Resistance to Gender and Caste Subalternity in Mahasweta Devi’s The Glory of Sri Sri Ganesh

Abstract

In this thesis, I try to depict a picture of male and caste hegemony in Indian men and caste dominated society and the voice of women and dalits who speak out against it. To illustrate how patriarchal and caste-based ideologies treat women and Dalits, and how their resistance plays a crucial role in challenging the traditions that uphold patriarchy and caste. Mahasweta Devi chooses Barha, a real location in India, to tell a story of Lachhima whose sufferings are familiar to us because they are the events from the real society. In order to complete this task, I have drawn on the gender and caste Subaltern Studies presented in “Can the Subaltern Speak?” by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, “Politics of the Female Body” by Ketu H. Katrak and Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar’s Annihilation of Caste. The purpose of this thesis is to examine how women and dalits can confront the patriarchal and caste-based environment, and change it for the betterment of all other women and dalits utilizing a variety of strategies, such as resistance, internalized exile, spoken out and others. Therefore, this thesis attempts to broaden the horizon of alternatives for preserving gender and caste equality in the society to make it a better place to live in. It illustrates the social, economic, psychological, and political significance of the effort of genderand caste subalterns to oppose patriarchy and untouchability. The voice of Lachhima against patriarchal and caste hegemony should motivate other women and dalits for liberation and equality in the present society as well. Keywords: Torture, Exploitation, Gender and Caste Subaltern, Realization, Resistance, Victory