ISSN: 3048-6920 DOI: 10.70396 An Indian outlook on the World's Literature is ILN Journal: Indian Literary Narratives! India is a land of wisdom and intellectual prowess. The Golden Perspective that Indians have is unique and exclusive. We capture this stream of premium literary intelligence and projects it to the world. ILN Journal: Indian Literary Narratives is a peer-reviewed, open-access quarterly e-journal, that is published on the 30th of March, June, September and December. We accept research articles and book reviews from Indian academicians, Indian scholars, Indian researchers and Indian faculties of English Literature, English Language and Linguistics.
Intersections of Caste and Class in Mulk Raj Anand’s Untouchable, The Road, and Coolie
Section: Articles Keywords: Discrimination, Mulk Raj Anand, Social Exploitation, Untouchable, Casteism This article examines the societal prejudice in Untouchable and The Road by Mulk Raj Anand critically. It centres on the lower castes’ social and psychological oppression in traditional culture. Hindu scriptures explain the traditional caste system, which separates people into four main varnas: Kshatriyas, Brahmins, Shudras, and Vaishyas. Shudras were among these varnas or groups, working as labourers and providing services; they are untouchables and are subjected to severe prejudice and exploitation. Bakha, the protagonist of Untouchable (1935), is a lower caste sweeper who faces harsh societal limitations. His livelihood depends on upper castes, and he cannot access public resources like well water. Concomitant with its criticism of the hypocrisy of upper caste members and the exploitation of women, this book explores the ceremonial purifying procedures that serve as the foundation for the marginalization of members of lower castes. Albeit, advancements in knowledge and progress, the poorer castes in an Indian village continue to face economic exploitation and social inequity in The Road (1961). Because the lower caste depends on higher caste landlords for their sustenance, Untouchability, oppression, and the lower castes’ inability to rebel are emphasized in both texts. Mulk Raj Anand criticizes caste, subjugation of lower castes, and the inaction of social and religious institutions in addressing these injustices through these narratives.
Copyright (c) 2026 Sonu Kumar Mehta (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Maternal Ambivalence and Repressed Guilt: A Psychoanalytic Reading of Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View of Hills
Section: Articles Keywords: psychic defence mechanisms, contradictions of mothering, splitting, trauma and repression, maternal guilt The article provides
Copyright (c) 2026 Celin Selvakumari K, Dr Wilfin John (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reconceptualising Nature on Mars: Terraforming and Human Intervention in Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars
Section: Articles Keywords: terraforming, Red Mars, environmental ethics, ecocriticism, science fiction Kim Stanley Robinson’s Red Mars is one of the most important speculative novels for examining environmental ethics beyond Earth. The novel does not treat Mars merely as a distant scientific setting or a technological challenge; instead, it turns the planet into a moral and philosophical space where human beings must confront fundamental questions about nature, ownership, preservation, and intervention. This paper argues that Red Mars redefines nature by presenting Mars not as an empty resource waiting for human use but as a world whose apparent barrenness still demands ethical consideration. Through the ideological conflict between preservationists and terraformers, Robinson explores whether humanity has the moral right to alter another planet for habitation. The novel also connects environmental ethics with colonialism, capitalism, scientific ambition, and political power, showing that ecological decisions can never be separated from social structures. By using an ecocritical framework, this article demonstrates that Robinson challenges simple binaries such as nature versus technology or preservation versus progress. In lieu of, Red Mars develops a more complex vision in which environmental ethics becomes relational, collective, and historically aware. The novel decisively suggests that human intervention in nature creates responsibility rather than mastery and that the future of any world depends on how carefully humanity learns to inhabit rather than dominate it.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Yunush Ahamed Mohamed Sherif, Thalha K (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Representations of Childhood Innocence and Spiritual Consciousness in José María Sánchez-Silva’s The Miracle of Marcelino
Section: Articles Keywords: crucifix, sacrifice, faith, innocence, longing for true love, redemption This article explores how the figure of the orphaned child functions as a mediator between the human and the divine, with particular emphasis on the symbolic role of the crucifix as an embodiment of suffering, redemption, and divine compassion. Employing a qualitative, text-centered analytical approach, the study engages with existing scholarship on children’s literature and religious narratives to highlight how Marcelino’s innocent acts, especially his offering of bread and wine to the crucifix, articulate a profound spiritual understanding that transcends institutional religiosity. The article further contextualizes the work within post-war Spanish society, acknowledging both its emotional appeal and its reception as a potentially ideological narrative. Marcelino’s longing for maternal love is interpreted as both an emotional and theological quest, culminating in a redemptive union that merges personal desire with spiritual fulfillment. The study argues that the narrative’s enduring impact lies in its ability to communicate complex theological concepts through simplicity, emotional depth, and symbolic imagery. The findings demonstrate that the novel constructs innocence not merely as a sentimental attribute but as a powerful epistemological and spiritual force that enables direct communion with the divine.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr R. Celin Diana (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Dismantling Oppressive Family Dynamics through the Study of Memory in Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things
Section: Articles Keywords: memory , cultural hegemony, family dynamics, trauma This article analyses oppressive familial dynamics through memory in The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. The research employs Antonio Gramsci’s notion of cultural hegemony and Sigmund Freud’s concept of repression to analyse the dynamics of power inside the family unit. The Ipe family exemplifies a microcosm of society wherein caste, gender roles, and social expectations shape individual conduct and interpersonal dynamics. The article examines the experiences of Estha and Rahel, illustrating how childhood trauma influences their adult lives. Estha’s quiet is examined as a consequence of suppression and mental anguish, but Rahel’s recollections signify loss, separation, and psychological distress. Their reactions to trauma illustrate the impact of memory and silence on identity and relationships. The article highlights how figures, characters like Baby Kochamma and Mammachi endorse patriarchal and caste-based dominance within the home structure. Into the bargain, Comrade Pillai's role illustrates how political power perpetuates social injustice. This contrast underscores the relationship between home and governmental power structures. The study contends that oppression in the novel transcends individual actions, being fundamentally embedded in social institutions and cultural values. The novel elucidates how memory, trauma, and silence collectively influence identity and perpetuate unequal power dynamics across generations within family and societal contexts.
Copyright (c) 2026 Fenulah Hepzi G (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Tortuous Triad of Religion, Caste and Money:A Rereading of Pudhumaipithan’s Select Short Stories
Section: Articles Keywords: Satire, religion, caste issue, education, deconstruction Pudhumaipithan, born in the early half of the 1900s, is well known for his satirical short stories that poke fun at contemporary Tamil society. Pudhumaipithan is a revolutionary writer for his satires of the fundamental facets of society, including religion, beliefs, economics, existing institutions, education, and interpersonal relationships. Pudhumaipithan has spoken out against the socially repressive elements by merely identifying the issues facing the community, whereas no firm solution has been presented in his texts. In an effort to portray the lives of those who live below and slightly above the poverty line, he has attempted to undermine accepted moral principles and ethics. The caste system that is resisting doesn’t have to be explosive; it can be gradual, as evidenced by the subtle shifts in societal attitudes and behaviours that Pudhumaipithan illustrates in his narratives. This study attempts to trace the intimidating interplay of religion, caste and money in combination, as presented in the selected short stories of Pudhumaipithan.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Christober Jacob, Dr. S. Samuel Jude Frank (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Spectacle and Selfhood: The Politics of the Male Gaze in Olivia Gatwood’s The Manic Pixie Dream Girl
Section: Articles Keywords: Female Subjectivity, Disciplinary power, Male Gaze, Manic Pixie Dream Girl, Olivia Gatwood, Heteronormative discourse, Feminist poetics, Contemporary poetry This study employs a qualitative textual analysis of the poem “Manic Pixie Dream Girl Says” by Olivia Gatwood, with a focus on recurring themes of gendered spectatorship, performative femininity, and resistance to objectification. The analysis is grounded in feminist literary theory, particularly frameworks addressing the male gaze, subjectivity, and narrative agency, drawing from critical insights associated with Laura Mulvey and Judith Butler. The poem was selected based on the criteria of direct or indirect engagement with gendered perception, representation of female embodiment or performance, and thematic alignment with or subversion of the “manic pixie dream girl” trope, a culturally pervasive construct that reduces female subjectivity to a narrative function within heteronormative frameworks. Close reading techniques were used to examine imagery, tone, voice, and narrative positioning, with particular attention paid to moments where the poetic speaker transitions from object (being seen) to subject (a self-defining voice). In doing so, the study situates the poem within broader discourses of surveillance, internalized gender norms, and affective labour, while also engaging with Foucauldian notions of disciplinary power and normalization. By tracing the speaker’s ironic self-awareness and metafictional articulation, the analysis demonstrates how Gatwood’s poem not only exposes the limitations of the trope but actively reclaims agency, disrupting the visual and narrative economy of the male gaze and foregrounding a resistant, self-conscious feminine subjectivity.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr N. Jessie, Dr W. Jefflims Samraja (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Beyond Engagement: Scrutinizing Second Language Acquisition (SLA) in Active Digital Classrooms
Section: Articles Keywords: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Second Language Acquisition (SLA), Mobile Applications and Digital technologies Learners face numerous hurdles while acquiring a second language. The use of mobile applications and digital technologies in language learning enhances the language proficiency of the learners. The objective of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of technology in second language classroom. The study also tries to explore the theoretical aspects of the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning by Richard Mayer. The role of facilitator has also been elucidated along with Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR) model. The method of the study includes a quantitative method to collect data for the pretest and post-test. “Mobile learning offers unprecedented opportunities for learners to engage with language learning materials anytime and anywhere. This flexibility promotes learner autonomy, enhances motivation, and supports individualized learning experiences, allowing students to progress at their own pace and according to their specific learning needs” (Kukulska-Hulme and Shield 273).The methodological tools used in the research include structured classroom activities, digital tools and instructional materials. The findings of the research elucidate that the technology and mobile applications help learners to attain language proficiency. The research tries to explain that technology enhanced language learning plays a pivotal role in second language acquisition. The future scope of the study can be associated with emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Learning environment.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)
Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition (SAMR)
Mobile Applications and Digital technologies
Copyright (c) 2026 Sushma S K, Dr A. Rathina Prabhu (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Konkani Wordsworth: Tracing Wordsworthian Romanticism in the Lyrics of Wily Rebimbus
Section: Articles Keywords: romantic poetry, william wordsworth, wilfy rebimbus, romanticism, konkani literature, comparative literature, nature, spirituality This article examines the presence of Romantic features in the lyrical compositions of the renowned Konkani poet and musician Wilfy Rebimbus and attempts to establish a comparative framework between his poetic vision and the Romantic philosophy of William Wordsworth. While Wordsworth wrote within the cultural and historical context of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century England, Rebimbus composed his lyrics within the socio-cultural environment of the Konkani-speaking coastal communities of India. Despite these geographical and temporal differences, both poets reveal similarities in their treatment of nature, rural life, and human emotions. The study outlines the major characteristics of Romantic poetry such as the celebration of nature, the emphasis on individual emotion and imagination, the portrayal of common people, and the importance of solitude and introspection. This article analyzes the lyrics of Wilfy Rebimbus to demonstrate how these Romantic ideals are reflected in his works. Rebimbus’s lyrics portray nature as a living presence closely connected with human emotions, where natural elements mirror the joys and sorrows of life. His work shows affinity with Wordsworth’s belief that nature is a moral and spiritual teacher. The article highlights Rebimbus’s portrayal of rural life, paralleling Wordsworth’s focus on ordinary people, and shows how natural imagery expresses emotions such as love, longing, hope, and faith. Whilst Rebimbus has not consciously imitated Wordsworth, the similarities between them reveal a shared Romantic sensibility. The article concludes that Wilfy Rebimbus can be considered a “Konkani Wordsworth,” as his lyrics embody key Romantic principles such as love for nature, emotional sincerity, and harmony between humanity and the natural world.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Vincent Alva (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From Sati to Establishing the Tinnevelly Church: Women Empowerment and Social Reformation in Madhaviah’s Clarinda
Section: Articles Keywords: Sati, Clarinda Church, History, Women Empowerment, Social Reformation The Clarinda Church at Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, South India, holds a history that is overlooked in regional historiography. It is built on the roots of early feminism and women empowerment when a woman named Clavirunda Bai of Tanjore, the widow of a Maratha Brahmin, was saved from the practice of Sati by an English Officer named Henry Lyttelton, who took her to Palamcottah (today’s Palayamkottai) in the erstwhile Tinnevelly District of the Madras Presidency. Embracing the universal values of Christianity, Clavirunda Bai gets baptised by the German Protestant missionary Christian Friedrich Schwartz of the English Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (SPCK). Her name is registered in the Palamcotta Church Register of 1780 as Clorinda or Clarinda. She goes on to build a church, which is known to date by her name, offering solace to the desolate. Clarinda Church is known to be “the first Church erected in connection with the Tinnevelly Mission” (Caldwell). She is known for her service in the region by building schools and wells and mobilising women. Novelist A. Madhaviah fictionalises this historical account in his 1915 novel Clarinda: A Historical Novel. The present paper analyses the aspects of women empowerment and social reformation in the novel, where the protagonist escapes Sati and is empowered and empowers people through education.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mizpah R, Prof. S. Prabahar (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
From Margins to Meaning: Dignity and Resistance in Contemporary Anti-Caste Discourse
Section: Articles Keywords: Caste, Marginality, Subaltern Studies, Dalit Aesthetics, Dignity of Labour, Indigenous Narratives This article examines the representation of caste, labour, and marginality in Turning the Pot, Tilling the Land: Dignity of Labour in Our Times and Disaibon Hul: The Call of the Bending Sky through the theoretical lenses of Subaltern Studies and Dalit Aesthetics. While caste has often been studied in adult autobiographical and protest literature, its articulation in texts that foreground labouring communities within accessible narrative frameworks remains underexplored. The selected works foreground agrarian and tribal worlds not as passive spaces of suffering but as sites of cultural assertion, ecological belonging, and political resistance. Drawing on Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s interrogation of subaltern voice and Sharankumar Limbale’s formulation of Dalit aesthetics as literature of lived experience and social transformation, this study argues that these texts disrupt hegemonic representations of caste by centring dignity, collective memory, and embodied labour. Through qualitative textual analysis, this article demonstrates how narrative voice, imagery of land and labour, and community memory function as counter-discursive strategies. The findings suggest that such works reshape the discourse of marginality by transforming labour from a marker of oppression into a sign of epistemic authority and ethical centrality. The study contributes to contemporary debates on caste representation, subaltern agency, and the aesthetics of resistance in Indian literary production.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr Nithya P (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Women as Voiceless Subaltern: A Socio-Cultural Overview in Perumal Murugan’s Pyre
Section: Articles Keywords: Subaltern, Socio-cultural, Women Subjugation, Equality, Voiceless Community Words are the most powerful weapon, capable of constructing a beautiful society. A well-built and knowledgeable society can be easily identified if it is enriched by the works of scholars who are concerned about their community. Perumal Murugan, an Indian writer who is one among those scholars who write for the people of the voiceless community. Many of his works speak about the day-to-day problems which are happening all around the society; among them, the novel Pyre (2016) discusses the cultural contribution of our ancient society. The application of a sociological approach in the novel will help to focus the socio-cultural problems which are discussed in the novel. The novel discusses communal pride and its consequences, which further lead to social problems in the society. The aim of the research is to bring out the voice of the subaltern by encouraging them that no one is superior or inferior; everyone is equal in the world. This article focuses on the area where women are subjugated everywhere, whether she belongs to the upper class or lower class and brings out that women too have blood as men, but they are subjugated everywhere, and suggests ways to overcome it.
Copyright (c) 2026 Y. Sri Ram Kumar, Dr S. Khaleel Ahamed (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Reflections of Freudian Psychoanalysis and Psychological Crisis in the Select Short Stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne
Section: Articles Keywords: Crisis, Isolation, Morality, Psychology , Puritanism The short stories of Nathaniel Hawthorne reflect the moral and psychological crises of American Puritan society through the themes of identity, isolation, moral conflict, and societal judgement. Hawthorne portrays the psychological and moral crises of individuals living within the rigid social structure of the ‘newfound land’ of America. This paper discusses these crises with reference to Hawthorne’s "Feathertop", "Ethan Brand", "My Kinsman, Major Molineux", and "The Artist of the Beautiful". These short stories question the oppressive nature of social norms by highlighting the contradictions between the individual self and society. The paper also explores the use of allegory and imagery, which contribute significantly to the central themes. Hawthorne’s use of allegory helps to expose the hypocrisy of many characters, thereby revealing their guilt and sin. It expresses the crisis of a newfound society in America which has social and religious liberty compared to that of Europe which has well-established social and religious institutions for centuries. The dilemma of whether to establish a Puritan society or to create a new, liberal society in America is effectively depicted in Hawthorne’s short stories. The quest for a liberal society by common people who escaped religious persecution in fifteenth and sixteenth century Europe contrasts with the vision of religious and nationalist leaders who sought to build a society strictly based on European values. This contrast encapsulates the crisis of nineteenth-century America and reflects the broader ambition of Europeans in non-European lands overseas. This paper examines whether individuals get adapted to societal expectations or become isolated and estranged due to social pressures.
Copyright (c) 2026 N. Sundar, Dr Kanna Muthiah (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Juxtaposed Realities of War and Welcome in Darwish’s “State of Siege”: Hospitality as an Act of Resistance in Poetics of Exile
Section: Articles Keywords: Poetics of Exile, Hospitality, Palestinian Resistance, Displacement, Trauma, Identity Mahmoud Darwish’s “State of Siege” presents life under occupation through images of war, loss, and everyday survival. This article studies how the poem places violence and hospitality side by side. Hospitality appears as a quiet but powerful act of resistance. It affirms dignity in a space marked by siege and exile. Darwish records the pain and collective voice of the Palestinian people. He presents their experience as lived reality, not as political abstraction. The poem blends personal memory with collective history. It expresses the struggle for identity, cultural survival, and the longing for a homeland. Ordinary acts such as baking bread and brewing coffee appear beside fear, curfew, and death. These moments protect Palestinian identity from being reduced to news reports or statistics. Darwish avoids heroic narratives of resistance. He remains faithful of daily life and emotional truth. This approach reflects T. S. Eliot’s idea that poetry is about to feel first before it is understood. “State of Siege” was written during the Israeli siege of Ramallah in 2002, during the Second Intifada and Operation Defensive Shield. The poem carries both political trauma and personal suffering. Darwish writes from direct experience of confinement and loss. This study places “State of Siege” within Darwish’s wider poetry of exile and resistance. It draws on postcolonial theory and trauma studies. Edward Said’s concept of the “permission to narrate” helps explain how the poem asserts Palestinian agency. Trauma theory explains the fragmented form of the poem. From the point of comparative references, Pablo Neruda’s views on political lyricism highlight the fusion of resistance and aesthetics in the poems of Darwish. The poem ultimately presents hospitality as an ethical response to violence. It affirms survival, memory, and human dignity in exile.
Copyright (c) 2026 Ummu Shamima S (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Thirst And Resistance: Water Scarcity and Survival in The Marginalised Urban Spaces In Imtiaz Dharker’s“Blessing”
Section: Articles Keywords: Climate Crisis, Water Scarcity, Environmental Injustice, Eco-poetics, Postcolonial Ecocriticism, Hydro-hegemony, Sustainable Development Goals, Imtiaz Dharker The water crisis is not a real environmental disaster; it is not only a disaster, but a deep social and humanitarian crisis, which is currently seen as the struggle of the 21st century of the world. Water scarcity is a systemic means of exclusion in the marginalized urban areas of the Global South where the sources of life, health, and dignity depend both on the availability of water. The paper will be a severe eco-critical and postcolonial interpretation of a masterpiece of Imtiaz Dharker, the poem of blessing. Placing the poem in context of the particular socio-geographic realities of Mumbai in the new informal settlements, this study explores how Dharker uses the senses as aesthetics, auditory, tactile, and visual imagery to describe the visceral reality of thirst. The paper builds on the theoretical frameworks of the article by Rob Nixon and Vandana Shiva in order to examine how the poem uses the failure of municipal infrastructure to develop the story of divinity and local resiliency. Moreover, the paper critiques the gendered facets of water labour in the prism of ecofeminism and analyses the literary image of the scarcity in the criteria of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6. The study finds that Blessing is an important eco-poetic text because it opposes the naturalization of water poverty and calls on re-considering the human right to natural resources during the period of high urbanization and climate disintegration.
Copyright (c) 2026 Risana S (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Beyond Survival: Re-imagining Life Through Resilience and Hope in Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter
Section: Articles Keywords: Resilience, Hope, Societal Barriers, Child Abuse, Trauma Theory, Re-imagining Life, Patriarchal Oppression Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter is a profound, multi-layered exploration of the human capacity to endure trauma, reclaim agency, and reimagine the possibilities of life following devastation. Set against the backdrop of Jarmuli, a fictional temple town that juxtaposes sacred serenity with profane exploitation, the novel intricately weaves the lives of disparate characters united by silence and loss. The protagonist, Nomita, is a young woman scarred by childhood sexual abuse within an ashram, who returns to the site of her trauma not merely to remember, but to confront and dismantle the power structures that silenced her. Alongside her narrative, the novel traces the pilgrimage of three elderly women, Gouri, Latika, and Vidya, whose journey reveals the quiet resilience required to navigate patriarchal societal structures, aging, and widowhood. Furthermore, the sub-plot of Badal, a local temple guide grappling with his repressed sexuality, highlights the intersectionality of oppression. This research paper analyzes how Roy’s characters traverse the darker corridors of memory and societal abuse to emerge not as victims, but as survivors. It argues that resilience in the novel is not a return to innocence, but a gritty, determined restructuring of the self. Through an examination of the characters' psychological landscapes and their interactions with the oppressive socio-religious environment, this paper highlights that while scars remain, life can be re-imagined through solidarity, confrontation, and the enduring power of hope.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nathiya M (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Finding Hope in the Fractured Self: A Post-Structuralist Reading of Jerry Pinto’s Em and the Big Hoom
Section: Articles Keywords: Jerry Pinto, Post-structuralism, Deleuze and Guattari, Mental Health, Psychological Crisis This article seeks to explore Jerry Pinto’s Em and the Big Hoom through a post-structuralist lens, whilst analysing the overall narrative and character dynamics. Central to this examination is the discussion of how language and meaning is decentralized through the character of Em; whose expressions and thoughts work as rhizomes that offer novelty of perspective. The paper also seeks to examine the fluidity of identity of the four major characters in the novel. By studying the novel within the larger framework of post-structuralism, with a particular focus on ‘becoming’, assemblage’, and ‘rhizomes’ by Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, the paper aims to understand the workings of interconnectedness within the text. The article also seeks to discuss how Em’s speech, though seemingly unstable, reveal an implicit wisdom when viewed through a post-structuralist framework. In Pinto’s attempt to bring mental health to light through literature, he also brings alive a story that is deeply moving at various levels. The novel speaks about the trauma that Em and her family went through because of Em’s mental health; this article seeks to study how in the midst of this darkness, hope shines through – in Pinto’s writing, the language of Em and the sheer grit of her family.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rashmi Mahesh Mehta (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Scroll, Swipe, Resist: Storytelling And Remix from Gaza’s Digital Frontlines
Section: Articles Keywords: Digital Narratology, Remix Culture, Gaza Conflict, Lev Manovich, Algorithmic Activism, Citizen Journalism, Transcoding Social media, once the domain of entertainingly curated reels, dance challenges, and ephemeral celebrity gossip, has undergone a radical transformation into a platform for real-time, high-stakes conflict narration. This paper investigates the paradigm shift from “entertainment” to “infotainment” and “citizen journalism” within the context of the Gaza conflict. It argues that the digital frontline has given rise to a new form of anti-war activism that diverges sharply from traditional literary canons. By employing Lawrence Lessig’s concept of “Remix Culture” and Lev Manovich’s five principles of new media: Numerical Representation, Modularity, Automation, Variability, and Transcoding, this research analyses how digital narratives are constructed, disseminated, and consumed. Through a close reading of digital artifacts, including the viral recitation of Refaat Alareer’s poetry by actor Brian Cox and the visual poetry of Instagram accounts like @gazapoets, this paper demonstrates how algorithmic frameworks and collaborative authorship are reshaping the documentation of war. The study posits that these “living archives” do not merely record history but actively produce it through a complex interplay of human agency and machine automation, creating a “Read/Write” culture of resistance that defies the static linearity of traditional war narratives.
Copyright (c) 2026 S P Lejoe Pracilla, V Sharon Shinolini (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ecological Imbalance and Climate Crisis: An Eco-critical Reading of Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island
Section: Articles Keywords: Climate Change Crisis, Anthropocene, Migration, Myth, Ecological Awareness, The Uncanny, Human–Nonhuman Relations Crisis representation within the field of literary studies increasingly recognizes climate change as a defining global emergency, whose pervasive and multidimensional impact profoundly shapes both the material conditions of the contemporary world and its cultural imaginaries. Literary texts have increasingly become significant sites for examining how societies imagine, narrate, and respond to ecological catastrophes and environmental transformations. Climate fiction, or “cli-fi,” has emerged as a critical literary genre in the 21st century, addressing the ecological anxieties of the Anthropocene by merging scientific realities with imaginative storytelling. This article provides an eco-critical reading of Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island (2019), a novel that deftly intertwines myth, migration, and human-nonhuman interactions to map the contours of a planet in flux. The research hypothesizes that Ghosh’s integration of the “Bonduki Sadagar” (Gun Merchant) myth functions as a deliberate narrative strategy to historicize the current climate crisis. By embedding modern ecological collapse within ancient folklore, Ghosh reframes climate change not merely as a scientific phenomenon but as a cultural and existential catastrophe that disrupts the boundaries between the past and present, the human and the non-human. This paper analyses how Gun Island foregrounds the agency of nature manifested through the “uncanny” and investigates the novel’s depiction of climate-induced migration, arguing that Ghosh presents a world where environmental degradation and human displacement are inextricably linked.
Copyright (c) 2026 Haleem Reeshma M, Dr K. Hema (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Agrarian Crisis and Seed Science: An Eco-Cinematic Study of the Tamil Film Kadaisi Vivasayi
Section: Articles Keywords: Agrarian crisis, Farming, Seed Science, Nature, Ecocriticism Agrarian crisis refers to the issues related to the declining lives of farmers and distress situation in the agricultural sector. The Tamil film Kadaisi Vivasayi (The Last Farmer) taken for the research focusses on the crisis in traditional farming, seed science and aesthetics of nature. The increase in the use of external seeds, disappearance of traditional seed varieties and reliance on hybrid seeds in farming made the setting to research on the view of seed science. Under seed science, it is necessary to understand the improving seed production and breeding, along with the changes made in the agricultural sector aimed to improve the production. This has made the farming industry increasingly reliant on the corporate world. The primary objective of the study is to critically examine the Tamil film Kadaisi Vivasayi from an eco-cinematic perspective with socio-cultural dimensions. The research will assess the cultural and ecological significance of traditional farming through the protagonist, Mayandi, a veteran farmer of eighty years. Ramaiah is a character in the film who personifies the struggle of staying righteous in a flawed world, this ultimately leads others to perceive him as mentally unstable. The intersection of multiple events, characters, nature, human empathy, government regulations, divinity, and law creates a holistic representation of the agrarian crisis, offering an eco-cinematic perspective that shapes the scope of this study.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mohamed Kurzith Khan A, Aysha Rizwana Jamal (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ontologies of Crisis: Partition Literature and the Shattering of Being in Saadat Hasan Manto’s "Toba Tek Singh"
Section: Articles Keywords: Partition Literature, Crisis Literature, Trauma Theory, Absurdity, Fragmentation, Ontology, Saadat Hasan Manto, Collective Memory This article suggests that the literature emerging from the 1947 Partition of British India shouldn't just be read as historical fiction. Instead, it belongs to a distinct, almost visceral category of "crisis literature." The Partition wasn't merely a frantic exercise in cartography or a shifting of administrative seats; it was an ontological rupture. It fundamentally altered what it meant to be for millions of people. When faced with the sheer, inexpressible cruelty of that era such as the mass displacements and a sort of collective, feverish insanity, traditional storytelling fell short. By looking at Saadat Hasan Manto’s "Toba Tek Singh," alongside the grim realities of the 1946 Calcutta Killings and the purgatory of refugee camps, the present research will explore how absurdity, fragmentation, and even silence became the only honest ways to map communal trauma. Literature, in this sense, does something history cannot. While official records track the movement of borders, these stories track the disintegration of the soul.
Copyright (c) 2026 S Aathira (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Intra-Ethnic Conflict and Ritual Morphing: A Psychoanalytic Study of Othering in Post-Holocaust Jewish Identity in Art Spiegelman’s Maus
Section: Articles Keywords: intra-ethnic, ritual morphing, analytic third, intersubjectivity, mutual recognition, holocaust, trauma The paper investigates Art Spiegelman’s Maus from a psychoanalytical perspective by drawing on the concepts of Thomas Ogden’s “analytic third” and Jessica Benjamin’s “intersubjectivity” to expose the trauma-driven intra-ethnic conflicts that lead to psychological othering within Jewish Holocaust survivors. The study also explores the idea of ritual morphing as practised in Spiegelman’s narrative, highlighting the unconscious alterations and psychological mechanisms embedded in the behavioural patterns of Holocaust survivors and their descendants. Drawing on Benjamin’s concept of intersubjectivity, the paper analyses the relationship dynamics between Art Spiegelman and his father, Vladek, which disrupts their father–son relationship through shared traumatic experiences. This disruption enables the recognition of their psychological and cultural differences and induces ethnic conflict between them as a Polish Jew and an American Jew. Vladek’s PTSD and Spiegelman’s inherited trauma (intergenerational PTSD) create a doer–done-to dynamic that ruptures their familial bond, intensifying underlying shame, guilt, and depression. The paper further engages with Benjamin’s theory of mutual recognition to examine Vladek’s hypervigilance, which reflects the traumatic dominance that shatters the capacity for mutual recognition, leading to a reproduction of Holocaust trauma within the Jewish community across generations.
Copyright (c) 2026 Supriya M, Dr Wilfin John (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Subversion and Containment: Metahistorical Trauma in Ken Follett’s The Armour of Light
Section: Articles Keywords: metahistory, historical trauma, subversion, containment, Ken Follett Historical narratives are records of subversion, revolution, and containment. The subversion of power and authority is a direct result of centuries of oppression, the dramatic entrances of rebel-heroes, the glory of revolution, and the establishment of states that promise equality and freedom. But beyond these deceptive markers lie the truth - the rebel-heroes are hanged in public, the revolution results in slavery and worse conditions than before, and the heroes’ families endure centuries of trauma. Ken Follett’s The Armour of Light is a metahistorical narrative that undermines the truths behind the Industrial Revolution, the French Revolution, trade unions, and the end of feudalism. This article aims to research centuries of historical trauma endured by the labour class through the lens of metahistorical approaches. The narrative of Follett has been examined with the theories of Stephen Greenblatt, Hayden White, Karl Marx, and Cathy Caruth. Commencing with Greenblatt’s concepts of subversion and containment, the paper establishes the origin and results of centuries of feudal oppression that ease into hard labour in factories and jails. Marx’s theories of the Infrastructure and the Superstructure prove that the oppressed labourers are essential for the existence of society, but they must remain poor so that others can enjoy their wealth. Finally, Caruth’s theory on historical trauma concludes the paper, revealing the secrets behind hard labour, poverty, and unemployment, and how the people managed to cope with trauma.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dr U. Fathima Farzana (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Technological Anxiety and Scientific Ambition in Mary Shelly's Frankenstein
Section: Articles Keywords: technological anxiety, scientific ambition, isolation, responsibility, creator, experiment This article explores the technological anxiety and scientific ambition in the novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. This novel is the earliest literary work that brings out the uncontrolled knowledge and desire to use the scientific technologies and the consequences faced by human beings. It reflects the idea through the character Victor, his unquenchable to reveal the secrets of life and to give new life, his irresponsible experiments results in failure and also the destruction of his life. This article also focuses on the isolation and rejection faced by the individuals. Because of the scientific obsession, the creature abandoned by his creator and rejected by the world. Every human needs love, companion, family, friends to share the feelings and emotions. Without such needs the individual becomes anger, hatred, violent, take revenge and hopeless to survive. This article studies the relationship between creator and creature. The responsibility of the creator after creating the creature is more important than creating it. Frankenstein remains as a connection to present-day issues in the contemporary society which continuously face the problem of technological anxiety.
Copyright (c) 2026 S. Merlin Azifa (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Resonance of Vanished Empire: Cultural Memory and Nostalgic Revision in Kazuo Ishiguro’s An Artist of the Floating World
Section: Articles Keywords: ishiguro, memory, nostalgia, imperial Japan, psychology The academic approach to memory studies concentrates on analyzing how societies organize their relationship with the past. It extends beyond individual psychology to examine the structural and cultural forces that determine what is preserved and what is forgotten. This paper investigates how Kazuo Ishiguro’s “An Artist of the Floating World” (1986) constructs and deconstructs cultural memory, demonstrating how nostalgic revisions of imperial Japan both protect and distort the past. Using Jan and Aleida Assmann’s influential framework of cultural memory, the study suggests that Ishiguro’s protagonist, Ono, employs selective recollection and self-deception to reconcile his involvement in a vanished empire with his present identity. The novel considers memory not merely as an accurate historical record but as an active process of cultural meaning-making, where personal recollections become intertwined with collective trauma and the decline of Japanese imperial power. Ishiguro’s approach to memory surpasses simple psychological portrayal; his work exemplifies how literature functions as a space for creating cultural memory, balancing between communicative memory, which refers to lived experience, and cultural memory that exceeds individual awareness. The paper contends that the novel’s fragmented, unreliable narrative mirrors the nature of cultural memory itself, illustrating how nostalgia serves both as a means of healing and as a way of distorting history in post-war Japan. Through textual analysis grounded in Assmann’s memory theory, this research advances understanding of how literary works contribute to shaping national identity and renegotiating historical responsibility.
Copyright (c) 2026 P. Mary Dhana Packiya Rani (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Trauma, Possession, and PTSD: Exploring Nogitsune Arc in MTV’s Teen Wolf
Section: Articles Keywords: Trauma Theory, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Supernatural Television, Adolescent Trauma, Dissociation and Identity Fragmentation As a genre, supernatural teen television often engages with complex psychological themes pertaining to adolescents and their lives. One such show is MTV’s Teen Wolf (2011), centered around Scott McCall, a teenager coming to terms with his recent transformation into a werewolf. Teen Wolf, specifically Season Three, Part Two, exhibits these aspects, focusing on trauma using the background of spiritual possession based on Japanese mythology. The paper attempts to explore the Nogitsune arc as a metaphorical depiction of traumatic symptoms and, essentially, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. This article focuses on the character of Stiles Stilinski, a close friend of Scott’s and his mental combat with the Nogitsune and how this possession manifests itself into symptoms like night terrors, recurring nightmares, dissociation, repression of memory and depersonalization. Drawing on Herman, Caruth, Balaev and other theorists’ literary and psychological trauma theories, the paper highlights the impact of traumatic triggers (here, possession) and the influence of social support in healing of said trauma. This article offers a nuanced perspective to understand the extent of trauma by integrating the mythical element of spiritual possession, adding to the understanding of supernatural teen television’s depiction of trauma and adolescence.
Copyright (c) 2026 Amisha Bharat Jayakar, Dr. Ashok Ghuge (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Grey Skin, Grey Water: Iterations of Bhartrhari’s Sphota in Amruta Patil’s Kari
Section: Articles Keywords: Indian Lingusitics, Graphic Novel, narrative This article examines Bhartrhari’s concept of sphota as a critical framework for interpreting the intermedial dynamics of text and image in contemporary graphic narratives, with specific reference to Amruta Patil’s Kari. Situating the graphic novel within post-millennial visual culture, the study explores how fragmented visual and linguistic elements coalesce into unified moments of meaning. Drawing upon Bhartrhari’s linguistic philosophy, particularly the notion of sphota as an instantaneous “burst” of comprehension, the article proposes an expanded model that accommodates the multimodal structure of the graphic novel. It introduces the concept of chitra-sphota to account for visual-semantic convergence and examines how the materiality of the graphic form that generates alternative modes of perception that challenge logocentric traditions of meaning-making. The article further investigates how the graphic novel negotiates meaning through visual and narrative discontinuities, wherein the body functions as a central site of signification. It argues that the interplay between image and text reconfigures conventional linguistic paradigms, allowing meaning to emerge as a fluid and dynamic process rather than a fixed or sequential one. By foregrounding the relationship between embodiment, perception, and textuality, the study demonstrates how Kari enables an expanded understanding of sphota, where fragmentation does not disrupt meaning but instead contributes to its holistic realization.
Copyright (c) 2026 Uma Madhu, Prof. Amith Kumar P.V (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Women, Space, and Silence: A Comparative Reading of Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own and Banu Mushtaq’s Heart Lamp
Section: Articles Keywords: Modern Feminism, Comparative analysis, Women’s Writing, Postcolonial Feminism, silence, space, comparative literature This article examines the representation of women in the writings of Virginia Woolf and Banu Mushtaq, exploring the articulation of feminist resistance within Western modernist and Indian postcolonial contexts. Through a reading of Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” and Mushtaq’s “Heart Lamp”, this article examines the related ideas of space, voice, and silence as the frameworks of women’s agency. While Woolf’s feminism emphasizes the need for intellectual freedom, economic independence, and creative space as the conditions for liberation, Mushtaq’s feminist writings represent women’s struggles within patriarchal society through the ideals of endurance, emotional strength, and silence. This article contends that these two works of literature present two different paradigms of feminist thought: one theoretical and transformative, and the other experiential and survivalist. Through this comparative analysis, this article also contests the universalist ideals of feminism and shows that women’s resistance takes culturally specific forms that are determined by the material and social realities of the society.
Copyright (c) 2026 Anuska Pal (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
English for Medical Communication in Allied Health Science Programmes: Students’ Perceptions of Course Effectiveness
Section: Articles Keywords: allied health students, medical communication, english for specific purposes, speaking skills, classroom practice Effective medical communication is essential for safe, patient-centred, and collaborative allied health practice, highlighting the need for English courses that address discipline-specific communication demands. This study investigates the effectiveness of an English course in meeting the medical communication needs of allied health students, focusing on course content relevance, speaking skills, medical vocabulary, classroom practices, and communication confidence. Adopting a quantitative descriptive research design, data were collected from 56 first-year allied health students using a structured, self-developed questionnaire measured on a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire demonstrated acceptable validity and reliability and the data were analysed using SPSS. Findings reveal that while students perceived moderate relevance of course content to real-world allied health communication, the course had a notably positive impact on speaking skills, medical vocabulary development, and oral communication confidence. Classroom activities, particularly role-plays, discussions, and simulations, were identified as the most effective components in preparing students for real-life healthcare communication. However, some students reported uncertainty regarding the alignment of learning materials with authentic clinical contexts. The study concludes that although the English course contributes meaningfully to medical communication competence, greater contextualization through profession-specific content and authentic clinical scenarios is necessary. The findings underscore the importance of needs-driven, ESP-oriented course design combined with interactive pedagogy to enhance medical communication training for allied health students.
Copyright (c) 2026 Epsifa A, Dr E. V Ramkumar, Dr Hariharasudan Anandhan, S. Angayarkanni (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Performative Mourning: Deconstructing Gendered Widowhood in the Select Works of Githa Hariharan
Section: Articles Keywords: Widowhood, Gender, Patriarchy, Grief, Loss Widowhood can be a dreaded experience. After the demise of the partner, it is extremely difficult and challenging to adapt to the massive changes and lifestyle henceforth. But this experience is not the same for all and can significantly vary for men and women. The article conceptualises widowhood as an imposed performance that encompasses a set of rituals and practices varying drastically for men and women. The article brings out the contrasting experiences of widows and widowers in Githa Hariharan's selected works, including two novels namely The Ghosts of Vasu Master, Fugitive Histories and two short stories namely “The Reprieve” and “Revati”. Employing Judith Butler’s theory of Gender Performativity and Bell Hooks’ view of patriarchy, the research tries to sketch widowhood as a performance that patriarchal structures seek to neutralise by imposing distinct and contradictory gender roles for widows and widowers.
Copyright (c) 2026 Iris Reeba C, Dr V. Francis (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0