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Interrogating the 'Body-politics' and Construction of 'Subjectivity' in Kamala Das's 'An Introduction'

International Journal of Humanities and Social Science
© 2020 by SSRG - IJHSS Journal
Volume 7 Issue 6
Year of Publication : 2020
Authors : Joy Das
10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I6P107
pdf
How to Cite?

Joy Das, "Interrogating the 'Body-politics' and Construction of 'Subjectivity' in Kamala Das's 'An Introduction'," SSRG International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 7,  no. 6, pp. 44-46, 2020. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V7I6P107

Abstract:

The conception of gender discourse is closely interlinked with the body in contemporary feminist studies. The body is considered the point of reference for gender distinction, but it also takes an active part in creating self-identity and subjectivity. The supremacy of males remains unchallenged for the socio-political privileges by its practices, norms, and traditions. This paper is concerned with female body-politics and subjectivity construction, as seen in the poem 'An Introduction' by Kamala Das. It also analyzes and evaluates the poem in terms of representing the body to understand the reality of existing discourse of gender in the patriarchal society and also the construction of subjectivity of both the sexes with special references to prominent feminists like Simon de Beauvoir, Judith Butler, Stuart Hall and other contemporary renowned critics and advocates of gender studies.

Keywords:

'Gender', 'Body', 'Subjectivity', 'Feminists'.

References:

[1] Butler, Judith. Performative Acts and Gender Constitution: An Essay in Phenomenology and Feminist Theory, Theatre Journal, 40(4) (1988) 519-531.
[2] Das, Kamala. An Introduction. Kamala Das and Her Poetry, edited by Jaydip Sarkar, Books Way. (2012) 42-45.
[3] Edgar, Andrew, and Peter Sedgwick. Cultural Theory: The Key Concepts. Routledge, (2008).
[4] Foucault, Michel. Discipline and Punish. Translated by Alan Sheridan. Penguin, (1975).
[5] Hall, Donald E. Subjectivity. Routledge, 2004.
[6] Hall, Stuart. Cultural Identity and Diaspora. lwbooks, https://www.lwbooks.co.uk/sites/default/files/free-
chapter/Stuart%20Hall_Cultural_Identity-and_Diaspora.pdf. Accessed on (2020).
[7] Iyengar, K.R.S. Indian Writing in English. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. (2018).
[8] Naik, M.K. A History of Indian English Literature. New Delhi: Sahitya Akademi. (1992).
[9] Weedon, Chris. Feminist Practice and Poststructuralist Theory. Oxford: Basil Blackwell. (1987).