Revisiting Caliban: A Postcolonial Scrutiny of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest

This paper critically analyses William Shakespeare’s last play The Tempest from the perspective of postcolonial criticism. It reimagines and revisits individual agency and humanity of the character Caliban who is being demonized, dehumanized and enslaved by the colonial intruder, Prospero in his Eurocentric view of the Orient. By interrogating the dominant position of Prospero as a colonizer and the subordinated position of Caliban as a colonized Other, the paper unfolds the nature of the hegemonic discourse i.e. the colonizer’s language by which Caliban constructs his identity and act of resistance by suppressing his former self and his native language. By questioning the traditional Christian humanistic approach to the play as an allegory of creative power that brings reconciliation and forgiveness, postcolonial scholarship views the play as an allegory of European colonization and the imposition of Eurocentric ideology on the non-Europeans. Far from making a mere division between the elevated and noble side of nature and the brutish side of nature, the play is more concerned with colonial power, Eurocentric construction of savagery and colonized Other, and the function of a dominant culture in the representation of everything in term of binary opposition-Western and non-Western world and superior and inferior. The postcolonial critical approaches of Edward Said, Homi K. Bhabha and Frantz Fanon are used in the paper. Finally, the paper using the close textual analysis attempts to draw attention to the dynamics of uneven cultural representations and power relations devised by the dominant Eurocentric discourses in terms of place, race, culture, identity and language. It explores the Eurocentric epistemologies that legitimize the imperial conquest and domination of distant territories and their native peoples and ignore their socio-cultural values from a single perspective by portraying them in a negative and stereotypical way

Compromising with the Situation: Meliorism Manifested in Select Pandemic Fictions

A Pandemic is a Global epidemic or disease outbreak. These pandemics are mass murderers since time immemorial as History shows. Diseases like Plague, Smallpox, Influenza and Cholera have ruined families, destroyed towns and left the generations scarred and scared. Since the relationship between Literature and society is axiomatic, it not only throws a mirror to nature but also before men and manners of the age, to the society of the times. Then how will Pandemic fail to appear in the Literature of the times? Nay, whenever such calamities occurred on the earth, the creativity of the then writers had unvarnishedly caught the crisis of the time. The beginning of 2020 witnessed this havoc firstly in Wuhan Hubei province of China and from there grabbed its ‘global networking’ through Europe and many other parts of the world; i.e. Covid- 19 shook the whole world through community transmission, lockdown, quarantine phase, death tallies, Work from Home with salary cut, job loss leading to more hunger and financial crunch. The survivors got to know the gravity of situation resulting in the resurgence of interest in the earlier Pandemic Writing as “it provides us deepest and insightful record of events during Pandemics and tries to provide consolation in times of need” (Smith: 27) since nothing in life is permanent and this tide will also pass is the hopeful tinge above all adversity. So, compromising with the situation and working in the direction of finding out a way and making the situation better is the melioristic theme in all pandemic fictions

Struggles of Dalits in Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance

Rohinton Mistry’s A Fine Balance provides a vivid and deeply moving depiction of India’s complex social fabric, skillfully intertwining the lives of characters from a variety of backgrounds. Central to Mistry’s narrative are the Dalit characters, who embody one of the most marginalized and oppressed communities in Indian society. This research paper delves into the portrayal of Dalit characters in A Fine Balance, examining how Mistry illuminates their experiences, challenges, and resilience in the face of pervasive systemic discrimination and social injustices. Mistry’s narrative captures the harsh realities faced by Dalits, who are subjected to relentless oppression and prejudice. The novel highlights the socio-economic hardships and the persistent stigmatization that Dalits endure, offering readers a profound understanding of their plight. By focusing on the individual stories of key Dalit characters, the research explores how Mistry conveys their struggles and their capacity to endure and resist despite overwhelming adversity. Through a meticulous analysis of characters such as Ishvar and Omprakash, the paper underscores the various dimensions of Dalit oppression, including caste-based violence, economic exploitation, and social exclusion. Mistry’s nuanced portrayal of these characters not only brings their suffering to the forefront but also showcases their unwavering spirit and determination to seek a better life. The thematic elements in A Fine Balance serve as a powerful lens through which the broader socio-political realities of India can be understood. The research paper emphasizes the significance of the Dalit narrative in the novel, arguing that their stories are crucial for a comprehensive understanding of India’s socio-political landscape. By shedding light on the struggles of Dalits, Mistry’s work encourages readers to reflect on the ongoing issues of caste discrimination and social injustice in contemporary India. The present research article aims to highlight the importance of Dalit representation in A Fine Balance, demonstrating how Mistry’s depiction of their struggles and resilience provides a critical commentary on the entrenched socio-political inequalities in Indian society

Donyi Polo and Ecocriticism in Select Poems of Midsummer Survival Lyrics by Mamang Dai

Mamang Dai is one of the greatest writers of North Eastern part of India. and is basically known for her creative writings on the themes of ecocriticism and past or historical events. Across all her genres, including novels, poetry, non-fiction, and folklore texts, Mrs. Dai skillfully combines themes of ecocriticism, tribal religion, and the lives of tribal people with significant historical events from their land. The current study endeavors to illustrate the ecological perspective and tribal religion in selected poems from Mamang Dai’s book Midsummer Survival Lyrics. She has proven herself to be an ecologist and has tried to show that human beings are not superior to the non-human lives available on Earth. Mrs. Dai has very beautifully portrayed the lives of tribal people living in the valley of Arunachal Pradesh and has shown how Donyi-Poloism teaches them to live harmoniously with nature and natural things. The present piece of writing titled Donyi Polo and Ecocriticism in Select Poems of Midsummer Survival Lyrics by Mamang Dai aims at providing a detailed study of how tribal people who follow the religion of Donyi-Poloism treat nature and natural things, i.e., flora and fauna, as their siblings. This paper will show how Mamang Dai has shown the concept of Donyi Polo and ecocriticism in select poems of Midsummer Survival Lyrics by Mamang Dai

Challenges and Opportunities in Implementing English Language Education for Tribal Empowerment

Tribal communities, often marginalized and underserved, confront various socio-cultural challenges in their pursuit of empowerment. English language proficiency presents both opportunities and challenges in this context. English language education holds significant potential as a catalyst for empowering tribal communities, offering access to socio-economic opportunities and global connectivity. Despite the potential benefits of English proficiency in enhancing socio-economic opportunities for tribal communities, various hurdles exist in its effective implementation. Drawing on existing literature and case studies, this paper analyses the socio-cultural, pedagogical, and infrastructural challenges encountered in providing English language education to tribal populations. Socio-cultural challenges encompass the preservation of indigenous languages and cultures, resistance to linguistic assimilation, and community attitudes towards English language education. Pedagogical issues include the scarcity of qualified English language teachers, inadequate teaching materials, and the need for culturally relevant curriculum content. Infrastructural constraints manifest in limited access to educational institutions, insufficient infrastructure, and the digital divide. This paper also explores the potential opportunities, including access to higher education, vocational training, employment prospects, and participation in the global economy, that English proficiency can afford tribal communities

Death and Loss in Maya Angelou’s Poems ‘When Great Tress Fall’ and ‘The Lesson’

Death has remained a prominent and universal theme in English poetry. From the anonymous poems composed during the Old English Period, to the works of pre-Romantics, War poets and Modern poets, mortality has served as a unifying theme in English poetry. Elegy has remained an important form within the genre, lamenting the loss of an individual. Poets have dealt with the theme of death differently with some finding consolation in religious belief of afterlife to others seeing it as an indispensable aspect of life. Maya Angelou, an African American poet, has dealt with the theme of loss in few of her notable poems. The present paper aims to discuss death as an important theme in Angelou's “When Great Trees Fall” and ‘The Lesson”. The paper will further investigate Angelou’s use of language in the poems to express the emotion of loss and grief. It will also try to give insight into Angelou’s philosophy of life and death, and how she overcomes loss in her life

Walking the Streets: Psychogeography and the Politics of Exclusion in Selected Works of Ruskin Bond

Psychogeography involves the study of the interrelationship between the human psyche and the surrounding physical environment. Both as a theory and as a methodological tool, psychogeography can be utilized to understand and analyze how space – especially urban space as the centres of capitalism, consumerism, and authoritative control by capitalist forces – impacts our lives and our attitudes and becomes an integral factor in the formation of our sense of self and identity. Integral to psychogeography is the concept of walking, often referred to as the ‘dérive’, which signifies a sort of aimless drifting through the city streets with the objective of resisting the lure of capitalist consumerism while simultaneously re-centering the gaze to the street level to draw attention to those who populate the fringes and the margins of society and whose lives and stories have mostly slipped through the fissures of history. The article provides psychogeographical analysis of selected works by Ruskin Bond to show how his writings document not only the changing landscape of many of India’s cities and small towns due to the impact of modern capitalist urbanity but also how the development and evolution of the hill stations from the time of the British Raj have, time and again, reconstituted the dynamics of power and position based on notions of race, culture and other socio-political factors. Through Bond’s fictional and non-fictional accounts, it is thus possible to examine the politics of social exclusion and marginalization which characterizes not just urban spaces but human spaces in general, thereby bringing to the foreground issues of identity and belonging which are essentially intertwined with the spaces that surround us and which we inhabit.   &nbsp

Globalization and Global Literatures: Deconstructing the Genres

Post world-war life across the Globe has witnessed a sustained series of metamorphoses which has, consequently, caused cerebral turmoil. A lot of academic disciplines have come into existence and along with them have come a lot of new terminologies with promises of many new academic avenues wherein prospects of new, changed and “revolutionary” discourses have crept into. Diaspora, Multiculturalism, Ethnicity, Identity, Techno-culture and Globalization are certain fields which have caused a huge quantity of inking down a plethora of pages, seminars, anthologies and discussions. While, undeniably, these terms solicit newness because of its extensive innovative use, but the semantic domain, it tends to address may not be regarded as quite new, because they have been duly preceded by precedents. It is pertinent to understand the subterranean threads of such terms and its urgency why these terms have been so much in the lime light in the Postmodern and Poststructuralist discourses. The present paper intends to look into the warp and woof of Globalization and Global literature and what changes they foreground in the current swelled-tide of academic discussions. Is Globalization an entirely new concept or process or has it been a part of our existence and civilization for long, it has been one of the focal points of this paper

Colonial Subjugation and Cultural Erosion in Things Fall Apart

This paper deals with British colonizers’ colonization over Nigeria, subjugation and cultural Erosion in Nigeria. On the one hand, it shows how Nigeria is endowed with their different primitive cultural practices and natural resources. Native Nigerians were happy with their indigenous cultural legacy and identity before the British colonization started. But, they became unable to govern their nation developing their natural resources and preserving their cultural practices. On the other hand, it shows the encroachment of Britishers in Nigeria. The white Europeans start implanting seeds of Christianity, education system, establish courts, and their government in Nigeria rejecting the indigenous cultural norms, social values, their ancestral spirit and divine power of cultural society. As a result, the conflict between the white intruders and African indigenous people that gets reflected in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart is clearly discussed in the research. Finally, the research reflects how the novel is written as a counter-narrative that opposes western views towards African civilization. Regarding research methodology, qualitative approach becomes very contextual since the novels deals with the fictional characters and details. For a broad theoretical framework, the postcolonial theory that incorporates the idea of colonization and after effects of colonization becomes very effective. Likewise, for the theoretical tools, Edward Said’s Orientalism becomes a very applicable tool as it shows how the westerners take the orient, subjugate, dominate, exploit and colonize. Besides, Frantz Fanon’s theoretical concept of racism and Homi K. Bhabha’s theoretical concept of mimicry become effective tools for the textual analysis of the primary text

Empowering Deaf Students : A Genre Analysis of the film Children of a Lesser God

People with hearing loss often need special skills to learn language and communicate. The film Children of a Lesser God focuses on the link between hearing impairment and speech. It portrays the way deaf students struggle to gain hospitality in the hearing world. It revolves around a romantic relationship between a deaf girl and a hearing speech teacher. This paper tackles the communicative skills that James achieves with his deaf students and Sarah through genre analysis as an analytic angle. It has been found that James uses innovative teaching techniques to help his deaf students have a better understanding for somatic sensations, such as vibration, playing loud rock music, reading hi lips and interpreting his sign language. Children of a Lesser God delves into the intricate challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss in the realm of language acquisition and communication. This exploration revolves around the romantic relationship between James, a hearing speech teacher, and Sarah, a deaf former student, uncovering the interplay between hearing impairment and expressive language skills. The film also challenges societal attitudes toward deafness, questioning whether it is viewed as a limitation or a distinctive mode of communication. This genre analysis provides a comprehensive examination of how the film surpasses conventional norms of the romance genre while shedding light on the innovative teaching methods employed by James to support his deaf students and his girlfriend, Sarah. The central conflict of the narrative arises from the contrasting communication styles and perceptions of James and Sarah. Sarah’s resistance to conforming to the hearing world presents a unique challenge for James, who endeavors to connect with her through American Sign Language (ASL). The film’s title, Children of a Lesser God, underscores societal attitudes toward the deaf, framing the exploration of autonomy, understanding, and the right to define one’s identity. Beyond the romantic storyline, the narrative expands to address the broader challenges faced by deaf students in their pursuit of education and communication. In light of the limited research on the intersection between films and language pathologies, especially deafness, this study uses genre analysis to explore the film’s distinctive exploration of communication dynamics and educational practices. The primary objectives include examining how the film transcends conventions of the romance genre and deciphering the teaching methods employed by James to empower deaf students