Abstract
With the focus on the concepts of desire and self-representation, in this paper we present a philosophical analysis of the Malayalam novelette “Agnisakshi” by Lalithambika Antharjanam, which narrates the customs and taboos that existed in the Namboothiri community in Kerala in the early twentieth century. Through a method of narrative analysis supplemented by philosophical reflections, the study brings forth the living conditions of Brahmin women in the Namboothiri society in Kerala and their self-representations in the text. Engaging with the characters of the novelette, we discuss desire and agency in the light of the larger narrative of the text, and how the psychosocial factors influence them. One of the conclusions we arrive at, analysing the tensions between patriarchy and female individuality, is that it is important to understand the psychological formation of desires and its philosophical transformations. The study depicts desire and self-representation as two important concepts, and the understanding of the relation between them as crucial, in the formation of personal identity.
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Notes
Kerala, also known as Keralam is a territorial state in the south-west region of Indian subcontinent. The Namboothiri are a particular caste-based community in Kerala who adorn a higher status in the society. The caste system which is followed throughout India is a traditional ascribed status given to people according to their lineage and occupation.
Lalithambika Antharjanam was an Indian author and social reformer best known for her literary works in Malayalam language. Her published oeuvre consists of nine volumes of short stories, six collections of poems, two books for children and a novella, Agnisakshi (1976) which won the Kendriya Sahitya Academy Award and Kerala Sahitya Academy Award in 1977.
Although it is important to independently analyse and review the political and anti-colonial agencies that influence the individual agencies, the scope of this paper excludes this topic and focuses on philosophical, narrative and psychological aspects.
Unless otherwise specified the translation of the original Malayalam text [Antharjanam, L. (1976). Agnisakshi. Kottayam: D.C. Books] into English is by Meera Kumar
As far as the self-representation of the author is concerned, she emerged as a successful author even while she was surrounded by the walls of brahminical patriarchy. The scope of this paper does not involve an analysis of the author’s self and desires, but is limited to the analysis of the same in the author’s characters.
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Kumar, M., Menon, S. Desire and Self-Representation: A Philosophical Reading of the Malayalam Novelette “Agnisakshi”. J. Indian Counc. Philos. Res. 33, 303–314 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-016-0060-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-016-0060-z