A Neo-Marxist Study of the Select Retellings of Mahabharata
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Date
2024-03
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Avinashilingam
Abstract
Myth is a dynamic and man-made belief to maintain the culture of a society. It is revisited and altered according to the necessity of people and acts as a guiding source for people. The retellings of Mahabharata fascinate the researchers to apply literary theories and experiment it from different points of view. The present study is an attempt to explore on the retellings of Mahabharata by Devudtt Pattanaik (Jaya: an Illustrated Retelling of Mahabharata), Anand Neelakantan (Ajaya: Roll of the Dice), Kavita Kane (Karna’s Wife: the Outcast’s Queen) and Ashutosh Nadkar (Shakuni: Master of the Game) by applying a Neo-Marxian concepts ‘Theory of Cultural Hegemony’ and ‘Role of Intellectuals’ by Antonio Gramsci. The researcher has taken both male and female characters from the chosen primary texts to discuss about the cultural domination prevailed during the ancient time and has also highlighted on the functional solution enumerated by Gramsci with the aid of the characters. The study explicates on the retellings of Mahabharata with certain aspects from Gramsci’s ‘Theory of Cultural Hegemony’ and ‘Role of Intellectuals’. Elucidates on the purpose of retelling of Mahabharata by critically analysing the selected texts and elaborates on the cultural aspects from them. The study also draws attention to the culture based dominations, capitalist ideologies and gives a practical solution for domination in accordance with Gramsci. The area of research is relevant in this present scenario to highlight the cultural hegemony which still exists among the Indians in different forms. The work is significant as it can relate the issues depicted by the authors of the selected retellings of Mahabharata with our current society.
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English