English Literature - Indian English - Feminist writers - NOTES

The Famous Feminist Writers In India 

Read more at: http://www.boldsky.com/insync/pulse/2013/famous-feminist-writers-in-india-034852.html

By: Anwesha Barari Published: Wednesday, August 21, 2013, 22:32 [IST] 

When we talk about feminist authors, we directly go to the likes of Virginia Woolf or Toni Morrison. Indian names rarely come up in the list of feminist writers. The truth is that Indian writers were a little slow in catching up with the Feminist movement that raged worldwide. India was still under British rule and too rooted in age old tradition.

The concept of feminist writing was started by men in India. It was later caught on by women writers. So the first Indian feminist writers were actually men. Here is a list of the most notable feminist Indian writers. 

Rabindranath Tagore

Tagore was one of the first known Indian writers whose writings had a marked feminist angle to them. His main characters were more often than not women. Some of Tagore's novels like 'Choker Bali' (A Grain Of Sand) and Ghare Bhaire (The Home and Outside) are known for its bold female characters. Like Shakespeare, Tagore made his female characters more than mere decorations. 

Kamini Roy

Kamini Roy was a Suffragette and the first woman to graduate with Honours. She was a Bengali poet and a renowned feminist. She was a champion for women's education and voting rights. 'Nirmalaya' is one of her best known works.

Ismat Chugtai

Ismat Chugtai is one of the major Urdu writers in India. She is known for fierce, funny and sardonic treatment of feminist literature. Her collection of short stories have a definite feminist vein. She was even dragged to court for writing the story called 'Lihaaf' or the 'Quilt'.

Kamala Das

Kamala Das is an Indian writer who writes in English. She was one of the first Indian feminist writers to write in English. Kamala Das's poems and fiction explore female sexuality intensively and present them fearlessly to the readers. 

Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Chitra Divakar is one of the best known Indian writers who have feminist ideology. Among her famous works is the 'Palace Of Illusions'. This book Mahabharata told from the perspective of Draupadi. Not many writers have dared to experiment with a bold subject like that. 

Lalithambika Antharjanam

Lalithambika Antharjanam is a Malayalam writer who is known for her keen sense of feminist literature. Her best known work is 'Angnisakshi'. These are some of the elemental feminist writers in India. If you know any other Indian feminist writers who write in regional languages, then please add to the list.

English Literature - Indian English - The Female of the Species Poem– Gouri Desh Pande - Notes - SUMMARY

The Female of the Species – Gouri Desh Pande

“The Female of the Species” is a poem written by Gouri Desh Pande. She writes about love and relationships. She is a confessional poet without any inhibitions. She employs the theme of love and human relationships in her poetry

                ‘The Female of the Species’ is an interesting poem. This tells about the intimate understanding and sympathy that flows instinctively in the heart of a woman. A woman, at certain moments of life, feels the need to share her feelings about love or despair or ungratefulness of children. At such moments, she will not relish the companionship of man.

                She needs the nearness of a mother or a sister with whom she can share her ups and downs of life. She is happy to spend her time even with her childhood friend evidently a woman. A man, however intimate he may be, cannot understand and share certain feelings of a woman. This does not mean that she totally ruled out the company of man. Some times when she wants to divulge certain feminine feelings “a man is no use then”. She is comfortable in the presence of a woman.

                The women sit comfortably and chit-chat over the common casual everyday affairs like the rate of rice, price of tea etc. One of them sews and the other sips tea. They have not directly talked about their woes and comforts of life. But it is as though they had spoken of and shared their feelings. Much can be expressed mutually through unspoken expressions.

                Thus, Gauri Desh Pande presents in this small poem, her feminist view point that only a woman can understand the heart of a woman and a man is no use. 

English Literature - Indian English - The Epileptic Poem – Keki N. Dharuwalla - Notes - SUMMARY

The Epileptic – Keki N. Dharuwalla

                “The Epileptic” is a poem written by Indian English poet Keki. N. Daruwalla. He is a poet of great literary stamina, intellectual strength and social awareness.

                Epilepsy is a nervous disease causing a person unconscious often with involuntary movements. In the poem, a pregnant woman got this violent fit while she was travelling in a rickshaw. By the grace of God, her pregnancy was safe. But, her two children were frightened. The rickshaw puller was guilty because it was happening in his rickshaw.

                The face of the epileptic became a mound of flesh. Her husband was making vain efforts. He tried to open her mouth wide, plucked out her receding tongue, and put a gag into her mouth to keep it open.

                The traffic on the road came to an inquisitive half. The crowd were anxious. They joined to help the woman. Some people fanned her. Some rubbed her feet. They tried their best to summon back her senses. A pedestrian commented that her violent fits were cyclic in nature. They visit her repeatedly whenever she was in her menses.

                She was not hysteric. She did not talk violently. A simmering foam was coming out of her mouth. The woman was taken to the hospital. After long discussions and tests, the doctors diagnosed the disease as ‘Psychomotor Epilepsy’. After much fuss, they prescribed common drugs like ‘Belladona’ and ‘Peraldehyde’.

                Finally she recovered from her fit. She was pale and completely exhausted. The last sentence of the poem is charged heavily with irony. Until now, the wife shook. But now it is the turn of the husband to shake. The shake of the husband may be from the thought about the excessive hospital fees.

English Literature - Indian English - The Hindoo: He Reads His Gita and is cam at all events- A.K. Ramanujan - Notes - summary

The Hindoo: He Reads His Gita and is cam at all events

                “The Hindoo: He reads His Gita and is calm at all events” is a typical poem written by A.K. Ramanujan. Ramanujan’s poetry draws heavily on Indian myth, history, cultural, heritage, and environment. His poems are precise and controlled and his style is limited and clear.

                (‘The Bhagavad Gita’ is one of the most authoritative sources of Hindu doctrine and ethics. It is accepted as such by Hindus of all denominations. The Gita lays emphasis on the unselfish performance of duty, rather than renunciation of duty. According to Gita, renunciation of duties that are prescribed is not proper. Thus, the Gita teaches detached action. It cannot be misunderstood that one should remain calm without doing his duty or without reacting to the situation. )

                The poem highlights the typical characteristics of Hinduism like detachment and non-involvement. The speaker is undisturbed when he sees good and evil. He walks over them indifferently. This total indifference to events is not in tune with the real preaching of the Bhagavad Gita. According to Gita, one must perform one’s duty or karma without being attached to it and without desiring for oneself the fruits thereof.

                The speaker is not moved when women are molested or scandals are spread or knives are drawn. The speaker watches the lovers without envy. He treats them similar to houseflies. This type of indifference is condemned by the poet.                The unattached Hindu with a profane sense of detachment is shaken when he sees the knowledge of primitive evil in innocence. He feels choked as if hard-hands were at his throat.

                Thus, the poet brings out the self-deception of the Hindoo who reads his Gita and is calm, at all events.

English Literature - Indian English - Thought The Paraclete Poem - by Aurobindo -Notes - Summary

THOUGHT THE PARACLETE – Sri Aurobindo

                “Thought the Paraclete” is a poem written by Sri Aurobindo. Sri Aurobindo Ghosh is one of the greatest poets of Indo-Anglian literature. In this poem, Sri Aurobindo compares thought to a paraclete, a bird.

                Thought is the function of the mind. In this poem, it is meaningfully used for ‘mind’. Mind determines the quality of a person’s experience at ordinary level. Mind is also the medium through which a person works out his self-realization. Through ‘yoga’, the mind is trained to get over its limitations. Then, the mind becomes the cleaned mirror. In it, the divine bliss is reflected.

                The mind progresses from the Manomaya Kosa to Vignanamaya Kosa and from there into ‘Anandamaya Kosa’. Finally it merges with Ananda where the separate identity of individual self is lost.

                There are four separate movements in the poem. The first stage of the ascent is that the mind outgrows the limitations of its nature.  The second movement follows thought’s progress from Mind to Higher mind, from Higher mind to Illuminated Mind, from Illuminated Mind to Intuition and from Intuition to Overmind. The third and final movement brings thought to the threshold of Gnana (Knowledge). There, it attains immortal bliss (Shashwatha Ananda). Finally, the thought loses its identity and becomes one with the universal self.

                Thus, the poem ‘Thought the Paraclete’ reveals the higher level spiritual experience of   Sri Aurobindo as a Yogi.

English Literature - Advice to Students Essay - by Mahatma Gandhi - Original speech

ADVICE TO STUDENTS

[Speech delivered at the Y. M. C. A. Madras on 27th April, 1915, Hon'ble Mr. V. S. Srinivasa Sastry presiding]:—

Mr. Chairman and Dear Friends:—Madras has well-nigh exhausted the English vocabulary in using adjectives of virtue with reference to my wife and myself and if I may be called upon to give an opinion as to where I have been smoothered with kindness, love and attention, I would have to say it is Madras. (Applause). But as I have said so often, I believed it of Madras. So it is no wonder to me that you are lavishing all these kindnesses with unparalleled generosity, and now the worthy President of the Servants of India Society, under which Society I am now going through a period of probation, has, if I may say so, capped it all. Am I worthy of these things ? My answer from the innermost recess of the heart is an emphatic "No." But I have come to India to become worthy of every adjective, that you may use, and all my life will certainly be dedicated to prove worthy of them if I am to be a worthy servant. In India's beautiful national song (Bande Mataram) the poet has lavished all the adjectives that he possibly could to describe Mother India. Have we a right to sing that hymn? The poet no doubt gave us a picture for our realisation, the words of which remain simply prophetic, and it is for you, the hope of India, to realise every word that the poet has said in describing this Motherland of ours. To-day I feel that these adjectives are very largely misplaced in his description of the Motherland.

You, the students of Madras as well as the students all over India, are you receiving an education which will make you worthy to realise that ideal, and which will draw the best out of you? Or is it an education which has become a factory for making Government employees, or clerks in commercial offices? Is the goal of the education that you are receiving for mere employment, whether in Government department or in other departments? If that be the goal of your education, if that is the goal that you have set before yourselves, I feel, I fear, that the vision that the poet pictured for himself is far from being realised. As you have heard me say, perhaps, or as you have read, I am, and I have been, a determined opponent of modern civilisation. I want you to turn your eyes to-day upon what is going on in Europe, and if you have come to the conclusion that Europe is to-day groaning under the heels of that modern civilisation, then you and your elders will have to think twice before you emulate that civilisation in our Motherland. But I have been told: "How can we help it, seeing that our Rulers bring that culture to our Motherland?" Do not make any mistake about it. I do not for one moment believe that it is for our Rulers to bring that culture to you, unless you are prepared to accept it and if it be that the Rulers bring that culture before us, I think that we have forces for ourselves to enable us to reject that culture without having to reject the Rulers themselves. (Applause). I have said on many a platform that the British race is with us. I decline to go into the reasons why that race is with us, but I do not believe that it is possible for India, if it would live up to the traditions of the Sages of whom you have heard from our worthy President, to transmit a message through this great race, a message not of physical might but a message of love. And then it will be your privilege to conquer the conquerors, not by shedding blood but by sheer spiritual predominance. When I consider what is going on in India, I think it is necessary for us to see what our opinion is in connection with the political assasinations and political dacoities. I feel that these are purely a foreign importation, which cannot take root in this land. But you, the student world, have to beware lest, mentally or morally, you give one thought of approval to this kind of terrorism. I as a passive resister will give you another thing very substantial for it. Terrorise yourself; search within; by all means resist tyranny where ever you find it; by all means resist encroachment upon your liberty; but not by shedding the blood of the tyrant. That is not what is taught by our religion. Our religion is based upon Ahimsa which in its active form is nothing but love, love not only to your neighbours, not only to your friends, but love even to those who may be your enemies.

One word more in connection with the same thing. I think that if we were to practise truth, to practise Ahimsa, we must immediately see that we also practise fearlessness. If our Rulers are doing what in our opinion is wrong, and if we feel it our duty to let them hear our advice, even though it may be considered sedition, I urge you to speak sedition—but at your peril, you must be prepared to suffer the consequences. And when you are ready to suffer the consequences and not hit below the belt, then I think you will have made good your right to have your advice heard even by the Government.

I ally myself to the British Government, because I believe that it is possible for me to claim equal partnership with every subject of the British Empire. I to-day claim that equal partnership. I do not belong to a subject race. I do not call myself a subject race, (Applause). But there is this thing: it is not for the British Governors to give you, it is for you to take the thing. That I want only by discharging my obligations. Max Muller has told us—we need not go to Max Muller to interpret our own religion—but he says our religion consists in four letters D-U-T-Y and not in the five letters R-I-G-H-T. And if you believe that all that we want can go from a letter, discharge of our duty then think always of your duty, and fighting along these lines you will have no fear of any man, you will only fear God. That is the message that my Master too, Mr. Gokhale, has given to us, what is that message then? It is in the constitution of the Servants of India Society, and that it is that message by which I wish to be guided in my life. The message is to spiritualise political life and political institutions of the country. We must immediately set about realising it in practice. Then students cannot be away from politics. Politics is as essential to them as religion. Politics cannot be divorced from religion.

My views may not be acceptable to you I know. All the same, I can only give you what is stirring me to my very depths. On the authority of my experience in South Africa, I claim that your countrymen who had not that modern culture, but who had that strength of the Rishis of old who have inherited the Tapasyacharya performed by the Rishis, without having known a single word of English literature, and without having known anything whatsoever of the present modern culture, were able to rise to their full height. And what has been possible for the uneducated and illiterate countrymen of ours in South Africa is ten times possible for you and for me to-day in this sacred land of ours. May that be your privilege and may that be mine also! (Loud Applause).

English Literature - Indian English - Indian English Vocabulary - short notes

INDIAN ENGLISH VOCABULARY

Indian English is any of the forms of English characteristic of the Indian subcontinent. English has slowly become one of the lingua francas of the Indian subcontinent (including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka) It is also the language of the cultural and political elite, offering significant economic, political, and social advantage to fluent speakers.

Beginning from the entry of English language through colonial rulers in 1700s till India’s independence in 1947, English language has evolved in India through different stages and spread across the country. Many Indian English writers through their original writings as well as translations have contributed to development of Indian English vocabulary as a unique set of vocabulary, mostly used in India.

Indian English, naturally, has words of Indian vernaculars that have made their way into the English language, such as jungle, tank (water, irrigation), bungalow, shampoo and verandah. It has political, sociological, and administrative terms of modern India: dharna, hartal, eve-teasing, vote bank, swaraj, swadeshi, Backward Castes, Other Backward Castes, Open Category, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, NRI, etc. ; it has words of Anglo-India such as tiffin, hill station, gymkhana; and it has slang.

Some examples unique to, or chiefly used in, standard written Indian English include:

·         academic & Academic pursuits in contrast to technical or practical work.

·         accomplish (verb, transitive)- to equip.

·         airdash (verb intransitive) - to make a quick journey by air, especially in response to an emergency.

·         English-knowing (adjective) originally and chiefly Indian English (of a person or group of people) that uses or speaks English.

·         freeship, - A studentship or scholarship which offers full payment of a student's fees.

·         matrimonial (noun) -  Advertisements in a newspaper for the purpose of finding a marriageable partner.

·         press person (noun) - a newspaper journalist, a reporter, a member of the press

·         redressal (noun) = redress (noun)

·         upgradation (noun) - the enhancement or upgrading of status, value or level of something

English Literature - Indian English - To Students - by Mahatma Gandhi - Essay/ Speech - SUMMARY

MAHATMA GANDHI – “TO STUDENTS”

Gandhi’s Essay “To Students” highlights his message to the students of India. He says that the education the students receive should make them worthy to realize their ideals and draw the best out of them.

Gandhiji says that the goal of the education should not be just to make Government employees or clerks in commercial offices. Gandhi is a determinant opponent of modern civilization. Students should think twice before they emulate the European civilization.

Gandhiji says that India can conquer the world not by shedding blood but by sheer spiritual predominance. Gandhiji feels that the political assassinations and political dacoities are purely a foreign importation.

Gandhiji asks the students to resist encroachment upon their liberty. He says that the Hindu religion is based upon Ahimsa. It is nothing but love, love not only to our neighbours, not only to our friends, but love even to those who may be our enemies.

Gandhiji asks the students to practise Ahimsa. He also asks them to practise fearlessness. He asks them to be prepared to suffer the consequences. Then, the students will be heard even by the Government.

Gandhiji says that freedom and liberty are not to be given by the (British) rulers, but to be taken by Indians. He refers to Max Muller’s quotation that ‘Hindu religion consists in the four letter word-DUTY, and not in the word RIGHT. So, he asks the students always think of their duty. Fighting along Ahimsa and Truth, one doesnot have any fear. He fears only for God.

Gandhiji finally asks the students to dedicate their lives for the service of suppressed, poor, and destitute. He asks them to do physical service. He also advises the students to dedicate their lives for the service of Mother Land and poor people of the Country.

English Literature - Indian English - Gandhi Era - Development of Prose & Poetry - Bits

B.A. SPECIAL ENGLISH – FINAL YEAR – 5^TH SEMESTER

Unit: Gandhian Era, 1920-1947: Development of Prose and Poetry

1.       1920 is the beginning of Gandhian Era in the history of India.

2.       Gandhian Era is the period between 1920 and 1947

3.       Bal Gangadhar Tilak established the Home Rule League in 1916

4.       Mrs. Anne Beasant established All India Home Rule League in 1917

5.       Jallian Wala Bagh slaughter – took place in 1919.

6.       Gandhiji launched the first  counrywide Non-Cooperation Movement in 1919.

7.       Gandhiji launched the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930.

8.       Quit India Resolution was passed on 9^th August 1942.

9.       India got independence on 15^th August 1947.

10.   Important books written by Mahatma Gandhi:

a.       Hind Swaraj

b.      Satyagraha in South Africa

c.       Indian Home Rule

d.      Hind Swaraj and Indian Home Rule

e.      Satyagraha (a weekly)

f.        Young India (English Magazine)

g.       Navjivan (Gujarati Monthly Magazine)

h.      My Experiments with Truth (Autobiography)

i.          

11.   Gandhiji’s world –view developed under the influence of the books: New Testament (The Bible); The Gita (Bhagavad Gita); Ruskin’s “Unto this Last” and Henry David Thoreau’s essay on “Civil Disobedience”.

12.   Jawaharlal Nehru is considered the political heir of Gandhiji.

13.   Jawaharlal Nehru was educated at Harrow and Cambridge in England.

14.   Jawaharlal Nehru returned to India in 1912.

15.   Jawaharlal Nehru was acknowledged to be the greatest Indian master of letter-writing in English.

16.   Important books written by Jawaharlal Nehru are:

a.       Soviet Russia (a collection of articles on Russia after his visit in 1927)

b.      Whither India

c.       Glimpses of World History

d.      An Autobiography

e.      The Discovery of India

17.   Sachchidananda Sinha – was the editor of famous journals like –The Hindustan Review, The Searchlight, etc.

18.   Kasturi Ranga Iyer was the editor of ‘The Hindu” from 1905 to 1923.

19.   Sarvepalli Radha Krishnan- was a great Philosopher and teacher – who was the first Vice President of India, and second President of India.

20.   Important books written by Sarvepalli Radha Krishnan are:

a.       The Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore

b.      The Reign of Religion in Contemporary Philosophy

c.       The Hindu View of Life

d.      Kalki or The future of Civilization

e.      An Idealist view of Life

21.   K.D. Sethna – wrote two books: “The Secret Spelndour”; and “Punjalal”

22.   Nalini Kanth Gupta –wrote the book: “To The Heights”

UNIT: Development of Poetry from 1947 onwards. Post Independence Period

1.       Nissim Ezekiel is considered as the first of New poets among the post Independence Indian English writers of Poetry.

2.       Nissim Ezekiel belongs to a Bene-Israel family, which migrated to India generations ago.

3.       Nissim Ezekiel’s Mother tongue –is Marathi. He admitted English is his second Mother tongue.

4.       Important poems/ Books written by Nissim Ezekiel are:

a.       A Time to Change

b.      The Third

c.       The Unfinished Man

d.      The Exact Name

e.      Hymns in Darkness

f.        “The Very Indian Poem in Indian English”

g.       “Night of the Scorpion”

5.       Dom Moraes – is the first of the new Indian English poets to win recognition in England.

6.       Dom Moraes disowned his Indian heritage as he adopted British citizenship in 1961.

7.       Famous poems/ Books written by Dom Moraes are:

a.       “From 1955 to 1965”

b.      “Collected Poems”

8.       P. Lal –was born in Punjab, and brought up in Calcutta.

9.       P. Lal – is a teacher of English.

10.   P. Lal’s important poems/ books are:

a.       The Parrots’ death and other poems

b.      Change they said

c.       Droupadi and Jayadratha and others

11.   A. K. Ramanujan – is the most outstanding poet of the sixties.

12.   A. K. Ramanujan – is a teacher of Dravidian Linguistics at the University of Chicago.

13.   Important poems / books by A.K. Ramanujan are:

a.       The Striders

b.      The Hindoo: he reads his Gita and is calm at all times

c.        

14.   A.K. Ramanujan wrote poems in Tamil and Kannada also which were translated into English.

15.   R. Parthasarathy – is from Tamilnadu.

16.   R. Parthasarathy said: “English forms a part of my intellectual, rational make-up, Tamil of my emotional, Psychic make up”

17.   “Rough Passage”  is a poem written by R. Parthasarathy

18.   Gieve Patel –is a member of the Parsi Community –

19.   Gieve Patel is from Medical profession

20.   Gieve Patel’s important poems:

a.       How do you understand Body

b.      Postmortem Report

21.   Arvind Krishna Mehrotra’s famous poems are:

a.       Bharatamata, a prayer

b.      Woodcuts on paper

c.       Nine Enclosures

22.   Pritish Nandy – is a prolific writer, who produced more than a dozen collections. His poetry is considered to be a prose poetry.

23.   Famous poems of Pritish Nandy are:

a.       Of Gods and Olives

b.      The Poetry of Pritish Nandy

24.   K. N. Daruwalla – is a notable poet of seventies. He is a Police Officer  by profession.

25.   Important poems/ collections of K.N. Daruwalla are:

a.       Under Orion

b.      Apparition

c.       Crossing of Rivers

26.   Shiv. K. Kumar –is a senior academic.

27.   Famous poems/ collections of Shiv. K. Kumar are:

a.       Articulate Silences

b.      Cobwebs in the Sun

c.       Subterfuges

d.      Woodpeckers

28.   Jayanta Mahapatra is a teacher of Physics.

29.   Jayanta Mahapatra –was born in Orissa- and his poetry is redolent of the Orissa scene and the Jagannatha temple in Puri.

30.   Important poems/ collections of Jayanta Mahapatra are:

a.       Close to the Sky

b.      Ten by Ten

c.       A Rain of Rites

d.      Waiting

e.      The False Start

31.   Arun Kolatkar -  is a bilingual poet.  He wrote poetry both in English and his mother tongue Marathi.

32.   Famous poems of Arun Kolatkar are:

a.       Jepri (This poem won Commonwealth Poetry Prize)

b.      Jojuri  (considered as an Indian Waste Land)

Women Poets:

33.   Kamala Das is the most outstanding writer among women poets of modern Indian English poetry.

34.   Kamala Das  is a bilingual poet – who wrote in English and her mother tongue – Malayalam

35.   Kamala Das was converted into Islam and got a new name – Kamala Suraiyya

36.   Famous poems/ collections of Kamala Das are:

a.       Summer in Calcutta

b.      The Descendents

c.       The Old Play House and the other poems

37.   Monika Varma’s poems/ collections are:

a.       Dragon Flies

b.      Draw Flame

38.   Gauri Desh Pande’s poems/ Collections are:

a.       Between Births

b.      Last Love

c.       Beyond the Slaughter House

Poets during and after 1980s:

39.   Manohar Shetty’s important poems are:

a.       A Guarded Space

b.      Borrowed Time

c.       Domestic Cultures

40.   Vikram Seth – was born in Calcutta and educated in Dehra Dun and at Oxford and Stanford Universities.

41.   Famous poems/ books by Vikram Seth are:

a.       Mappings

b.      The Humble Administration’s Garden

c.       The Golden Gate

d.      All You Who Sleep Tonight