Women, Language and Literature

Paper Code: 
WMS 501
Credits: 
3
Contact Hours: 
45.00
Max. Marks: 
100.00
Objective: 

This paper introduces students to read language in service of patriarchy. This is made in such a way that even if students without a background study of Literature get a glimpse of ways in which Literature works in constructing values and how women’s autobiography sees the world around them.

9.00
Unit I: 
Introduction to Language as a patriarchal construct

Introduction to Language as a patriarchal construct in Primary and Secondary Education, Abuses on Women’s bodies

9.00
Unit II: 
Images of women in literary text by men & women writers

Images of women in literary text by men & women writers – Rabindranath Tagore’s Binodini, Sharat Chandra’s Charitraheen, Munshi Premchand’s Kafan, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s Ekadasi, Darisi Annapurnamma’s Gnanamba

 

9.00
Unit III: 
Autobiographies of women

Autobiographies of women: Tarabai Shinde’s ‘Stri Purush Tulana’, Vina Mazumdar’s Memories of a Rolling Stone, Prabha Khetan’s Anya se Ananya

9.00
Unit IV: 
Depiction of Women in Ramayana and Mahabharata

Depiction of Women in Ramayana and Mahabharata: Sita, Urmila, Ahilya, Manthara, Kaikeyi, Mandodari; Gandhari, Madhavi, Draupadi, other wives of Pandavasa – Hidimba and Subhadra.

 

9.00
Unit V: 
Expectation from women due to dominance of a particular Literature

Expectation from women due to dominance of a particular Literature (English/Hindi) Shakespeare’s Taming of a Shrew; Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice; Tulsidas’ Ramcharitmanas, Krishna Sobti’s Mitro Marjani

Essential Readings: 

Unit I

Susie Tharu and Lalita K (ed.) Women’s Writing in India, 600 BC to Twentieth Century, Volume I & II, OUP, New Delhi, 2009 Introduction Vol. I pp 1-38

Unit II

Sharat Chandra’s Charitraheen, Rabindranath Tagore’s Binodini, Munshi Premchanda’s Kafan,

Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s Ekadasi, Darisi Annapurnamma’s Gnanamba in Susie Tharu and Lalita K (ed.) Women’s Writing in India, 600 BC to Twentieth Century, Volume I & II, OUP, New Delhi, 2009 pp 421-424, 451-459

Unit III

Tarabai Shinde’s ‘Stri Purush Tulana’ in Susie Tharu and Lalita K (ed.) Women’s Writing in India, 600 BC to Twentieth Century, Volume I & II, OUP, New Delhi, 2009, pp. 223-234

Vina Mazumdar’s Memories of a Rolling Stone, Kali for Women, New Delhi 2010

Prabha Khetan’s Chhinnamasta

Unit IV

C Rajgopalachari, Ramayan and Mahabharat.

Unit V

Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew;

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice;

Krishna Sobti’s Mitro Marjani

Academic Session: