The French scholar, Roland Barthes says the readers are born at the cost of the death of the authors. In his book of literary criticism titled “The Death of the Author (1967)”, Barthes consciously considers a writer a “death” once he or she has published the raw copy of the manuscript, which has been copied as raw as the scribbles of any other writer. When the writers remain dead, the readers (alive) provide light and lives to the author’s work by interpreting and re-interpreting the meanings from the texts through the lens of various theories of literary criticism.
In literature, the term “Criticism” is understood as an “evaluation” rather than considering it a “mechanism of censorship.” This is why the readers reconstruct the lives of the authors through their interpretations (writerly texts) of their works (readerly texts). It is obvious that the readers turn the houses into homes, built by the writers.
This book has been written carefully by interpreting the selected articles through the lens of various appropriate theories of literary criticism. The text is much simplified and understandable which would help exemplify the analysis of the texts through the readers’ interpretations. The author expects that this book would be essentially useful to a range of readers (both college students and researchers in literature) in their academic endeavors.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Abstract
- Keywords: Rite de passage, rites of initiation, experience, incorporation
- Samskara: A Rite of Passage
- Separation
- Transitional or Liminal Phase
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze Praneshacharya's journey of self-discovery in the novel "Samskara" through the lens of Arnold Van Gennep's model of rites of passage. The protagonist's struggle with tradition and modernity, and his quest for salvation, are explored through the three phases of separation, transition, and incorporation. This analysis highlights the irony of a rite for a dead man becoming a rite of passage for the protagonist's entire life.
- Rite de Passage and its application to Praneshacharya's journey
- The conflict between tradition and modernity within the Brahmin community
- Praneshacharya's struggle with his own identity and the search for self-realization
- The significance of external and internal conflicts in driving the protagonist's transformation
- The role of sensory experience and the "fall from grace" in Praneshacharya's journey
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The novel "Samskara" opens with Praneshacharya, an orthodox Brahmin, performing daily rituals in his conservative agrahara. His life revolves around tradition and the pursuit of salvation, symbolized by his marriage to an invalid woman. However, the death of Naranappa, who has defied Brahmin norms, throws Praneshacharya into a crisis. This event, coupled with his encounter with Chandri, triggers his internal conflict and sets him on a journey of self-discovery.
Praneshacharya's “slip” with Chandri marks the beginning of his separation from the Brahmin community. He experiences a sense of falling from grace, realizing the limitations of his traditional life. This “fall” becomes his rite of initiation, forcing him to question his identity and the meaning of life. He detaches from the familiar world of the agrahara, leaving behind his old life and venturing into the unknown.
In the transitional phase, Praneshacharya enters a state of limbo, experiencing new and challenging events. His encounter with Putta of Maleras exposes him to the world beyond the agrahara, leading to a deeper understanding of the complexities of life and the limitations of his previous beliefs. This stage is characterized by uncertainty and self-discovery as Praneshacharya grapples with the contrasting realities of his old and new experiences.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The central keywords and focus topics of the text include: "rite de passage," "rites of initiation," "Samskara," "tradition and modernity," "Brahmin community," "Praneshacharya," "self-discovery," "separation," "transition," "incorporation," "Arnold Van Gennep," and "cultural conflict."
- Quote paper
- Tashi Gyeltshen (Author), 2021, Analysis of selected texts through a flower of literary criticism, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1066562
