KAMALA DAS: A STUDY A THESIS SUBMITTED TO TILAK MAHARASHTRA VIDYAPEETH, PUNE FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (Ph.D.) IN ENGLISH UNDER THE FACULTY OF ARTS & FINE ARTS BY GANGALE PRATIBHA ASHLEY UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF DR. CHOUGULE RAMESH BABURAO DEPARTMENT SHREE BALMUKUND LOHIA CENTRE OF SANSKRIT & INDOLOGICAL STUDIES, TILAK MAHARASHTRA VIDYAPEETH, PUNE MAY - 2014 DECLARATION I hereby declare that the thesis entitled “Kamala Das: A Study” completed and written by me has not been previously formed as the basis for the award of any Degree or other similar title upon me of this or any other Vidyapeeth or examining body. Research Student (GANGALE PRATIBHA ASHLEY) Place: Date: i CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled “Kamala Das: A Study” which is being submitted herewith for the award of the Degree of Vidyavachaspati (Ph.D.) in English of Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune is the result of original research work completed by Gangale Pratibha Ashley under my supervision and guidance. To the best of my knowledge and belief the work incorporated in this thesis has not formed the basis for the award of any Degree or similar title of this or any other University or examining body upon her. DR. CHOUGULE RAMESH BABURAO Research Guide Place: Date: ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT It is a privilege to put on record my sincerest gratitude while submitting my Ph.D. thesis entitled Kamala Das - A Study for the award of the degree to TILAK MAHARASHTRA VIDYAPEETH, PUNE. Though the work is original and done by me, I have been helped by many people, and because of their constant help in every phase I could complete this thesis & submit it to the university. At the outset, I owe my heartfelt gratitude to my guide Dr. Ramesh Baburao Chougule, Assistant Professor, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar University, Sub Campus Osmanabad, who accepted me as his research candidate & rendered every help to accomplish this task. I am extremely thankful to Dr. Shripad Bhat, Dean, Arts Faculty, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune who has helped me tremendously in completing this dissertation within a stipulated time span. I am enormously gratified to Mr. Sanjiv Kumar, PVC, Takshila Educational Society and Principal Ms Neelam Chakrabarthy of DPS Pune for all her encouragement, guidance & support given to me during the course of this research. I am especially thankful to Dr. Harkishan Lal Vasudeva, Ms Vishav Mohini Sindhwani, Mr. Manohar Lal Vasudeva, Mr. Krishan Mohan Vasudeva, Mr. Dhumal Dhanaji and Mr. Achal Khurana for all the motivation and constant knowledge given to me to keep myself updated. I am also grateful to Dr. Geeta Khatter of DPS Pune and my colleagues Mrs. Shivani Lal, Mrs. Sreeja Pillai, Mrs. Anna Raphael, Mrs. Myrtle Francis, Miss Aditi Ahire and Ms. Poonam Singh of DPS Pune and other teaching and non-teaching staff of DPS, Pune. My research cannot be complete if I fail to take this opportunity to thank my dear father Captain R. D. Vasudeva, my beloved mother Ms Radhika Vasudeva, Director Komef Engg., my iii helpful sister Ms Meher Khurana and my affectionate brother Mr. Harsh Vadudeva, Director, Tekhne.com. Last but not the least I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to my loving husband Mr. Ashley Gangale, my revered in-laws Mr. Aaron & Ms Aruna Gangale and my adorable daughter Ms. Rachael for their constant support and inspiration. Without them, this thesis would still be a whimsical idea floating at the back of my mind. They have brought my ideas to life, and their words have enthused me. God bless them! Research Student * * * iv Table of Contents Chapter No. Title Page Nos. Chapter-I Introduction 1-38 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Kamala Das and Sylvia Plath 1.3 Kamala Das: Life and Works: 1.3.1 Awards and other Recognitions 1.3.2 Major English Works 1.3.3. Sexual Individuality, Ethnicity and Way of Life 1.3.4 Womanhood 1.4 Rational Significance of the study: 1.4.1 An Influence of Her Individual Self-Identity 1.4.2 As an Innovative Poet: Kamala Das 1.4.3 Freedom of a Female 1.4.4 A Spiritual Idea: Islam 1.5 Review of the Related Research Literature 1.6 Statement of the Problem 1.7 Aims and Objectives of the research 1.8 Statement of the Hypothesis 1.9 Data collection 1.10 Scope and Limitations 1.11 Methodology v 1.12 Chapter Scheme 1.13 Bibliography Quest for Identity in Kamala Das’ Poetry Chapter - II 39-97 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Quest for Identity: Summer in Calcutta 2.3 Quest for Identity: The Descendants 2.4 Quest for Identity: The Old Play House 2.5 Similarities and Dissimilarities in the Poetry of Kamala Das and Sylvia Plath: 2.6 Major Findings Chapter - III Kamala Das as a Confessional Poet 98-150 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Confessionalism in Kamala Das’ Poetry: 3.2.1 Confessional Theme and the Crisis of Woman’s Identity in the Poetry of Kamala Das 3.2.2 Male-Female Relations 3.2.3 The Search for her own Identity 3.2.4 Predicament of Female’s Individuality 3.2.5 Features of Confessional poetry vi 3.3. Confessional Poetess: Kamala Das and Sylvia Plath 3.4 Similarities in Confessional Poets 3.5 Indian Female and Their Image in Society 3.6 Major Findings or Results Chapter - IV Thematic Aspects in Kamala Das’ Poetry 151-203 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Various Themes in the works of Kamala Das: 4.2.1 Sexual Characteristics, Traditions and Civilization 4.2.2 Seek for Masculinity 4.2.3 Gender, Maleness and Sex 4.2.4 Confessionalism 4.2.5 The Yearning for Fulfillment 4.2.6 Mystical Aloofness 4.2.7 Postcolonial Theme 4.2.7 Gentleman, Hostility of a Male 4.2.8 Feminine Study 4.2.9 Love as well as Sexual Category 4.2.9 Major Findings vii Chapter - V Concluding Remark 204-209 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Major Findings 5.3 Some Suggestions for the Further Research work Bibliography 210-217 viii Chapter I: Introduction Chapter I Introduction 1.1 Introduction: The present study, is entitled “Kamala Das: A Study” puts a strong highlight on Kamala Das’ study, which has gigantic importance in the modern improvement of Indian English Literature. The aim and scope of the present study is strong-minded and delimited by the area of the Indian English literature. Indo-Anglian has been a most wanted variety well- read women before as well as after self-determination. A very attention-grabbing and observable fact of the contemporary Indo-Anglian verse is that it includes a large numeral of women poets’ unflagging writing verse also. It has duty-bound concentration from serious rings also. P. Lal points out that the experience of high quantity of female writers during English produces knowledgeable as well as susceptible efforts. Their poetry possesses not only magnitude but superiority also. Indian women writers have been providential to acquire an ambiance which is not antagonistic to woman-writing. Indian English poetry is outstandingly enormous. The pre-self-determination poets are uttered Indian subjects in the Romantic as well as Victorian styles and hold to their form and prosody as well as the post-independence poet’s noteworthy wide-ranging testing, deviation from the predictable styles of appearance and implement of freedom in variety along with content, and use of language. The clash between customs as well as modernity at different levels i.e. social, cultural, familiar national and multi-ethnic are noticeable in the works of these new poets. They also demonstrate the control of western poets like W. B. Yeats, E. Pound, T. S. Eliot, W. Whitman, T. Hughes, E. Cumming, S. Plath etc. It is one of the most important and remarkable dealing in the post-independence Indian English poetry and the increase of women’s poetic influence and quest for their self-identity. The innovative women poets represent the altering situation of women in the contemporary Indian civilization. Their verses are a multifaceted intermingles of aestheticism as well as activism; instead of women’s fight to smash out of the patriarchal forbidden and achieves of an impartial location of their individuality. Indian English poetry is the oldest form of Indian English literature. It has achieved, equal fruitfulness as well as superiority of irritated fiscal. It also symbolizes different phases 1 Chapter I: Introduction of growth of our innumerable enlightenment and general life precisely from the commencing of the 19th century to the mid-nineties or the early 20th century. It deals with the following three phases of development. First phase; in the first phase, there is a number of advancement which is answerable for making Indian English poetry. The beginning exponents are like Henry Derozio, Michael Madusudan Dutt, Toru Dutt, B. M. Malahari, S. C. Dutt and R. C. Dutt. They are developed setters who commence to poetry in the Indian replicate in an unfamiliar and foreign language. Although, their hard work are a commonplace and lack in originality of English verse. They productively provide a new trend to Indian poetry in English by writing on olden Indian era, mythology as well as legends. This phase is also called imitative stage. The poets of 1850 to1900 have found this element of poetry. They have followed the British Romantics as well as Victorian poets. Second phase, of poets is the assimilative. This period starts from 1947. They were compulsive nationalists seeking to project the renascent consciousness of India caught in the maelstrom of historical conflict and turmoil and change, and culminating in the attainment of political freedom in 1947, self-expression was important to all the poets of imitation and self- definition, accompanied by heart-searching probe into the cultural inheritance became the genuine concern of the poets of assimilation.