Browsing by Subject "Ambivalence"
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Item Ambivalence of Female Identity in A Woman of Substance(Central Department of English, 2012) Adhikari, Suresh KantaBarbara Taylor Bradford’s first novel, A Woman of Substance, a family saga, characterizes the hypnotic life of Emma Harte. This is the story of a young girl, a woman, a mother and a successful businesswoman. She is the index of an extraordinary matriarch who establishes her position by fulfilling her high dreams. She becomes prosperous in wealth but is vacant in terms of love. She realizes that endurance is better in life than of pursuing the revenge hastily. This thesis argues that the author has tried to prevail the feminist view through her story which ultimately becomes the victim of the social and cultural condition of the patriarchy. For example, Bradford gives great importance to a man’s name and lineage, with the character Edwina choosing the illegitimate father’s name, because of his social class. After completing her vendetta of sixty-plus years, Emma has achieved her economic independence and freedom. This is perhaps the most telling example of the protagonist’s ambivalent position that Bradford chooses to instill in Harte all the stereotypical qualities of successful men. With her success, she must have been a satisfied and a identified woman, however, despite the success, she still yearns the male's role in her life and as head of the household. She has realized herself as a lonely and unhappy person and is her vain pride which leads to the unnecessary family feud.Item Ambivalence of Power in Michelle Obama's Becoming(Central Department of English, 2019) Raut, SudipThis research paper entitled "Ambivalence of Power in Michelle Obama's Becoming" explores the cultural hegemony of the white supremacy over the black community in America on the ground of ambivalence of power. The concern of the black domination and discrimination and the way of treating black community by the supremacy of white society make the need for this research. Taking theoretical insights on cultural hegemony, cultural ambivalence, cultural identity and discursiveness of power as proposed by Antonio Gramsci, Homi K Bhabha, Stuart Hall and Michael Foucault respectively, this research reveals that any individual who rises from marginal ground to higher position feels hegemonic domination. Acquiring supreme power hardly means the ultimate solution of any form of hegemony and free from the ambivalence of power. This study discloses that Michelle Obama herself feels as the victim of cultural hegemony though she has been the First Lady of America. It is realized that the hegemonic sentiment occurs in Obama not because of any other forces except ambivalence she feels while executing power. This can be well addressed by foregrounding the multiple voices on the basis of ambivalence of power that focuses on the theory of cultural hegemony.Item Ambivalent Representation of Female Characters in Kamala Markandaya’sA Handful of Rice(Central Department of English, 2011) Dhakal, Kamala DeviThis project focuses on Markandaya'sA Handful of Rice(1966), a story that reveals the different nature of Indian women. And the research goes on to explore the ambivalent representation of women in thistext as they are represented in both traditional and radical ways. The project brings the protagonist Nalini in the mainstream of its study. Through the protagonist it has explored the mentality, behavior and thought of the Third World females as well as their relation with males. Moreover, the research explores the real conditions of women living in the Third World countries like male domination, exploitation and domestic violence. With the help of textual evidences, criticisms made by different critics,Third World feminist theories and other necessary tools and techniques, the research finds not only the ambivalent representation of characters, but also, while doing so, claims that the ambivalence in the novel reveals Kamala Markandaya’s inability to come out of the hangover of the traditional gender ideology on the one hand and on the other hand it also depicts the transitional nature of gender relation in the contemporary society.Item Cultural Ambivalence in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's The Thing Around Your Neck(Central Departmental of English, 2019) Gautam, KiranIn the story collection Things Around Your Neck Chimamanda Ngozi Adhichi basically raises the issue of Nigerial diaspora in American landscape. Adhichi is an African diasporic writer; she mainly raises the issue of immigrants in American landscape through stories. Issues, evidences, story and characters that are deployed in these stories are suffering from diasporic evidences. Identity crisis, inferiority complex and cultural hegemony are the common themes deployed in these stories. How their mindset is colonized mentally as well as physically is the issue incorporated these three stories. Adhichi presents these stories as the document of fluctuation, dilemma, cultural destruction, inferiority, cultural hegemony of the marginalized groups of people through the life of the characters Chinaza Okafor, Ofodile Udenwa, Akunna and Nkem. "The Thing Around your Neck", "The Arrangers of Marriage" and "Imitation". A Critique of Cultural Ambivalence" is the conclusion of the whole study which asserts that westernization of Nigerian culture has created some sort of anarchy and frustration upon Nigerian people. Keywords: Ambivalence, culture, diaspora, harmony, identityItem Cultural Ambivalence in ZadieSmith'sOn Beauty(Faculty of Art in English, 2018) Poudel, Guru PrasadThe research critically examines the relationship between two racially different characters Belsey and Kiki. Besley is a white person from Britain who marries African- American Kiki. The clash between liberal and conservative academic values and it leads the cultural ambivalence due to the mixed race. The marital relationship between the two different races results in the disharmony and hence became the victim of separate culture multi adjustment and troubles with children from mixed race. Kiki and Carlene remain the best friend despite the failed relationship of their family. In the line of Homi K. Bhabha, this thesis argues that Zadie Smith presents the culturally ambivalent character. Characters show the complex genealogy of each family and foretell the impact of cultural and familiar history will have on their London born children. There is a conflict between the white and black. In the novel, the story covers the difficulties of cultural difference and their children as they are comforted by the different society. Kiki is in ambivalent and inbetween state. She is in hybridity: she always tries to fit herself in the white surrounding that further leads her to frustration, ambivalence, alienated, and dislocated. It brings the loss of identity.Item Mimicry as the Survival Motive in Mohsin Hamid’s Moth Smoke(Department of English, 2021) Sharma, MadhusudanAvailable with full textItem Subversion of the Biological Identity in Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s Secret Daughter(Department of English, 2018) Joshi, Tara KumariThis research explores the conflict between biological and cultural identities which entail the identity crisis of the main character Ashain Shilpi Somaya Gowda’s novel Secret Dughter, who lives in America with her mixed race foster parents. The Researcher examines the issue of identity conflict and identity crisis from the perspective of the theory of identity by Stuart Hall,Richard Jenkins and Adrian Holliday. Going through the issue of identity conflict, this research presents identity crisis and the feeling of incomplete and uncertain inthe life of an adoptive girl,Asha. When her biological identity does not match with the culturally constructed identity then she goes through the identity crisis.This thesis tries to show how Asha’s classmate streat her as‘other’in the classroom leads to her through the identity crisis.At the very starting, there comes a problematic situation in herlifedue to the conflict of biological identity and culturally constructed identity but with the change of time, she gets the ultimate solution of her problems when her culturally constructed identity wins over her biological identity. Key Words: Identity Crisis, Culture, Conflict,Biological, Adaptation, Love, Hate, Ambivalence, Hybridity, Discrimination, GenderItem Tension between Tradition and Modernity in Markandaya's A Silence of Desire(Central Departmental of English, 2019) Chudali, LaxmiThe present research paper tries to investigate the clash between tradition and modernity in Kamala Markandaya's A Silence of Desire. This research focuses on western cultural encroachment upon Indian culture and tradition. It analyzes Sarojini's struggle to preserve her cultural heritage and tradition in the pace of changing time. The tension is primarily seen between the female and male characters who represent the tradition and modernity respectively. Sarojini valorizes her own tradition, culture and rituals and wants her womb tumour to be treated by faith healer but when Swamy suggests her to have operation in hospital, she does not deny him and willingly goes to hospital. Dandekar claims to be rational and scientific but what he perceives is colored by his distorted idea of rationality and science. He is trapped between two worlds, one 'scientific' not fully born, and the other, 'traditional' not fully thrown away. Markandaya's characters are in an ambivalent position: between tradition and modernity. They want to show outer reality even though they have no inner potentiality. It means they are hypocritical in nature. To analyze this problem, this research paper will analyze the text from alternative modernities perspectives forwarded by Dilip Parameshwar Gaonkar, Charles Taylor, Dipesh Chakrabarty and Ziauddin Sardar. Primarily, it will use Gaonkar's theory of Alternative Modernities which will point out to think of alternative modernities does not mean completely abandoning the Western discourse on modernity rather it incorporates the Eastern views side by side. Keywords: Alternative Modernity, Tradition, Modernity, Ambivalence, Culture