Topic: - Subaltern theory in ‘The Purpose’
Name: - Krishna K. Patel
Course: - M.A. English
Semester: - 1
Batch: - 2018 -2020
Roll no:-20
Enrolment no.: - 2069108420190035
Submitted to: - Smt. S.B. Gardi Dept. of English MKBU
Email id: - krishnadobariya08@gmail.com
Paper no.: - 4 Indian Writing in English
Introduction of T.P. Kailasam: -
Full name of T.P. Kailasam is Thanjavur Paramasiva Kailasam. He was born on 29 July 1886 in Mysore, India and died on 1946 in Bangalore, India. He was Tamil. He had a good education, he studied geology in London. Then he joined government geology service, he also wrote play and also worked in local theater. He spent 10 years in place he called ‘Nook’ it was dirty place, but Kailasam wrote many plays in there.
He wrote plays like:
1) The Burden (1933)
2) Fulfillment (1933)
3) The Purpose (1944)
4) Karna: The Brahmin’s curse (1940)
5) Keechak (1949)
He wrote in English also. He was considered as “the father of modern Kannada drama”, he also known as “ The father of humorous plays” and known as “one and only kailasam for Kannada”. Although all his theme and characters are mythological yet their treatment and delineation are strictly according to his vision, mission and imagination.
Meaning of Subaltern: -
It refers to the populations that are socially, politically and geographically outside of the hegemonic power structure of the colony and of the colonial homeland. As intellectual discourse the concept of subaltern is problematic because it originate as a Eurocentric method of historical inquiry for Africa, Asia and the middle East. The term “subaltern” is use in the fields of history, anthropology, sociology, human geography and literary criticism.
In postcolonial theory the term subaltern describes the lower classes and the social groups who are at the margins of a society, As in our India, some of the castes which we call “shudra” they all are subaltern. High castes people not except them as normal and they not even touch to those people. In Gujarati people we can say “Abhadavu” So, those all people are subalterns.
Definition : -
“A subaltern is someone with a low ranking in a social, political, or other hierarchy. It can also mean someone who has been marginalized or oppressed.”(htt6)“An officer in the British army below the rank of captain, especially a second lieutenant”.(htt7)
Subaltern as a concept: -
The term subaltern has come to be used to denote the under classes of societies and often replaces other designations for those lower classes. Those groups are thereby distinguished from members of the ancient regime and form members of the new elites. The term has been employed in the contexts of investigations into political, religious and social interactions between dominant and subordinates groups. Such studies have examined not only agencies of change but also how and why particular ethnoreligious communities, societal classes and economic clusters are displaced by the might, convictions, organizations and vitality of other, emergent new elites. Moving beyond a rejection of established methodologies for analyzing societies, the study of subalterns has expanded to include investigations of social transformation and inquiries into how and some groups developed into elite classes who control resources and perpetuate stereotypes, while other groups become subaltern communities experiencing crisis and displacement. Studies of the subaltern have suggested that the action of elites and subalterns are affected by regional religiopolitical and socioeconomic factors and that therefore neither group can develop homogeneously. Indeed conflation and separation of modes of domination and subordination seem to have differentially determined the relationships that arose between elites and subalterns living in diverse areas.It has been recognized that the presence of elites and subaltern classes affects not only the patterns of interaction between groups but also influences the historiography of each community. The official historical record, often crafted by elites and instilled with a sense of social dominion and political hegemony, must be read not simply as a record of the past but also as an elite ideological product of rule that may have slowly but surely appropriated aspects of the subordinated people’s past. This increasing marginalization of subordinate communities and individuals could even eventually reduce references to members of the indigenous confessional group to fleeting stereotypical images.
Overall it could be suggested that historiography and other analyses of past and present societies benefited from being reshaped through inclusion of the subaltern or subordinate within the basic repertory of historical themes, events and agents.
Eklavya’s story in Mahabharata: -
This Eklavya’s story based on Adiparva from Mahabharata. Mahabharata is Indian Epic a and Eklavya was a Nishada boy. He was a poor hunter: belong to tribal community in the forest near Hastinapur. He wanted to learn archery for save deer in the forest. So, he went to Dronacharya and requested him to teach archery. Drona was the teacher of the royal family. Arjun was disciple of Drona in Gurukul. At that time as a rule that only king’s son and Brahmins were study in Gurukul not any common people like Eklavya. But Eklavya wanted to learn archery very deeply so on the other side Drona could not accepted but he made a statue of Guru Drona and start his practice and after many years he became a good archer and one day Guru Drona and Arjuna found Eklavya, they know he became a good archer, at that time, Arjuna became very angry and asked Guru what is this? And then Guru asked Gurudakshina, Eklavya have his thumb without any hesitation. SO, it is very simple story of Mahabharata.
“The Purpose”
‘The Purpose’ is a myth; which is taken from ‘Mahabharata’. It contains a story of ‘Archery’ which took place in forest. Arjuna was a small boy who goes to Guru Drona’s Asharam for learning archery with Pandavas and cousin brothers Kauravas. Guru Dronacharya was best teacher of archery. Bhishma knows that so he sent his grand children to learn archery from him. Arjuna was the favourite student of Guru Drona. In Mahabharata Arjuna shoen fast learner, whereas in ‘Purpose’ by T.P.Kailasam Arjuna represented slow than the Eklavya. In ‘Purpose’ Eklavya is the protagonist.
‘The Purpose’ – the titled suggests its meaning that the aim of to teach archery to only royal children for Guru Drona, Purpose of learning Archery for Arjuna and for Eklavya.
For Arjuna to learn Archery was to become great Archer in his era; whereas to Eklavya; his purpose after learning the Archery was symbol of selflessness. He wanted to learn Archery because he wanted to become savior for innocent animals. Here, in ‘Purpose’, Kailasam represents that the Arjuna’s aim was wholly personal and to Eklavya it was totally impersonal.
Eklavya as a subaltern:
Eklavya is the protagonist of the play “The Purpose”. He is Nishada boy. He also wants to become the best Archer of the world. He always speaks whatever he thinks to be true. He has great esteem. Once he had talk to his mother that he wants to become best archer in the world, that time his mother told him that Guru Dronacharya was the best teacher for archery if he accept as a student then you can become best archer. That time he decided that he learn archery from Guru Dronacharya and try to convince him to taught him archery, but guru Dronacharya deny him because he is a teacher of royal family. He tells him that “I am a teacher of princes so I can’t teach you”.
When Eklavay enters into the Ashram, he expresses his feelings with these words:
“(Looking all around him) this does look like the plac
Mother spoke of: “A wide vast grassy play ground with bejeweled and beautifully dressed handsome young princes at boe sword and mace exercises…being taught their lesson by a tall and noble looking Brahamana” is how she described it! And it all fits in every bit!
He was so interested in the archery that he thought that he must not miss a word of Drona. This shows his love for him. He loves archery and Guru Dronacharya and he respect him and this thing we can see in this dialogue that is spoken by Eklavya in this play.
During this entire situation Eklavya was not noticed by any one; he just shares his feelings with his own self. He tries to prepare himself because now he was going to present himself to Guru Dronacharya.
He already knows that because of his cast, may be Drona will not teach him but he thinks that because of his noble aim he would have to dare for this.
He has very good capturing ability seems here when he listened Guru Drons preaches to Arjuna before giving him training that to become a great Archer is in one’s hand only. One should be strong and stabile at his aim and can get the thing. Here, Eklavay knows very well that his aim is very noble. At sometimes, he also becomes negative like his aim cannot be noble than Arjuna; he is very hard-working. Although he goes to Guru Drona,
“I have tried hard ever do hard,
Sir, to learn by myself…..But it
Does seem not possible, Sir to
Learn all by one’s ownself!”
With the help of above lines really we can say that he really tried hard to convince Drona to teach him. He is just child like manner of explaining something to elders.
When Guru Drona denies, he also argues that in the five principles of learning archery, to be kshatriya is not mensioned anywhere. So what he is a Nishada boy? He is also equally perhaps more than Arjuna dedicated to learn. But Drona very skillfully avoids to be convinced to be his guru as he has already made a promise to bhishma, which is C
Conclusion:
Thus, Eklavya had to pay for his belongingness of a marginalized community of that time though his aim was noble.
References
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaltern_Studies)
(http://dharmagohel.blogspot.com/2017/11/sem-1-assignment-paper-4.html)
(http://jalandhara07.blogspot.com/2017/08/ekalavya-as-subaltern.html)
(http://megha666.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-purpose-theory-of-subaltern.html)
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