River Diegesis in Namita Gokhale's Shakuntala: The Play of Memory - Sorbonne Université
Conference Papers Year : 2007

River Diegesis in Namita Gokhale's Shakuntala: The Play of Memory

Abstract

In Shakuntala: The Play of Memory, the meandering moods of the celestial river, the Ganges, reflect the authorial intent of recounting the tale of 'journey' as an absorbing metaphor of the human condition. We shall see how Namita Gokhale subverts age-old traditions, engages in role-reversals and attempts to topple the existing patriarchal structure through her retelling of Indian myths and legends. I shall show how by making allusions to Kalidasa's ancient play, Abhijnana Sakuntalam and by figuring the legend of Shakuntala in The Mahabharatha, Gokhale configures ancient and changing Indian customs and traditions, reframes older narratives keeping in mind the dilemmas faced by the modern Indian woman and highlights the need for reconfiguring new worlds. Can we consider the act of 'narrativization' or the 'retelling' of a narrative as a means of understanding historical changes in postcolonial society and ideology?
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hal-03916804 , version 1 (31-12-2022)

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  • HAL Id : hal-03916804 , version 1

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Suhasini Vincent. River Diegesis in Namita Gokhale's Shakuntala: The Play of Memory. Water and the Indian Worlds, SARI, 2007, Jonzac, France. pp.64-75. ⟨hal-03916804⟩
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