English

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14540/26

Browse

Now showing 1 - 20 of 3360

Necropolitics, Affirmative Ethics and Atwood‘s Speculation of an Integrated Human History in the Gilead Series
(2025) Dahal, Alisa; Anirudra Thapa
Margaret Atwood speculates a totalitarian regime Gilead in her novels The Handmaid's Tale (1985) and The Testaments (2019. It was formed under a coup after the civil war preceded by the assassination of the US president and collapse of the Congress. The state represses its people, especially women, to enforce forceful sex, marriage, pregnancy and births to cope with the population crisis induced by continuous wars, climate disasters and low human fertility rate. To execute these repressive policies, the state invents extreme forms of control mechanisms built on Puritan doctrines, militarism, pervasive surveillance and utter violence like public execution, selective killings, brutal punishments, violence and intimidation. Sinners and criminals like adulteresses, rapists and pedophiles are not tolerated, and women are cared for and controlled to manage the population. Quite contradictory to totalitarianism and repression, the state employs a female leader, Lydia to watch the ―female sphere‖ and carry out safe births. This thesis analyzes the extreme means of control and punishment on women and attempts to answer how and why the state resorts to such mechanisms ranging from militarism, theocracy, rampant surveillance to female leadership. This thesis examines how the state evokes positive response and support from the disempowered women. Furthermore, it probes into the implications of inclusion of a woman leader into state politics and unravels the rationale of such contradictions prevalent in state. Besides, it pays critical attention upon the plurality of forces and people performing their roles constructively and flexibly in the reduced circumstances. This thesis is framed under interpretive research design and is substantiated by interpretation and criticality as theoretical underpinnings under constructivist approach as explained by Creswell and Creswell. This approach helps to reflect and understand reality constructed by four female narrators from their experiences and observations as main victims and witnesses of the repression, and supports the interpretation of women‘s responses to state politics. Moreover, it employs Butler‘s theory of performance to deepen the understanding of shifting roles and responsibilities, openness and fluidity of identities. It uses the conceptual framework built on Mbembe‘s concept of necropolitics, Braidotti‘s approach of affirmative ethics, Butler‘s concept of frames of war and Agamben‘s idea of ―state of exception‖ to discuss why and how the regime violates law, eliminates selective population of women, and executes repressive rules by employing a female leader. Mbembe‘s concept of sovereign right for selective killing and Braidotti‘s ideas about sacrificial deaths, legalized euthanasia, use of technothanatological weaponry and ―ethos of engagement‖ are relevant tools to analyze the totalitarian regime, its people framed in different categories and their performances to live through the unprecedented crisis in Gilead as a ―state of exception‖. This thesis concludes that the state violence, repression, selective killings and extreme forms of control on its people are neither for sovereignty, elimination of the enemies as by racism nor a tool for eugenics but they are critical choices the state has to make when all other alternatives of saving the human future are exhausted by itself in the pretext of wars, nationality and individual freedom. Consigning the political power to the woman leader is the recognition of women‘s agency unacknowledged in the history but crucial in lifting up the fallen societies and rebuilding peace. Atwood‘s implication is of a collective battle as the ultimate resolve to fight against the shared precariousness and common vulnerability of the imminent human future. Unity can overcome the unprecedented crisis. Empathy, compassion, forgiveness, affirmative ethics and charity founded on self-criticism, critical retrospection and sense of oneness can rebuild an integrated history. Proposed as a design to live the future under the constant threat of ever-going wars, the rehearsal of thoughts in this discourse can trigger affirmative response and transformative approaches to crises in the uncharted chapters humanity is likely to face. To conclude on what Atwood says: ―imagination influences hope‖ and on what Braidotti claims: ―words are sonic acts‖, this thesis draws upon the chilling experiences of the repressive rule of Gilead and keeps readers aware and critical about contemporary wars and violence, and the past. Implicitly, it asks us to be prepared to take the dystopian future if navigated otherwise. Rigorous in tone, Atwood, nevertheless gives hope providing patterns of lives to live through similar situations awhile and learn to resist them, meanwhile. Keywords: affirmative ethics, critical retrospection, ethos of engagement, necropolitics, repression, shared vulnerability
Culture Commodifying Human in Henry James' The Spoils of Poynton
(2016) Bhatt, Jagadeesh; Ram Chandra Paudel
This research looks into Henry James’s The Spoils of Poynton from the perspective of Neo Marxism. The late capitalism is essential to address the exploitation of capitalism as mode of oppression is also changed in the society. Human emotion and sacred social institutions like marriage are commodified in the era of late capitalism. Economic concern and other pragmatic consideration have become so pressing and overpowering that people are almost bound to forget sanctity of human feelings and sentiments. Both Owen and Mona treat marriage as commodity which can be trade and transacted with money. They count it in monetary terms. It is just a tool to make money and create solid financial prospect in their lives. In the novel Mona is dismissive of her mother-in-law's aesthetic pursuit and passion. Her mother in law had spent lots of her energy and youths to collect different types of artifacts and artworks. Her dedication to artistic pursuit and passion is memorable. But her daughter in law is highly dismissive of her dedication to art, and aesthetics. Mona sees only the utility in the objects of aesthetic works. She goes to the extent of burning Mrs. Gereth's souvenirs assuming that they have no practical and pragmatic worth. The commodified interest of both Owen and Mona match. So they live. Before they decide to live together, they had made up their mind to avoid sexual entanglement. But as their nuptial life continues, they violate all such terms and conditions.
Cultural History of True History of the Kelly Gang: A Subaltern Study
(2016) Shrestha, Brinda; Beerendra Pandey
The autobiography True History of the Kelly Gang written by Australian writer Peter Carey, projects historical socio-cultural subaltern issues at the core. The novel presents Australian historical cultural transformation from colonial, postcolonial period to contemporary era of globalization. Analyzed from this perspective, the novel communicates the most predominant issues of class, culture, history and the elements of oppressed and marginalized lower class people in the cultural historical context of Australia. The analysis of the text draws on subaltern theory and the concept of cultural history. The study focuses the main characters Ned who is killer, highwayman and criminal. The study argues that Carey has come up with representations of the subaltern and shows the oppressed and marginalized status in Australian society.
Voice for Female Empowerment in Telling a Tale
(2015) Neupane, Madhu Sudan; Not available
The research work in Telling a Tale finds women empowerment is possible only through educational, social, cultural and economic change in the society. This research work finds that men made social and cultural practices are hindrances to women that made women dependent to them socially, culturally, and economically. The male members in the society think that women are their property and there is a psychology that they should be treated according to their own wish and do not let them in the process of economic earning. The research work finds out the causes of women domination is due to men's stereotypical and unchanged mind since history which are hindrance to overall freedom to women. If women are aware, they may struggle against men. Now, women are empowered and educated in the society. They do not want to become burden to their husbands economically or socially. It claims that different movements towards women, worldly changed situation towards women, global impact, and compulsory education in the state are the causes to subvert the social views towards women.
Sibling Quest for Family Reunification in Khaled Hosseini’s And the Mountains Echoed
(2015) Aryal, Arjun; Jiblal Sapkota
The present research centres on the sibling quest in Hosseini’sAnd the Mountains Echoed by utilization of different narrative storytelling and presenting familial relationship, sacrifice, hope of reunion. The main character Pari is sold to Kabul. The separation of the two siblings, Abdullah and Pari, is the heart of the book. Both subsequently become "victims of the passage of time": Abdullah, who is older and remembers Pari, agonizes over her loss for most of his life, while Pari is younger and able to forget her brother after losing him. However, by the end of the book, Pari remembers Abdullah and locates him in the United States only to discover that he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and has forgotten her. Especially, Pari and Abdhulla who are bound to separate from each other because of their different circumstances and conditons, but they are united at the ending of the novel. They spend many years without seeing. Tht is to say they suffer from the sense of ownness. A kinds of the sense of dislocateedness tortures them. The novelist has really shown the love of brothers and sisters. The other chracters like Markus and Thalia who are lso brother and sister are compelled to be isolated from each other. They are also united at the end of the novel which can be taken as instance of unification of familiar relation. At the end, Pari and Abdulla, and Marky and Thalia mneet their dear ones because of their strong toil and dedication for quest for ownness. Here we can claim that they can not leave their own native culture although they are settled in western soceity. If they had lacked such desire for own rootness, they would not have reunited with each others. Khaled Hosseini the Afghan-American writer beautifully delves into the subtleties of human relationships. In his novels, Hosseini has expressed his concern about the wretched conditions of the people in general and women in particular who have been doubly marginalized –one by the society and the other within the four walls of their homes. Drawing upon the notion of E.D. Hirsch's notion of "The Aims of Interpretation" (1976), this reserch proves the hypothesis.
Gender Stigma in Jean Rhys’ Wide Sargasso Sea
(2015) Upreti, Punya Prasad; Shankar Subedi
This research analyzes the issue of stigma in the novel Wide Sargasso Sea. Antoinette goes mad due to ill treatment into the hands of patriarchal society. She suffers from discrimination and exploitation by her husband and her condition further deteriorates. She is stigmatized as a mentally derailed woman. This stigmatization shows the plight and suffering of high class Victorian wives and mother, the limited social space and negligence of the male towards her makes her feel imprisoned. Antoinette’s heart and spirit is broken and she shows signs of an emotionally weak, confused and unbalanced woman. Rochester is cruel and call her Bertha, her mad mother’s name. In England she is physically and mentally imprisoned and when the torture crosses normal limits she sets fire on the house and kills herself. Her death is a result of stigmatization because of which she had to suffer a lot.
Quest for Cultural Identity in Mira Nair’s Movie The Namesake
(2016) Thekare, Toi Raj Singh; Shankar Subedi
The present research entitled “Quest for Cultural Identity in Mira Nair’s movie The Namesake” explores the cultural identity in diaspora, dislocation and pain of constructing a new life in a different world. In building a new life, something must be destroyed. This paper looks in to the state of name and sense of identity and belongingness of the characters of Indian origins and immigrants in the USA. The question of fix identity through perspective of first and second generation Diasporas seem ambiguous and in dilemma. Naming in The Namesake symbolizes the feeling of hybrid subject, or trans-cultural identity. Now days people are intentionally move to different places in the world, but they cannot change their cultural identity easily so it makes hardships to stay new place with their old cultural route. Because of their cultural route there is a clash between generations and such clashes become multiculturalism or hybrid culture.
Abolitionist voice in The Interesting Narrative Of Life Of Olaudah Equiano Or Gustavus Vassa
(2016) Gautam, Runa; Not available
The research work analyzes the abolitionist voice of the protagonist or the author Olaudah Equiano in the narrative written by himself. The autobiographical narrative The interestive narrative of life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa puts light on the horrible treatment of whites to the blacks during the time of slavery. As such, this thesis explores the sole aspiration of the blacks to get liberation and emancipation from slavery. Admittedly, abolition of slavery was the dream of every black people. The major argument is that racism is responsible for such fierceful domination, suppression and violation. Slaves were no more taken as human being. Colour is the means to identify race and a way of establishing the relationship between the masters and the slaves. Olaudah Equiano undergoes this form of suppression. He gets sold for ten times to different masters and faces many problems as normal slaves in that scenario face. However, he gets managed to liberate from slavery in the later part of his life. He works as the abolitionist after being free. Thus, the thesis argues that a desire for freedom is the key factor for the slaves to resist the institution of slavery.
Representing the Voiceless in J.M. Coetzee’s In the Heart of the Country
(2015) K.C., Rajendra Bahadur; Beerendra Pandey
The focus of this research is in the area of color discrimination, gender domination and exploitation of the servants by the hypocritical and illegal behavior of the white masters to their servants. Such a study is important in order to investigate the gap between the servants and masters and the relations among them. The research approach adopted in this dissertation includes subaltern studies from the perspective of Gayatri Spivak’s, “Can the Subaltern Speak?” An application of the theory of subaltern to Coetzee's In the Heart of the Country throws light on the problems in representing the subaltern by a white South African writer. The findings from this research provide evidence that servants are dehumanized, tortured and exploited by their masters physically and mentally. Female servant Anna is doubly victimized. The text is a presentation and critique of the violence inherent in the colonialist and imperialist mentality of the Western world. The main conclusions drawn from this study are that subalterns do not have mutual relations with other people. They are tortured, exploited, dehumanized and dominated by their masters. Masters or whites perform hypocritical behavior where as servants or blacks are loyal, honest and so on in their behavior. Subalterns cannot speak. This is due to their economy and agency. This dissertation recommends that the subalterns need to be empowered. If they are empowered in various arenas they can speak, they would not be dominated, exploited and tortured neither by their masters nor by the whites.
Spirituality and freedom in Swami Vivekananda's in search of God and other Poems
(2024) Bhatta, Yagya Raj; Krishna Chandra Sharma
This research explores the issues of spirituality and freedomin twelve selected poems from Swami Vivekananda's anthology, In Search of God and Other Poems. It aims to interpret the role of Vivekananda's spiritual thoughts to liberate people from colonial restrictions. The interpretation of the primary texts is based on the principles of inter-subjectivity, historicity, infinity of understanding, productivity, interrelatedness, hidden reality and linguistics found in Hans Georg Gadamer's two books: Philosophical Hermeneutics(1977) and Truth and Method(1960). Following qualitative research design, this study attempts to fill the gap between spiritual thinking and materialistic hunger through Swami Vivekananda's poems, which favour spirituality, freedom and tranquillity. Poems such as "In Search of God,” "The Song of the Free," "Kali, the Mother," "Peace," "On the Sea's Bosom," "Misunderstood," and "A Benediction,"emphasize spirituality, whereas "My Play is Done," ""The Cup," The Song of the Sannyasin," "To the Awakened India," and "To the Fourth of July" advocate for freedom. The use of imagery of nature, metaphors, similes and symbols enhance spiritual thoughts in his poems. During Vivekananda's life, the Indians were suffering from British colonialism. So, he expressed his longing for freedom through his poems and advised them to follow the concepts of service to man as service to God. These ideas are quite relevant to replacing the hunger for material prosperity and selfishness. He appeals to Goddess 'Kali', regarded as 'Bharat Mata' or the incarnation of ‘Shakti', to destroy the evils and save innocent people. He recognized Indian's spiritual thoughts by addressing World’s Religious Conference in Chicago in 1893. Hence, I have found him to be a source of spiritual thoughts, freedom fighter, positive ideals, humanity, patriotism and optimism to lead life in a more progressive and scientific way. Keywords: Hermeneutics, spirituality, liberty, linguistics, interrelatedness and historicity.
Subversive Female Agency in Parijat's under the sleepless mountain
(2011) Acharya, Tara Prasad; Amar Raj Joshi
The present research on Parijat’s Under the Sleepless Mountain seeks to foreground the complex ontological and epistemological condition of women in Nepalese society. Basic thrust of the research lies in depicting how women blur the boundaries of patriarchy. In this line present research analyzes that female character devise subversive agency to consume the confidence of patriarchy that subjected to women. Nepalese women have adopted the course paved by male despite their numerous efforts and desires. Parijat relates the story of marginalized female and their socio-economic life in the local level with their conscious spirit about their position in the patriarchal society. As the domination and subordination keep on going, women characters are hegemonized and their consciousness against the male ideology is yet to come through the continuous effort.
From Novel to Screen; A compartive study on Jhumpa Lahari's The Namesake and its Film Adaptation
(2011) Gaihre, Tulsa; Saroj Sharma Ghimire
This research studies the relationship between the novel The Namesake and its film adaptation. While a novel is a written work of art designed to be read, a film is a visual and aural art to be seen and heard. Nonetheless, they share a number of elements like narrative, setting, plot and so forth. This research examines how the novel The Namesake and its film adaptation stand as unique works of art in spite of their having played on the same narrative. Though, the film adaptation shares the theme of identity crisis with the novel, it differs in the representation of other aspects of the novel. These variations are the result of the media each of the art form adopts. Despite some variations, the film adaptation however, has maintained its fidelity towards the novel while remaining a distinct creative work of art. In the film, the theme of identity crisis and awkwardness of the second-generation's assimilation is clearly visible. Sometimes just a single shot of the film is enough to replace a page or more descriptive passages of the novel. It is all due to the creativity of the film.
Ambiguous Adventure cultural Pangs of Bengali - Americans in Lahiri's Unaccustomed Earth
(2009) Bhandari, Saurav; Rajendra Kumar Panthee
Not available
Gandharva Songs; subaltern's subversion of Hegemony
(2009) Dhakal, Bharat Raj; Krishna Chandra Sharma
Gandharvas reproduce hegemonic discourses of the upper class and caste in their songs. But their songs also undermine such discourses by representing their real subaltern life marked by double domination and victimization based on class and caste. Such songs primarily deal with the issues of subjugation, marginalization, suffering, pain and poverty and call for equality, liberty and justice. The spontaneity and performativity of Gandharva songs allow the possibility of resistance in the local level. Their songs, though used for the political or cultural purposes of the elites at several occasions in history, show that Gandharvas do not lack the class consciousness but the organized social movement for resistance. Their compromise with the hegemonic structures needs to be understood not only as acceptance of hegemony but also as a strategy for survival in an uneven society. This notion is further underscored by the fact that they have developed their own subculture, own language, rituals and modes of life which can function as the counter hegemonic culture and discourse. Besides, performativity of their songs generates such power that it is sometimes used by the rulers as a means of expressing and justifying their social position to the public. On the other times, this power of perfomativity shapes the consciousness of their real life condition and the spirit of resistance.
Female agency in Manjushree Thapa's selected stories from Tilled Earth
(2024) Dhakal, Bina; Mahesh Paudyal
Manjushree Thapa's Tilled Earth includes the stories of different characters that have directly or indirectly encountered gender discrimination and women exploitation and vigorously raise the voice of underprivileged women in the Nepali Society. Women empowerment, social and cultural transformation are the major issues. This thesis further analyses the degree of deprivation and isolation of women from mainstream of the state on the basis of theory of female agency which reflects an account of their capacity for individualized choice and action. In this thesis, for the study five short stories are selected from the Tilled Earth such as “Soar”, “Nineteen Years His Junior”, “The Student in Love”, “The Newly Appointed Chemistry Professor” and “The Girl of No Age”. In this thesis qualitative method has been used where content analysis is the main approach used to articulate the female agency. Women need protection and equitable right and justice to enrich their capacity regarding public decision making. How literary work could support for the gender equality with empowerment in the existing society is the major issues of this thesis. More importantly in this thesis, Chandra Talpade Mohanty , Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak , Ketu H. Katrak and Aletheia Donald et al. theories are being used. This thesis concludes that in the selected short stories Thapa’s virtuosity has been found to use the female agency marvelously. Key words: gender discrimination, cultural transformation, underprivileged, deprivation, empowerment, virtuosity, marvelously
Egalitarianism and enviromental awareness in P.B. Shelley's selected Poems
(2024) Dumre, Sita; Bal Bahadur Thapa
This research examines environmental concerns in P. B. Shelley's selected poems. Shelley's poems are based on nature and natural phenomena. Shelley highlights the nature more than the humans. Humans are shown inferior to the nature and natural things. Birds, mountains, forest, and rivers is shown more powerful than other things or human beings in the poems. Shelley advocates for the egalitarian society for both human and nature where there is harmonious relation with nature. The interpretative framework of research studies such ecological concerns from the perspective of ecocriticism with a focus on ethics and egalitarianism. Deriving the insights from the scholars like CheryllGlotfelty,Greg Garrard and Kevin Hutchings, this study claims that Shelley's poetic egalitarianism subverts the conventional hierarchical relation between human and nature and thus advocates for new kind of relation between them based on equality. His poems give the cyclic picture of human beings as well as nature. Key words: environment, ecocriticism, ecology, egalitarian, natural phenomena, environmental literature.
Conflict and resistance in Greta Rana's Guests in this country ; A deveolpment Fantasy
(2024) Pariyar, Sangita; Bal Bahadur Thapa
This study examines conflict and resistance in Greta Rana's allegorical novel Guests in This Country: A Development Fantasy from the perspective of Anti- Orientalist Studies and Subaltern Studies. This study sheds light on the socio- economic crisis, cultural degeneration, and neo-colonial hegemony inflicted on the subalterns. Such discrimination and exploitation make subalterns fight against the dominant elites and continue resisting. Since social and economic status sets the notion of hierarchy within the society, this qualitative study interrogates the dichotomy of theory and practice prevalent even in democratic countries. Surprisingly, the international aid agencies, as guests in Global South, are widening differences between rich and poor rather than enduring its eradication, and thereby, they play a proxy role in neo-colonization under the guise of development. They support the native elites from within the countries. This thesis points out Greta's presumption on the categorization and domination of people pervading caste, and class. In addition to this, the conflicts portrayed in the novel can be observed as resistance to elite domination. Deriving insights from Subaltern Studies and Edward Said's Orientalism, the study explains the resistance of marginalized communities to ruling elites. Keywords: Conflicts, Subalternity, Resistance, Caste discrimination, Untouchability, Hegemony, Resistance
Black Aesthetic in literacy expressinon; struggle for justice in the Novels of morrison and Whitehead
(2024) Ghimire, Rishiram; Anand Sharma
This study analyzes black novels such as Tony Morrison's Beloved (1987) and Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad (2016) and The Nickel Boys (2019) from the perspective of black aesthetic in order to manifest how these texts underpin social justice in black community. Black people are haunted by past oppression, exploitation and violence making it more difficult for them to have peace mind and get committed to ending the brutal past. This research work aims at justifying how these primary texts are the outcome of blacks' experiences and speak against the injustice upon them. In Beloved, Sethe runs away from the Sweet Home and kills her daughter. In The Underground Railroad, Cora undergoes an arduous journey and in The Nickel Boys Elwood gets nabbed by police and kept in reformatory school. The study focuses on solving the key questions: How do these novels distinctly portraying black aesthetic raise voice against injustice? In addition, it attempts to subsume the specific questions: Why do Sethe and Cora suffer and later decide to escape? What prevents Elwood from being a good boy in Nickel Academy to white authority? To respond to these questions, this study applies theoretical perspectives of black aesthetic envisioned by scholars such as W. E. B. Du Bois, who values art and literature that foster political cause, Larry Neal, for whom ethics and aesthetics are inseparable and stresses on the destruction of white things, white ideas and the white way of looking at the world, and LeRoi Jones, who claims the authenticity of black literature when it deals with the question of freedom. With regard to the insights of these scholars, this study concludes that these texts expound the painful history of black people and motivate them to release themselves from the shackles of racial injustice maintaining their history and heritage in the New World.
Mountaineering literature: Journey from self-discovery to transformation
(2024) Gautam, Pragya; Anita Dhungel
This research critically examines mountaineering narratives of renowned and legendary mountaineers who recount their awe-inspiring and perilous journeys to majestic peaks like Mount Everest and Annapurna. The allure of these majestic landscapes has long captivated adventures and mountaineers, offering a unique blend of beauty, challenge, and danger. Despite the associated hazards, mountaineers are drawn to undertake such extreme challenges. The study explores questions like what motivates mountaineers to ascend such formidable heights. It investigates how climbers perceive their triumphs as profound meditation, fostering self-discovery, personal transformation and ultimately, the pursuit of the sublime. To address these questions, the researcher employs descriptive, analytical, and interpretative methods to analyze a selection of mountaineering narratives. These include Sir Edmund Hillary's High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest (1955), Jamling Norgay Sherpa and Broughton Coburn’s Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa’s Journey to the Top of Everest (2001), Edmund Viesturs and David Roberts’s The Mountain: My Time on Everest (2013), Maurice Herzog's Annapurna: The First Conquest of an 8,000-Meter Peak (1997), Reinhold Messner's Annapurna: 50 Years Expeditions in the Death Zone (2000), and other relevant narratives. Through this analysis, the researcher aims to uncover the psychological, philosophical, and existential dimensions of mountaineering as portrayed in these texts. Additionally, this research offers a thorough exploration of the expeditions undertaken by women mountaineers, who have embarked on their journeys alongside their male counterparts. Among the noteworthy works examined in this context are Rebecca Stephens's On Top of the World (1994), Lene Gammelgaard's Climbing High: A Woman's Account of Surviving the Everest Tragedy (1999), Lhakpa Phuti Sherpa's Forty Years in the Mountains (2016), and Arlene Blum's Annapurna: A Woman's Place (2015). These works provide valuable insights into their experiences, struggles, and triumphs in high-altitude mountaineering. The selection criteria for these primary texts are based on diversity, encompassing narratives from both Western and non-Western perspectives and cultures to ensure a wide-ranging understanding of mountaineering and the experiences that they gain during their brave and bold escapades. Moreover, the inclusion of both male and female perspectives fosters gender inclusivity and ensures a broader exploration of the mountaineering experience. The primary objective of this research is to identify the purpose and motivation behind embarking on the perilous peaks of Mount Everest and Annapurna as reflected in mountaineering texts. Additionally, the study explores how human hubris in mountaineering converts into trepidation and terror, resulting in the recognition of one’s insignificance which ultimately, transforms individuals into resilient, compassionate, and wise beings. Additionally, it analyzes how the formidable terrain serves as a conduit to discover and transform, thereby leading the climbers into the realm of the sublime. The research methodology for this study is based on the theoretical concept of the sublime, as articulated by British philosopher Edmund Burke and German philosopher Immanuel Kant in their respective works, A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1823) and the “Analytic of the Sublime", a section of Critique of Judgment (1951). Additionally, it integrates perspectives from philosophers like Emily Brady and J. T. Boulton, who have contributed to the discourse on the sublime. After a thorough examination of selected texts written by legendary and renowned Everest and Annapurna summiteers, it can be noticed that their motivations extend beyond a mere passion for adventure. These climbers are in pursuit of self-discovery, transformation, and ultimately the experience of the sublime. Their expeditions testify that ascending a mountain is not just a physical feat but a transformative journey. This journey is marked by the relentless pursuit of defined goals, and daring exploration of the unknown, ultimately, reaching the summit. Despite their numerous risks and challenges, they attain a state of sublime, which allows profound insights and realizations about their place in the universe. This study makes a significant contribution to mountaineering literature, revealing that mountaineering transcends mere passion, adventure, or the quest for recognition. It affords climbers profound sublime experiences that transcend the mundane world. The transformative nature of these summit experiences fosters a new perspective on themselves and the world. The knowledge gained from this research is applicable in various sectors. Academicians and government authorities can use this information to design mountaineering courses. Additionally, it provides valuable insights into mountaineering and its impact on human life.
Social Exclusion and Exploitation in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable: A Subaltern Study
(2015) G.C., Bandana; Tej Narayan Adhikari
Untouchable is Mulk Raj Anand's first novel which brought him immense popularity and prestige. This novel shows the realistic picture of society through 18 year old boy, Bakha. He is the central character who suffers because of his lower caste. Anand is concerned with the curse of untouchability in pre-colonial period. The novel exposes how an untouchable boy is condemned to live a hellish life in so-called civilized society. Anand argues that the practice of untouchability is totally the matter of pretentious religiosity and exploitation. The novel describes a single day in the life of Bakha; belonging to the scavenger caste, commonly known as Bhangi in many Indian languages. There is sense of subordination among the privileged people. Even for water, the basic necessity of human existence, the sweepers have to depend on the mercy of the upper caste Hindus. Almost every page of the novel is drenched in Bakha’s unseen tears who patienty endures the most humiliating and depressing days of his life in this story. In their whole life the Bhang’s are forced to live in discrimination and hatred. This research attempt to reveal the social exclusion and exploitation from subaltern perspectives.

Browse

Recent Submissions