"The Thousand Faces of Night" is not just a womanist novel but it is a definite feminist writing in which myths are revisioned, rewritten, and retold from a female point of view. The focus of the novel is on the inner lifes of women, the 'inner spaces' are reflected in detail.
The analysis on hand sets its central focus on the relation between myth or stories and the women in the Novel. It presents how the female point of view differs from the male discourse, especially by contrasting myths form the Mahabharata with stories from the Sanskrit. A brief explanation about Manu is included, as well as a rudimentary interpretation of Gita Hariharan's use of metaphors are included.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Indian Womanist Writing
3. Revisioning Myth and Reality in Three Generations
3.1. Mother – Daughter Relationship
3.2. Grandmother’s Retellings from the Mahabharata
3.2.1 Between Myth and Reality
a. The Swayamvara
b. Blind Anger
c. The Snake – Man
d. A Female Revenger
3.3. Mayamma’s Memories
4. The Male Discourse
4.1. Mahesh’s Expectations as a Husband
4.2. Motherhood as a Male Concern
4.3. Manu and Women
4.3.1. Guiding Stories of Baba
5. Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines how Githa Hariharan’s novel "The Thousand Faces of Night" employs feminist revisionism to challenge patriarchal structures by reinterpreting Indian mythology. It specifically investigates the tension between traditional male-dominated narratives and the lived experiences of female characters across three generations.
- Feminist re-visioning of Indian mythological epics.
- Generational transmission of stories and their impact on female identity.
- The role of motherhood as both a source of power and a tool for patriarchal control.
- Contrasting the female experience with the rigid "male discourse" in society.
- The use of metaphors to symbolize women's quest for autonomy and emancipation.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2. Grandmother’s Retellings from the Mahabharata
The relationship between Devi and her grandmother is sort of a magical intimacy, since her grandmother opens a new world for Devi by re-telling her stories from the Indian epic Mahabharata. She teaches her grandchild cunning and gives her through her purposeful re-telling of stories about rather marginal women, like Draupadi and Gandhari, an instruction to manage her life through all that enclosures.
So, myths, as a female discourse, represent also an escape for Devi from patriarchy and patriarchal defined womanhood, as it is to see in her identification with a female warrior and her fascination of strong mythical women, who destroy man controlled dynasties.
With her „narration [as] a kind of revisionist myth-making in its own right [...] she[, the grandmother,] retrieves the [...] figures of Gandhari, Amba and Ganga- [...] [who are] invisible in patriarchal versions of myths.“16 These women „protest against exploitation in their own powerful ways.“ 17
Devi’s character develops as a consequence of the fictional and real-life stories, which are told to her and observed by her one after the other.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: The author outlines the feminist intent of the novel, focusing on the revision of myths and the exploration of women's inner spaces.
2. Indian Womanist Writing: This chapter contextualizes the "myth-busting" era of the 1980s, where female writers reclaimed mythology to counter male-dominated discourses.
3. Revisioning Myth and Reality in Three Generations: The author analyzes how three generations of women navigate patriarchal constraints through the reinterpretation of stories and shared experiences.
3.1. Mother – Daughter Relationship: This section explores the complex, often restrictive bond between Sita and Devi, highlighting Devi's search for autonomy and her mother's internal struggles.
3.2. Grandmother’s Retellings from the Mahabharata: The chapter focuses on the grandmother's influential role in providing Devi with alternative, female-centric interpretations of epic mythology.
3.2.1 Between Myth and Reality: This part examines specific mythic figures like Damayanti, Gandhari, Gauri, and Amba as allegories for women's survival and protest.
3.3. Mayamma’s Memories: Mayamma's life story is presented as a brutal reality that validates the theoretical suffering found in myths, grounding the novel in lived female existence.
4. The Male Discourse: This chapter critiques how patriarchal structures in India use myths to enforce traditional female roles and maintain gender power imbalances.
4.1. Mahesh’s Expectations as a Husband: The author analyzes the relationship between Mahesh and Devi, where Mahesh represents the patriarchal expectations of a compliant wife.
4.2. Motherhood as a Male Concern: This section discusses the "ideology of motherhood" as a mechanism used by society to regulate and subordinate women.
4.3. Manu and Women: The focus is on the "Laws of Manu" and how these ancient mandates historically provided the patriarchal framework for the subjugation of women.
4.3.1. Guiding Stories of Baba: The author details how Baba uses Sanskrit stories to enforce traditional virtues, contrasting with the grandmother's empowering narratives.
5. Conclusion: The summary reflects on the central metaphors of flight and the womb, suggesting that emancipation requires breaking away from traditional patriarchal enclosures.
Keywords
The Thousand Faces of Night, Githa Hariharan, Indian Womanist Writing, Feminist Myth-making, Patriarchy, Mahabharata, Motherhood, Gender Injustice, Manu, Autonomy, Sita, Devi, Mythology, Post-colonial Literature, Female Discourse.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the central focus of this paper?
The paper explores how the Indian novelist Githa Hariharan utilizes and rewrites traditional Indian myths to provide a feminist perspective on the lives of contemporary Indian women.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include the conflict between patriarchal societal expectations and individual female identity, the role of mythology in shaping women's lives, and the struggle for autonomy across generations.
What is the main objective of the analysis?
The primary goal is to analyze how the female characters in "The Thousand Faces of Night" create their own spaces of emancipation by reinterpreting epics like the Mahabharata and challenging the "male discourse."
Which methodology is employed in this paper?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, contrasting traditional patriarchal myths with the gynocentric perspectives of the novel's characters to highlight gender injustice.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body examines the influence of three generations of women, the restrictive nature of husband-wife relationships, the ideological control over motherhood, and the impact of the Laws of Manu.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as Feminist Myth-making, Patriarchy, Indian Womanist Writing, and Gender Injustice.
How does the author interpret the grandmother's stories?
The grandmother's stories are interpreted as empowering, revisionist tools that provide Devi with a "female utopia" and a way to understand her own life outside traditional boundaries.
What role do the "Laws of Manu" play in the novel?
They serve as a patriarchal leitmotif that the father-in-law, Baba, uses to define the "ideal" woman as a selfless, dutiful, and property-like figure, representing the antithesis of the feminist movement.
- Citation du texte
- Kader Aki (Auteur), 2002, Mythology and reality in Githa Hariharan's "The thousand faces of night", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/57396
