The Politics of Counterfocalization in Malla’sKumari Shova
Date
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Department of English
Abstract
This dissertation is a critical discussion onVijay Malla’sKumari Shovaas an
exposure of how the focalizer is influenced by the superstitiousbelief regarding ideology,
race, and gender. On the surface, it seems that the focalizer represents new generation
and is sympathetic towards the victims (Kumari Shova) and Upendra (her lover) but in
fact the unrestricted narrator’s prejudice towards Living Goddess Kumari affects the
focalization as he freely enters the minds of characters. This shows the focalizer's will to
govern the characters by exercising his power over the focalized only from the
superstitious perspective. We cannot even claim whether the focalizer and the focalized
are as they are understood by thefocalizer; we cannot even claim whether it is the
understanding of the focalizer only or it is the understanding of both focalizer as well as
the writer. Therefore, Malla’sKumari Shov are quires counterfocalization from readers's
sidethat can only justify the characters by analyzing the focalizer’s discursive form,
which is guided by the particularities not only of space and time but also of gender,
ethnic and sexual choice