Disability and Selfhood in Jhamak Ghimire's A Flower in the Midst of Thorns

Abstract

This thesis studies how Jhamak Ghimire's autobiographical work A Flower in the Midst of Thorns brings various ideas and feelings related to the life of differently able people. The book presents author’s own vulnerability caused by her physical limitations as a ‘disabled’ person when growing as a child. Not only that she also highlights the discriminations of society towards physically challenged people. She has shown that a physically challenged person is regarded as a lesser human being, a burden and unworthy entity. This research explores Jhamaks rebels and resistance toward pejorative attitude o society for the physically challenged people. She reveals by using her toes instead of hand to write, she reveals by proving herself mentally capable of academic performance. She reveals discarding the humiliations and proving herself someone worthy to honour by country's best literary award. This research tries to bring toward the most important but often ignored issue that physical disability should not be only criteria to judge people.

Keywords: Disability, Selfhood Nepali Literature, Autobiography, Self-perception.