendering of "Draupadī cīrharaṇ", and seeks to draw comparison from the original epic as well as between the works of these two theatre artists and their style of narration, to evaluate how far they have succeeded in providing a radically different interpretation of the character and provide the essential message of the episode. These two artists share some striking characteristics in taking up the rural folk tradition entering the male bastion, using dramatized theatrical techniques, like live music, dance and act out multiple roles, all the while recontextualizing the episodes, often offering a social critique, demythologizing the myth, presenting the essential message of the epic that is expressed in mythical terms.
The scholarly articles in this compiled and edited volume probe into the theoretical complexities... more The scholarly articles in this compiled and edited volume probe into the theoretical complexities to understand and critically evaluate the varied perspectives of gender discourse. The critical study of the introduction of the book will serve as a quick and easy reference to masculinism and feminism. The diverse nature of the essays range from exploration on Masculinism, Feminism, Gender Studies and Queer Studies engaging with the analysis of literature, film, magazine and popular media. It is hoped that the essays will open new vistas for further exploration and this rich volume would be of great help to the students, scholars and academicians.
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Papers by Soumya Ghosh
KEYWORDS: Body; power; feminist representation of rape; docility; protest
Books by Soumya Ghosh
KEYWORDS: Body; power; feminist representation of rape; docility; protest