Existential Heroine in Banira Giri’s The Prison

Abstract

This research aims at delving into the concept of cultural ambivalence in The Bostonians and Tar Baby. Produced in two different epochs of history, these two American novels examine the consciousness of female protagonists as shaped by their birth, education, experience, exposure and the socio-political milieu of their time. This research comparatively tries to explore what factors lead to the feeling of ambivalence in the characters and how they adapt themselves to the process. In essence, this study gives an appraisal on how natural impulses along with social factors can be the catalysts in shaping the human consciousness.