Heteroglossia and Polyvocal Situation in Mistry’s Story Collection Tales from Firozsha Baag
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Central Department of English
Abstract
This research is an enquiry into heteroglossia, polyvocality and democratic
novelistic features in Rohinton Mistry’sTales from Firozsha Baagand the
valorizationofBakhtinian notion of culture that is communal, popular and carival-
like. Some of the major stories oftheanthology are studied to see how the
authoritarian, monologic perspectives of the characters are cancelled and no
dominating, authoritarian, heroic voice rules the stories. The dominant cultural voices
of dustoor, the Parsee priest are cancelled in stories like “One Sunday” and
“Condolence Visit” by the relatively feeble voices of Rustomji and Daulat
respectively. The ethical and cultural correctness ofNajamai’s voice that blames poor
boy named Francis as a thief and beats him in “One Sunday” are tested and doubted in
“Of White Hair and Cricket” and “Condolence Visit.” The unitary voices are
unsettled throughout the anthology letting room for the play of multiple voices.
Grotesque and carnival are valorized in the stories like “The Collectors” and “The
Ghost of Firozsha Baag” in which the Eric satisfies his bodily desire making Jehangir
masturbate him and Pesi chases Vera and Dolly to see their sexual organs
respectively. The Parsee phrases like ‘dustoor’, ‘baap re!’establish the language-
culture nexus and valorize the folk, popular culture as Bakhtin advocates.
Heteroglossic, novel-like, democratic situation prevails throughout Mistry’s
anthology.