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Alternative title:

The heroines of Indian myths and legends in Hindi autobiographies by women

Subject and Keywords:

Hindi autobiographies   women writing   Krishna Agnihotri   Maitreyi Pushpa   Prabha Khaitan   Kausalya Baisantri   Śakti   Durga   Majtreji   Amrapali Draupadi   Sita Damajanti   Sawitri   Sati

Abstract:

Drawing from Gayatri Spivak’s (1989: 227) reflections on mythological figures as ‚regulative psychobiographies’, the article attempts a look at heroines of Indian myths and legends in selected Hindi autobiographies by women i.e. Krishna Agnihotri’s Lagtā nahī̃ hai dil mera (1996) and Aur, aur... aurat (2010); Maitreyi Pushpa’s Kasturī kuṇḍal basai (2002) and Guṛiyā bhītar guṛiyā (2008); Prabha Khaitan’s Anyā se ananyā (2007) and Kausalya Baisantri’s Dohrā abhiśāp (1999). The cohort of analysed heroines includes symbols of feminine power and fierce independence (like Śakti, Durgā, Maitreyī, Āmrapālī or Draupadī) and ideals of submissiveness, faithfulness and obedience (e.g. Sītā, Damayantī, Sāvitrī or Sātī). These symbolical figures dictate or contradict Indian cultural constructs of womanhood; therefore their presence, or absence, in autobiographical writings by women is a crucial element of narrative strategies employed by them.

Publisher:

Instytut Studiów Klasycznych, Śródziemnomorskich i Orientalnych UWr

Date:

2018

Date issued:

2012-

Detailed Type:

czasopisma (wydawnictwa ciągłe)

Language:

pol

Access rights:

Attribution, ShareAlike

License:

Creative Commons - Attribution, ShareAlike (CC BY-SA 3.0)   click here to follow the link

Rights holder:

Copyright by Monika Browarczyk   Copyright by Instytut Studiów Klasycznych, Śródziemnomorskich i Orientalnych