Patriarchal Ideology in Select Victorian British Canonical Literature, Tamil Cinema and Popular Tamil Fiction: an Analysis of Typologies of Woman
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Patriarchal Ideology in Select Victorian British Canonical Literature, Tamil Cinema and Popular Tamil Fiction: An Analysis of Typologies of Woman Thesis submitted to the Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN ENGLISH By A. NARAYANAN, M.A., M.Phil., (Ref.No:33083/PhD2/English/PT/January 2007) Research Advisor Dr. R. ROOPKUMAR BALASINGH, M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D., Former Head & Associate Professor, Co-ordinator, PG & Research Department of English, Bishop Heber College PG & RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH BISHOP HEBER COLLEGE (Autonomous) (Nationally Reaccredited at the “A+” Level by NAAC) (Recognized by the UGC as “College with Potential for Excellence”) TIRUCHIRAPPALLI - 620 017, INDIA. JUNE - 2014 DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH BISHOP HEBER COLLEGE (Autonomous) (Reaccredited at the A+ Level by NAAC) College with Potential for Excellence TIRUCHIRAPPALLI – 620 017, TAMILNADU Dr. R. Roopkumar Balasingh, Cell : 94437 05190 M.A., B.Ed., M.Phil., Ph.D., Ph : 0431-2770136/2770345 Former Head & Associate Professor Fax : 0431 2770005 Email : roopkumar @yahoo.com, [email protected] CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the thesis entitled Patriarchal Ideology in Select Victorian British Canonical Literature, Tamil Cinema and Popular Tamil Fiction: An Analysis of Typologies of Woman submitted by A. Narayanan for the award of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English to Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, is a bonafide record of original research work carried out under my guidance and, to my knowledge, the work reported here does not form part of any other thesis or dissertation for the award of any other degree or diploma. Place: Tiruchirappalli Dr. R. Roopkumar Balasingh Date : Research Advisor DECLARATION I do hereby declare that the thesis entitled Patriarchal Ideology in Select Victorian British Canonical Literature, Tamil Cinema and Popular Tamil Fiction: An Analysis of Typologies of Woman is a record of bonafide research work done by me under the guidance of Dr. Roopkumar Balasingh , Former Head & Associate Professor, Department of English, Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirapalli-620 017 and it has not formed the basis of the award of any degree, diploma, fellowship or other similar title of any University. Place : Tiruchirapalli A. Narayanan Date : Research Scholar ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I thank wholeheartedly my teacher, guide, and father figure in my life, Dr. M. Nagarajan , for his unstinting support and encouragement to start this research work and his continued moral support till I completed my research work. I pay my obeisance to the departed soul, Dr. Kaladharan who was my first guide, for his support and motivation to carry out this research work. I place on record my sincere respect and tribute to the departed soul. I thank from the depths of my heart my Research Supervisor, Dr. Roopkumar Balasingh , for his valuable guidance and immense help in bringing the present research work to a scientific and an acceptable shape. I thank Dr. D. Paul Dhayabaran , Principal of Bishop Heber College, Tiruchirappalli for permitting me to continue my research project as a part-time scholar attached to the Department of English. I thank the Management and the former Principals of Saranathan College of Engineering, Tiruchirappalli, Dr. Y. Venakataramani , Dr. V. Gopalakrishnan and the present Principal, Dr. Revathy for supporting me in my Ph.D. work. I am indeed thankful to my friend and colleague Mr. C. Gnanadesikan for his constant support and help rendered to me. I am thankful to my wife N. Bhuvaneshwari for her continued moral support in my Ph.D. work. I extend my heartfelt thanks to M/s. Golden Net Computers , Tiruchirappalli for bringing my thesis in a good shape. A. NARAYANAN CONTENTS Chapter Title Page Abstract A Note on Documentation I Introduction 1 II Assessing Characters against Male Ideologies in Wuthering Heights 31 and Jane Eyre III Typology through Intertextual Readings of Novels Chosen for 87 Study IV Analyzing Characters against Typologies in Tamil Novels 118 Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal , Oru Nadigai Naadagam Paarkkiral , Thiyaga Boomi and Moha Mul V Conclusion 181 Works Cited 202 ABSTRACT The notion of typology of characters has time and again been discussed by critics. Is it possible to bring all humans into a limited number of typologies? This is not a simple question that can be answered with a ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. While exploring answers to this question, one has to bear in mind that patriarchal ideology has succeeded to a great extent by imposing typologies on woman. At the same time, there have been attempts, quite significantly in recent times, to break this grid of typologies of woman. This research project seeks to critically examine the notion of typologies of woman with characters drawn from the fictional world of Emily Bronte and Charlotte Bronte. Alongside, select Tamil novels have also been taken for the analysis. A few Tamil movies have also been chosen for analysing the typological and non-typological characters of man and woman. A few advertisement texts in the media have also been taken for further analysis of the typologies of both man and woman. The critical examination has surprisingly shown that many male characters of these novels evolve into ‘typologies’ while most of the women characters move in a significantly opposite direction to evolve into individuals. These mutually exclusive moves --- from an individual to a typology and a typology to an individual contribute to the taut organisation and the resulting tension in the fictional world. A Note on Documentation All Textual quotations are from the Primary Sources mentioned below Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice . New Delhi: Maple Press, 2010. Print. Austen, Jane. Sense and Sensibility . New Delhi: Maple Press, 2010. Print. Austen, Jane. Emma . New Delhi: Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd, 1999. Print. Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre . Delhi: Surjeet Publications, 2009. Print. Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights . Delhi: A.I.T.B.S Publishers, 2010. Print. Jayakanthan. Oru Nadigai Naadagam Paarkkiral. Meenakshi Puthaka Nilayam, 2009. Print. ..... Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal. Meenakshi Puthaka Nilayam, 2011. Print. Janakiraman. T. Moha Mul , Ainthinai Publications, 1994. Print . Kalki. Thiyaga Boomi. Chennai: Pavai Publications, 2007. Print. Karuthamma. Dir. Bharathiraja. Perf. Raja, Periyar Dasan, Rajshri Nair, Maheswari, Saranya and Ponvannan, 1994. Tamil Film. Marupadiyum . Dir. Balu Mahendra. Perf. Nizhalgal Ravi, Revathi, Rohini and Arivind Swamy. 1993. Tamil Film. Penmani Aval Kanmani. Dir. Visu. Perf. Visu, Seetha, Prathap, Delhi Ganesh, Dhilip, Kamala Kamesh, Manorama, 1988. Tamil Film. Introduction The concern of margins in societies across the world and the movements, both Marxist and feminist, that sprung as a consequence of fighting for and establishing one’s rights in a capitalist and patriarchal tradition of life has been popular topics of discussion and research under the socialistic, postcolonial and gender umbrellas. Though Marxism, which took root in the early decades of the eighteenth century, had found a leeway in establishing its presence felt in nations across the world there still are regions and nations where capitalism has taken firm roots and still a power to reckon with, especially in this post modern globalized world of ours. In the same way feminism and feminists have been vigorously attempting, and sometimes succeeding, in bringing together women empowerment, which began with Mary Wollstonecraft in England, for the past two centuries and have made steady progress against a stubborn and relentless patriarchal system that continues to defy and deny such establishments. The reason for the slow progress in feminist ideologies to thrive, even in this postmodern world are many; of which religion and patriarchal traditions are notable deterrents. In India, like most other countries, these two ethical institutions play a vital role in resisting women empowerment as well as influencing women themselves to uphold male monopoly. Even amidst the mushrooming of women writers in India and abroad, seldom do we come across writers who aver themselves to be feminists; on the contrary they safely catalogue themselves as feminist critiques. In such a socio-religious political scenario where really is women’s empowerment? The aim of this research project is to study the stereotyping of women in the dominant patriarchal society of the 19 th and 20 th centuries choosing two popular 2 women novelists of the Victorian period and three male novelists from the Indian (Tamil) context. This research examines why and how women have been docketed into certain types that will fit into male texted marginal roles. Though history speaks of women leaders fighting the colonial power woman in general has been portrayed as a good daughter, a good wife or a good mother and in the Indian joint family system, a good daughter-in-law / mother-in-law; in fact, the Angel of the House. Even Indian women fictionists portray their heroines as burning with self righteous anger within but seldom expressing it without. It is rare to see a woman protagonist with a raging protest against the evils of society in any form of literature. Shakespeare has produced women characters like Lady Macbeth and Cleopatra who have broken the stereotyping trend and emerged as rebellious and assertive models of women. If Caesar uses his power, it is eulogized as his valour; on the contrary, when Cleopatra employs her feminine charms, she is branded a strumpet. Many discussions have been held on tragic heroes but there has hardly been on any tragic heroine, let alone any discussion on them. The history of attack on woman starts with Eve. Eve took the forbidden fruit following the persuasive temptation of Satan whose gender is masculine. So, the first offender is a male not a female as it is being argued. Patriarchy is a system which positions man as head of the family controlling the transactions of life of the other members of the family, especially of women.