Gender and Sexuality Studies

Abstract

The women protagonists of the Great Indian Epic “Mahabharata” are not only canonised as mythical, legendary, but they have been the representations of an archetypal image; whose illuminating presence on the Earth in the Vedic age of Indian History brought along with their birth or carnation an oracle or proclamation or denouncement or something unexpected, apocalyptic in the historical, social, and cultural perspective. The selected few female characters such as women of the famous Indian Epic are Shakuntala, Gandhari, Kunti and Draupadi have been widely read and analysed for they configure social status of women in the cultural structure of patriarchy of the Indian society. From the point of ‘dualism’ of ‘materialistic feminism’ these women have been under purview of gender lens due to their self-capacity and self-indulgence, that emanate moral dilemma, gender socio-religious cultural structure and last but the least their love, passion, and riddles of existence. And in context of social ecology and women’s role in the social order raise an inquiry regarding the consequential aspects of the conflict in actions, in thought. An implication of the complexity of the inherent character relates to the notion of odds, and in terms of space and times results in the ingenuity of action and thought; subsequently changes destiny and times of the material world. From the point of ‘dichotomy’ that identify these women characters in the classified sense as ‘ecofeminists’ for they ground the fact of social injustice on one hand, while on the other hand they enforce political critique of non-essentialist view, which metaphorically leave an enigmatic element to imply trap of contention and contestation. How the same in the world of men’s power, play and possession showcase womanhood as a defaulter of voiced silences or voiceless silences or subversion, aggression, shame, sin, or guilt.  Subsequently, when human mind in context of gender-eye undergoes through ordeal and crisis with such an imbalanced notion of flaw, then revelation of truth remains blindfolded in blindness.

The scholarly argumentation questions – When such women were a part of super-elite or blue-blood patriarchal families, then why were they not in a status of inclusion? Why was a logic of democratic urge not a privilege for these women characters? Why does gender-stereotyping cause prejudice and oppression of emotional urges, a psyche of protest, voice of resistance and blind silence among these women? The framework constructs around gender-orientation, sexist hostility, and social injustice. (From the point of cultural subjectivity of relativism and perception, intersection has been conjured as prior knowledge, that has been professed from generation to generation in generic terms in Indian society to spread prototypes of these selective mythical legendary women characters).

Biography

Dr Jayshree Singh is Ph. D. in American Literature and Post-doctoral fellow from Osmania University Campus for International Programs, Hyderabad. She is working currently in Bhupal Nobles' University Udaipur as the  Head of the Department of English - Faculty of Science, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities. She has been deputed as the Convenor of Board of Studies. Her other extension services are as the Adjunct Faculty of Legal English Writing and Research in the Faculty of  Law, BNU Udaipur and the Translator in Pratap Shodh Pratishthan (Oriental Archives Research Study Centre)  Bhupal Nobles' University Udaipur and English Language Trainer in Placement Cell. She has been since 2009  the Ph. D. Degree (Doctor of Philosophy) Research Supervisor - Bhupal Nobles' University Udaipur & Mohanlal Sukhadia University Udaipur, and have got five scholars awarded thesis from MLSU and two from BNU in the subject English Literature and five are registered under her supervision. She has special interest in holding Conference/Workshops (offline) Webinar/Seminar (Online) and loves to work as Concepts' writer, convenor, coordinator, Technical Operator, Organiser. Her UG and PG  Teaching Experience is  21 Years. She has been a prolific writer as a researcher and critic so credited with Publications more than 50 including books and research papers. Her area of research interest is in South Asian Indian Literature, American Literature and British Literature, besides cultural studies and film studies. She is confidently holding students' welfare activities such as  Inter-college Debates, Literary - Cultural Events, besides finding pastrime academic interest in Curriculum Development, Content writer, Canvas.com brochure, certificates, banner designer etc.