PORTRAYAL OF WOMEN AS AGENTS OF
METAMORPHOSIS IN THE SELECT NOVELS OF
AMITAV GHOSH
a thesis submitted by
HANSA PAUL (RP11EN003)
in partial fulfilment for the award of the degree of
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
under the supervision of
Dr. M. POONKODI
DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
SCHOOL OF SCIENCE AND HUMANITIES
KARUNYA UNIVERSITY
(Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences)
(Declared as Deemed-to-be-University
Deemed
under Sec-33 of the UGC Act, 1956)
Karunya Nagar, Coimbatore – 641 114. INDIA
DECEMBER 2015
DECLARATION
I, HANSA PAUL hereby declare that the thesis, entitled “Portrayal of Women as
Agents of Metamorphosis in the Select Novels of Amitav Ghosh”, submitted to the
Karunya University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the
Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English is a record of original and independent
research work done by me during the period 2012 – 2015, under the Supervision and
guidance of Dr. M.Poonkodi, Asst. Professor, Department of English, School of
Science and Humanities, Karunya University. The work contained in this thesis has
not been previously submitted to meet the requirements for a degree or diploma at this
or any other higher education institution.
HANSA PAUL
Signature of the candidate
ii
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
Certified that this thesis titled “Portrayal of Women as Agents of Metamorphosis
in the Select Novels of Amitav Ghosh” is the bonafide work of HANSA PAUL who
carried out the research under my supervision. Certified further, that to the best of my
knowledge the work reported herein does not form part of any other thesis or
dissertation on the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier
occasion on this or any other scholar.
Dr.J.Sundarsingh
Dr. M.Poonkodi
HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT
SUPERVISOR
Professor
Asst.
DR.Professor
M.Poonkodi
Department of English
Department of English
Karunya University
Karunya University
Countersigned by
Dr.Daphy Louis Lovenia
Director
School of Science and Humanities
Karunya University
iii
ABSTRACT
The study analyses Amitav Ghosh’s novels The Glass Palace, The Hungry
Tide and Sea of Poppies from a feministic perspective and explores the power of
women characters to transform the system of patriarchy and redefine their hierarchical
and conventional images as progressive and empowered women in the context of
social, economic and political structures.
Amitav Ghosh has written his novels with great intensity and scholarship,
leaving the reader with a thirst to read unperturbed as well awakening the
consciousness of the society for transformation. His novels are replete with human
predicaments that prompt his male and female characters to confront and extricate
themselves from those predicaments. The research, he carried out prior to writing
every single novel undoubtedly led to the meticulous narration of events with a vivid
portrayal of characters. The novels selected for the present study are The Glass Palace
(2000), The Hungry Tide (2004) and Sea of Poppies (2008). These novels, though
thematically different, bear a common thread of showing profuse concern for women
characters. His novels brilliantly explore the empowerment of women by enhancing
their status ascribing to familial, societal and economic independence. The women
characters are used as the most efficient agents bringing metamorphosis in the lives of
their dependence through self transformation. An analysis of these characters express
his feministic views and anti patriarchal sentiments.
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I humbly acknowledge my gratitude to God Almighty for blessing me with the
strength and knowledge to take up this research work and to bring it into completion. I
sincerely thank our Honourable Chancellor Dr. Paul Dhinakaran, for providing
spiritual ambience and technical support with the best infrastructure to carry out the
research. I earnestly thank our Vice Chancellor Dr. S. Sunder Manoharan and our
Registrar Dr. C. Joseph Kennady for the motivation and inspiration. I respectfully
thank the Director Dr. Daphy Louis Lovenia and Dr. J. Sundersingh, Head of the
Department of English for the encouragement and support during my research work.
Special expression of gratitude to my research supervisor Dr. M. Poonkodi
for her tremendous academic support and expert guidance. I am grateful to Doctoral
Committee members Dr. Mathialagan, Professor, Institute of Road and Transport
Technology, Erode and Dr. Helen Unius Backiavathy, Asst. Professor, Karunya
University for their valuable suggestions. My sincere thanks to the staff of SCILET
library, Madurai, Maris stella college library, Vijayawada, Stella Maris college
library, Chennai, Bharathiyar University library, Coimbatore, Osmania University
library, Hyderabad and Dr. Jeyachandra, staff in charge of the Department library
for providing me with required resources to do my research work. My sincere
gratitude to Sr. Provincial of Delhi Province, congregation of Franciscan
Missionaries of Mary and all the sisters for their encouragement and prayerful support
during my research work.
HANSA PAUL
v
CONTENTS
Chapter
I
Title
Page No.
DECLARATION
ii
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE
iii
ABSTRACT
iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
v
TABLE OF CONTENTS
vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
vii
INTRODUCTION
1
II
TRANSFORMATION OF WOMEN TO ESTABLISH
POLITICAL IDENTITY IN THE GLASS PALACE
56
III
ECONOMIC REVIVAL AND WOMEN’S
EMPOWERMENT IN THE HUNGRY TIDE
92
IV
FROM DOCILITY TO DEFIANCE: ATTITUDINAL
CHANGES AMONG WOMEN IN SEA OF POPPIES
115
V
SUMMATION
140
WORK CITED
159
LIST OF PUBLICATIONS
175
CURRICULUM VITAE
176
vi
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
GP
- The Glass Palace
HT - The Hungry Tide
SOP - Sea of Poppies
vii