reinterpretation of the mahabharata in select indian fiction a cultural study

Abstract

Cultural Studies is theoretical and there is certainly an association of politics in the making of the theory. Knowledge thus derived is never objective; it is always subjective and posited. Cultural Studies constitutes a collection of ideas, representations and practices which speak about various knowledge forms and ways in relation to a particular subject. Representation is an important word in cultural studies and the Mahabharata, the text is a representation of the Indian spirit and essence. Cultural Studies approach assists the researcher to study the novels based on the culture text, the Mahabharata and look at the various aspects of ideology in accordance with the time and the existing power relations. The main focus of the study would be to analyze the social and political context in which the customs and daily experiences are demonstrated in the life style of the people. Culture and cultural practices in the novels based on the Mahabharata are studied; the characters and their actions are interpreted and questioned critically, in the backdrop of the fiction for which the Mahabharata remains the major source of inspiration. The thesis is entitled, Reinterpretation of the Mahabharata in Select Indian Fiction: A Cultural Study . The first chapter, Introduction brings out the significance of the study including its objectives and critical approaches, introduces the approach of Cultural Studies in detail. The second chapter focuses on the Review of Literature , followed by the third chapter based on the novel Parva by S. L. Bhyrappa entitled, Parva: A Cultural and Historical Study . Fourth chapter, The Great Indian Novel: An Artifact of Cultural Significance discusses the various themes in the postcolonial and postmodern text by Shashi Tharoor. Fifth chapter includes observations on the novel Yajnaseni by Pratibha Ray which is titled, Krishnaa: A Cultural and Feministic Perspective and Panchaali: The New Woman is the sixth chapter which concentrates on Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni s work The Palace