Research Journals of English Literature and Language, 2020
Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works wri... more Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works written in other genres. India's rich heritage of fantastical literature in the native languages has made the importance and requirement of Fantasy Fiction in languages that are not essentially Indian, take a secondary position in its literary world. Samit Basu's "Gameworld trilogy" is widely regarded as the first Fantasy Fiction written by an Indian author in English. In this paper, we have delved into the depths of the first instalment of the trilogy, "The Simoqin Prophecies", to explore the culmination of world mythologies, popular culture references and conventional tropes. The cultural identity of the author has initiated a debate over the "Indianness" of the work. The specific cultural implications and the effects of globalisation have made the novel a mishmash of world culture. The merits of comprehending the references that are intricately woven throughout the work are further heightened as the plot takes shape independent of the references. Despite being a "khichurification" at its core with numerous references to popular works from around the world, the originality of the plot makes the work a worthy precursor in the Indian branch of the genre. In the face of successful Indian SFF writers, the contribution of this novel as a trailblazer is something to be acknowledged. We have attempted to analyse and identify the Indian and non-Indian elements within the novel, and question the concept of characteristics that encompass 1.3 billion people and their inherent culture.
International Journal of Social Science And Human Research, 2020
The modern Classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, has been of interest to the readers throughout ... more The modern Classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, has been of interest to the readers throughout the years. The uncanny resemblances between iconic plots such as Jane Eyre and Othello further instigate this interest in the story. The plot of gothic romance with a murder and deviant psychological tenure has been able to sustain its relevance even today. In this paper, the mysterious figure of Rebecca is delved into as she is compared to the "madwoman in the attic". Her far reaching influence from beyond the grave keep swaying the resolve and temper of the newly married de Winter couple as them attempt to find a life devoid of her presence. Though her presence becomes imbibed within Manderley, Rebecca haunts the narrator in her dreams after the decimation of the house. There are no first person accounts of what she went through or her upbringing when it comes to the dead protagonist of the novel. Rebecca is seen from a feminist perspective here where she is portrayed as the morally corrupt woman based on the suspicions of her patriarchal husband. This paper attempts to draw parallels between the events of the other works while simultaneously interpreting the work from a feminist perspective. The goal of this paper is to move away from the narrative that Rebecca is a gothic romance and explore the depth of the patriarchal notion of the society by acknowledging the unreliability of the narrators of various parts of the novel and question the representation of Rebecca as the "other woman'. The incredibly intriguing modern classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, has arresting qualities embedded into its narrative style and plot. From the sunny France to the secluded Manderley, the gloom almost hovers around the edges of the plot, waiting to invade at the slightest opportunity, until it establishes its grips into the action of the main plot. The full circle of fate is complete for Daphne du Maurier's nameless narrator by the end of the novel as it begins with a search of a place in the world and ends with similar notions. The note of alienation and deviant human nature is so intricately explored in this novel that it has inspired numerous film adaptations. Categorizing this novel into one single genre has proved to be difficult for the critics. Even as Hitchcock's movie adaptation paints the plot more romantically, dismissing the complex connotations of murder and intrigue, the novel has been successful in holding the readers interest throughout the years. The plot is an amalgamation of themes that consistently overlap and incidents that keep the readers engrossed throughout the length of the novel. As the gloom hangs over the nameless narrator of the novel, it chases her from Monte Carlo to Manderley to Cairo. The new Mrs de Winter of Manderley has no independent identity, she is always Mrs de Winter, but even that title of hers is more suited to the previous Mrs de Winter, Rebecca. Her dead rival threatens her position in the life of her husband and as the lady of the prestigious house, Manderley, from beyond the grave as she begins to be haunted by this unknown embodiment of grace and beauty who has been dead for over a year. The premonition of doom follows her around from the moment she steps into Manderley; far before that, during the conversations with Maxim de Winter the readers are made aware of some dark past that the mystic figure of the male protagonist does not wish to disclose, but the narrator is too engrossed with the wonders of the landscape and the man before her to take notice of the intricate speech of Maxim de Winter. From mere broken cupids to meeting the almost senile grandmother, things are easily led astray. The incidents are lined up till the seemingly restorative ball at the house which pronounces the culmination of all actions. The tone of the novel changes drastically from this night onward as it deals with the issue of Rebecca's death directly from hereafter. The young and inexperienced narrator is projected as a stark comparison to her absent rival, Rebecca. Everything she does is judged on the precedent Rebecca had set and inevitably, all her efforts fall short in comparison. The shadow of Rebecca follows her around the house as nobody lets her forget how competent and likable the former mistress of the house was, how wonderfully charming she was to everybody she met and how happy she kept her "Max'. From the people she meets outside to the very house she inhabits, the shadow and scent of Rebecca haunts her everywhere. The invisible presence is imbibed into the plot of the novel so intricately that Rebecca truly becomes the only protagonist of the novel as she successfully captures the attention and curiosity of the readers.
Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works wri... more Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works written in other genres. India's rich heritage of fantastical literature in the native languages has made the importance and requirement of Fantasy Fiction in languages that are not essentially Indian, take a secondary position in its literary world. Samit Basu's "Gameworld trilogy" is widely regarded as the first Fantasy Fiction written by an Indian author in English. In this paper, we have delved into the depths of the first instalment of the trilogy, "The Simoqin Prophecies", to explore the culmination of world mythologies, popular culture references and conventional tropes. The cultural identity of the author has initiated a debate over the "Indianness" of the work. The specific cultural implications and the effects of globalisation have made the novel a mishmash of world culture. The merits of comprehending the references that are intricately woven throughout the work are further heightened as the plot takes shape independent of the references. Despite being a "khichurification" at its core with numerous references to popular works from around the world, the originality of the plot makes the work a worthy precursor in the Indian branch of the genre. In the face of successful Indian SFF writers, the contribution of this novel as a trailblazer is something to be acknowledged. We have attempted to analyse and identify the Indian and non-Indian elements within the novel, and question the concept of characteristics that encompass 1.3 billion people and their inherent culture.
Research Journals of English Literature and Language, 2020
Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works wri... more Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works written in other genres. India's rich heritage of fantastical literature in the native languages has made the importance and requirement of Fantasy Fiction in languages that are not essentially Indian, take a secondary position in its literary world. Samit Basu's "Gameworld trilogy" is widely regarded as the first Fantasy Fiction written by an Indian author in English. In this paper, we have delved into the depths of the first instalment of the trilogy, "The Simoqin Prophecies", to explore the culmination of world mythologies, popular culture references and conventional tropes. The cultural identity of the author has initiated a debate over the "Indianness" of the work. The specific cultural implications and the effects of globalisation have made the novel a mishmash of world culture. The merits of comprehending the references that are intricately woven throughout the work are further heightened as the plot takes shape independent of the references. Despite being a "khichurification" at its core with numerous references to popular works from around the world, the originality of the plot makes the work a worthy precursor in the Indian branch of the genre. In the face of successful Indian SFF writers, the contribution of this novel as a trailblazer is something to be acknowledged. We have attempted to analyse and identify the Indian and non-Indian elements within the novel, and question the concept of characteristics that encompass 1.3 billion people and their inherent culture.
International Journal of Social Science And Human Research, 2020
The modern Classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, has been of interest to the readers throughout ... more The modern Classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, has been of interest to the readers throughout the years. The uncanny resemblances between iconic plots such as Jane Eyre and Othello further instigate this interest in the story. The plot of gothic romance with a murder and deviant psychological tenure has been able to sustain its relevance even today. In this paper, the mysterious figure of Rebecca is delved into as she is compared to the "madwoman in the attic". Her far reaching influence from beyond the grave keep swaying the resolve and temper of the newly married de Winter couple as them attempt to find a life devoid of her presence. Though her presence becomes imbibed within Manderley, Rebecca haunts the narrator in her dreams after the decimation of the house. There are no first person accounts of what she went through or her upbringing when it comes to the dead protagonist of the novel. Rebecca is seen from a feminist perspective here where she is portrayed as the morally corrupt woman based on the suspicions of her patriarchal husband. This paper attempts to draw parallels between the events of the other works while simultaneously interpreting the work from a feminist perspective. The goal of this paper is to move away from the narrative that Rebecca is a gothic romance and explore the depth of the patriarchal notion of the society by acknowledging the unreliability of the narrators of various parts of the novel and question the representation of Rebecca as the "other woman'. The incredibly intriguing modern classic, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, has arresting qualities embedded into its narrative style and plot. From the sunny France to the secluded Manderley, the gloom almost hovers around the edges of the plot, waiting to invade at the slightest opportunity, until it establishes its grips into the action of the main plot. The full circle of fate is complete for Daphne du Maurier's nameless narrator by the end of the novel as it begins with a search of a place in the world and ends with similar notions. The note of alienation and deviant human nature is so intricately explored in this novel that it has inspired numerous film adaptations. Categorizing this novel into one single genre has proved to be difficult for the critics. Even as Hitchcock's movie adaptation paints the plot more romantically, dismissing the complex connotations of murder and intrigue, the novel has been successful in holding the readers interest throughout the years. The plot is an amalgamation of themes that consistently overlap and incidents that keep the readers engrossed throughout the length of the novel. As the gloom hangs over the nameless narrator of the novel, it chases her from Monte Carlo to Manderley to Cairo. The new Mrs de Winter of Manderley has no independent identity, she is always Mrs de Winter, but even that title of hers is more suited to the previous Mrs de Winter, Rebecca. Her dead rival threatens her position in the life of her husband and as the lady of the prestigious house, Manderley, from beyond the grave as she begins to be haunted by this unknown embodiment of grace and beauty who has been dead for over a year. The premonition of doom follows her around from the moment she steps into Manderley; far before that, during the conversations with Maxim de Winter the readers are made aware of some dark past that the mystic figure of the male protagonist does not wish to disclose, but the narrator is too engrossed with the wonders of the landscape and the man before her to take notice of the intricate speech of Maxim de Winter. From mere broken cupids to meeting the almost senile grandmother, things are easily led astray. The incidents are lined up till the seemingly restorative ball at the house which pronounces the culmination of all actions. The tone of the novel changes drastically from this night onward as it deals with the issue of Rebecca's death directly from hereafter. The young and inexperienced narrator is projected as a stark comparison to her absent rival, Rebecca. Everything she does is judged on the precedent Rebecca had set and inevitably, all her efforts fall short in comparison. The shadow of Rebecca follows her around the house as nobody lets her forget how competent and likable the former mistress of the house was, how wonderfully charming she was to everybody she met and how happy she kept her "Max'. From the people she meets outside to the very house she inhabits, the shadow and scent of Rebecca haunts her everywhere. The invisible presence is imbibed into the plot of the novel so intricately that Rebecca truly becomes the only protagonist of the novel as she successfully captures the attention and curiosity of the readers.
Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works wri... more Fantasy Fiction in Indian English literature is still a novelty compared to the seminal works written in other genres. India's rich heritage of fantastical literature in the native languages has made the importance and requirement of Fantasy Fiction in languages that are not essentially Indian, take a secondary position in its literary world. Samit Basu's "Gameworld trilogy" is widely regarded as the first Fantasy Fiction written by an Indian author in English. In this paper, we have delved into the depths of the first instalment of the trilogy, "The Simoqin Prophecies", to explore the culmination of world mythologies, popular culture references and conventional tropes. The cultural identity of the author has initiated a debate over the "Indianness" of the work. The specific cultural implications and the effects of globalisation have made the novel a mishmash of world culture. The merits of comprehending the references that are intricately woven throughout the work are further heightened as the plot takes shape independent of the references. Despite being a "khichurification" at its core with numerous references to popular works from around the world, the originality of the plot makes the work a worthy precursor in the Indian branch of the genre. In the face of successful Indian SFF writers, the contribution of this novel as a trailblazer is something to be acknowledged. We have attempted to analyse and identify the Indian and non-Indian elements within the novel, and question the concept of characteristics that encompass 1.3 billion people and their inherent culture.
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Papers by Debarpita Bose