Project Alexandria - October Issue

PROJECT ALEXANDRIA LITERARY JOURNAL

VOLUME I OCTOBER 2020

Table Of Contents A Note From The Editors Kriti Andhare & Ayushi Pandey

Death At The Durbar through Post Colonialism Tarini Sathe

Religion and The Boy Who Lives Kinjal Rastogi

One Half From The East and Gender Shreeya Sawant

Dune and Gender Represent Sarah Albrecht

Table Of Contents Psychoanalysis and The Maze Runner Aditi Chhotaray

The Colour Purple Ananya Barua

For One More Day Trisha Lodha

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas Ritwika Sinha

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Diva Mehta

Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month Through Literature Ayushi Pandey

A Note on the Nobel Laureate - Louise GlĂźck Kriti Andhare

A Note From The Editors Project Alexandria is a platform to introduce high school students to literary theory and literary analysis. It is a space for English aficionados to delve deeper into the literature we consume and analyse it using critical theory. Through this project, we, as editors, would be taking on the challenge of planning out and organising such a forum to provide students the opportunity to extensively explore literature and analysis outside of an academic setting. We aim to help create an opportunity for students to explore literature and literary theories through works of prose and poetry that they are keen to work with and understand at a deeper level.

This time, however, to ensure maximum accessibility and a broader approach to English literature, we present to you (*drumroll please!*) the Project Alexandria Literary Journal!

From literary critiques to curated book lists with unique themes, we have it all covered! Ranging from Spotify reading playlists to help create the perfect ambience for your reading experience to shoutouts to some phenomenal content creators on the Bookternet, each edition of this journal is sure to provide you with an amalgamation of bookish goodness.

Death At The Durbar

by Arjun Raj Gaind

Post Colonial Lens Tarini Sathe

Death at the Durbar is a historical mystery set in 1911 Delhi, during the days leading up to the historic Delhi Durbar, and is written by Indian author Arjun Raj Gaind, one of the country’s best-known comic book writers and creator/ author of several graphic novels. Amid the hullabaloo of preparations for the Durbar, Maharaja Sikander Singh of the fictional kingdom Rajpore is called upon to use his well-known detective skills to solve the mysterious strangulation of a nautch girl, whose body was found in what was to be the King’s tent, under forty-eight hours. Given the time period and setting, it is easy to see how colonialism has caused an oppression of the peoples and impacted the identities of the characters.

At the beginning of the novel, in the relative peace and security of his hotel room, the Maharaja is barged in on by a pair of Englishmen who demand his presence for a matter of utmost urgency. One of the pair, Lieutenant Munro, seeing his partner, Captain Campbell’s civility in speaking with the Maharaja as stalling, says to Campbell, “We haven’t time to waste on games... Let’s just drag the fellow back by his boot-heels.” This shows the audience the true opinion that the English, or white people, had of Indians during colonial-era India, regardless of the Indian’s rank and socio-economic and political status. The flippancy and rudeness of the sentence, in addition to the act of having barged in on the king’s privacy, shows how little respect Englishmen had for the Indians, even if they were kings. In addition, the lieutenant’s comment on civilities being playing games shows how he believes that even the ruler of a princely state did not deserve respect or common courtesy and desired, if not having already done so, to oppress them [Indians]. Later on, this need to oppress is evident when they exit the Maharaja’s hotel room, and see his normally staunch and unrelenting manservant being forcibly held back by guards. “...it had taken not one, but three Guardsmen, to restrain him, keeping him pinioned in place by holding his arms, which were manacled together at the wrists...His left eye was swollen and his lip split...” Although the manservant, Charan Singh, is quickly unshackled and let go, the deplorable behaviour towards him says all that it needs to [even more explicitly] about the mindset and attitude that the English had towards Indians. In fact, this also lets the audience know that they were not above oppressing the Indians through physical force/ violence, if their rank or station was low enough—this man being a king’s manservant. colonised, as well as showcasing the way personal identities were impacted by colonisation.

Death At The Durbar by Tarini Sathe

It is not just through violence that the English tried to oppress the people they had colonised. During the investigation of the nautch girl’s murder, Sikander (the Maharaja) talks to a group of suspects, men who had been among the last few to see her, known as the Guppies—they were the scions/ sons of the major stakeholders of power; the son of Lord Hardinge [the current Viceroy], Prince [George] Battenberg, Fruity Metcalfe, and others. While talking, one from the group says, “I just thought it would be fun if she would show us a bit of tit. Ain’t that what these dancing girls are supposed to do? Anyway, she wasn’t having any of it, and stamped right off, the uppity slag.” in reference to having nearly forced himself on her [the now-dead nautch girl] during her performance. Here the audience can see how not only did the English want to oppress Indians, they desired to sexually possess them as well. The dialogue betrays this mindset that the nautch girls are whores/ slags, even if they had refused to sexually gratify the men they were dancing for. The belief that nearly forcing oneself upon a girl, in the name of fun and “showing tit” shows the abhorrent behaviour of the English towards people they considered lesser. This is further amplified when the speaker calls the girl an “uppity slag” for refusing to flash them/ give them sexual favours and choosing to preserve her dignity instead. The name calling indicates the crude and brattish behaviour of these scions; if they don’t get their way, the next thing to do is insult and disparage the person denying them. Here, it is quite visible to the audience that this group of Englishmen, as well as multiple others, through their deplorable behaviour, desired to sexually possess and oppress the nautch girl, or more generally, women in India, because they were lesser beings but still exotic, in their eyes.

However, despite the oppression of Indians shown in the novel, the culture brought to India by the English is also something that has shaped the identities of the people colonised, a most prevalent example being Maharaja Sikander Singh himself. Being driven with the Englishmen through Delhi, the readers see his inner thoughts; “Cities, he had always thought, smelled like women. Paris, his favourite, was a courtesan, perfumed with mystery. London was an aging dowager, filled with secrets and regret. But Delhi smelled like a corpse long-buried, redolent of rot and decay and death.” First of all, this shows how Sikander’s experiences in life have been influenced by the colonisation of the British.

Without them, even as a ruler of a princely state, it would have been highly unlikely that he could have visited places such as London and Paris, halfway across the globe. His identity and character are formed by his experiences, which include his knowledge of these great cities, having only been gained by his travel. Another thing that is a central part of identity is one’s education, and Sikander’s education has also shaped who he is and how he thinks. This is evident through the line “...a Latin motto emblazoned on top of it, which read: Honi soit qui mal y pense— Evil to be him who evil thinks.”

Death At The Durbar by Tarini Sathe

Considering the fact that the novel, although in the third person, is told from Sikander’s perspective, it is clear that he is able to read and understand Latin— something that would not have been taught in India without the influence of the English, or rather, indicative of his having studied abroad. Further in, the audience reads that Sikander studied at Eton, a prestigious boys boarding school in England; having spent years of his life there, and showing his knowledge of English military order and ranks, among other things, the audience can infer that that English education has heavily influenced the identity of Sikander Singh. The presence of the English and all that they brought having impacted the identities of Indians is also evident in Sikander’s knowledge and love for the piano and famous [foreign] composers, his love for high-end and/ or French champagne and paté.

Throughout this murder mystery, Arjun Raj Gaind interweaves subtle and more blatant displays of English oppression, most commonly seen through comments, slurs, or sneers [overall behaviour] towards Indians. He also manages to successfully show the way identities have been impacted by the colonisation of the country, making Sikander Singh the most prevalent example, although the identities of minor characters, such as Charan Singh, or Captain Campbell, are seen to be influenced as well by living in a colonised India. Ultimately, with Gaind having successfully blended a mystery with history, this novel represents the way the English desired to oppress the people of the nation they had

The Boy Who Loved

by Durjot Datta

New Historicism, Cultural Studies Kinjal Rastogi

The Boy Who Loved written by famed Indian author Durjoy Dutta is an epistolary novel which follows the life of a Bengali Hindu Brahman boy named Raghu Ganguly. Set in the year 1999 in Delhi, it shows the religious prejudices and stereotypes that exist in the minds of educated urban Indians. The book is written from Raghu’s perspective. It demonstrates the perceived dichotomy between the religions of Hinduism and Islam.

The first half of the novel provides insights into Raghu’s parents’ extreme views against Muslims. His parents were dogmatic about their religion. They indoctrinated their children into believing the same but when Raghu’s elder brother Anirban fell in love and proposed to marry a Muslim woman Zubeida; his once loving parents got agitated. Unable to accept a Muslim bahu (daughter in law) they banished him from their house. The very mention of a Muslim woman sounded blasphemous to them. On the other hand, Zubeida was treated likewise by her parents for falling in love with a Hindu man.

Such characters portray contemporary India where we are seeing widening chasm between the Hindus and the Muslims. Increasing communication between diverse cultures and inter-state migration has also not changed the deep-rooted lack of faith between people of different religions. The mistrust is so ingrained that it leads to riots, violence and bloodshed. The people live in their cocoons and consider their religions to be superior, as a result of which they become partisan. They believe that the propagation of their faith is of utmost importance. Acceptance is an alien term when it comes to Hindu-Muslim relations and discourses about communal bonhomie are ridiculed.

Raghu’s father was a Hindu radical, audacious enough to legitimize even the most inhuman acts by his community. Born in 1954, East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) he was sent to India for his education years before the 1971 Bangladesh genocide. Pakistan’s president Yahya Khan commanded the extermination of Bengali speakers in 1971. Along with the other victims, his father was killed, his brother was bayoneted to death and his sister was carried off to a military camp where she was raped and killed by the Pakistani army. The prolonged brutality terminated only after the intervention of Indian Army. He spent 12 months in post war Bangladesh looking for his family’s graves.

The Boy Who Loved by Kinjal Rastogi

Raghu's father’s actions were not justified but emanated from his appalling experiences. The religious persecution that he faced led to him branding all Muslims as evil people. He was violated by the people he called his own. This depicts that stereotyping emerges mainly from an odious past which remains etched in memories of generations. The events based on which such hard-grained attitudes develop have an abiding effect on the entire psyche of a community.

They dismiss the thought of unity due to their preconceived notions; the negligence for acceptance is a consequence of the same. As a result of it, saner voices have no or little sobering effect on the thinking.

“I can still feel anger coursing through my veins like molten lava. But I like Zubeida Quaze. She had no part in this. Why can’t Baba see it like that?

Maybe because he was there.”(raghu’s thoughts) Reluctant as they were, Raghu’s parents came around when they got to know about Zubeida’s pregnancy but all the pretensions were because of the expected grandchild. Anirban’s tragic death gave them more fodder to loathe Zubeida.

Post-delivery, they took her child in their custody and pressured her to change religion for accepting her in their family.

‘they never blamed her, only her religion and that unholy alliance, which brought destruction to the Gangulys, and they can’t let that affect their grandson, there was too much at stake.’ (written by Raghu in his diary while narrating a speech his father gave to Zubeida) This event illustrates the extent of the sinful acts that are committed in the name of religion. It exhibits the reality of society’s religious intolerance. How the prejudices make people lose sanity, making them almost evil; incapable of looking beyond their preconceived notions. Motives are attached to even good acts of people from other communities. They don’t accept that there are shades of grey between black and white. The Gangulys blamed Zubeida and her religion for the destruction of their family when they themselves were her culprits.

The author, through the character of Raghu, has eloquently communicated his objection of discriminatory behaviour that takes place. Raghu is a character beseeched in upright thoughts and is someone who is very human in approach.

Forcing Zubeida to change her religion was the last straw making Raghu lose respect for his parents. Livid at their attitude, his pent-up anger emerged when he lashed out. He threatened his father for his action but all in vain.

The Boy Who Loved by Kinjal Rastogi

This author's work manifests his views as he manages to convey the toxic cruel reality of communal hate which has the potential of ruining the lives of people in and around us. The work's presentation condemns every distasteful event that takes place.

To conclude; this novel is gloomy and dark yet thought provoking. It will leave you in tears. Hindus and Muslims have always felt revulsion towards one another. This hate has ruined lives and homes. It is about time for humans to realise that religions are means to get closer to God, not to be used as tools to divide and discriminate.

History cannot be erased; the pain cannot be reduced but people can be changed.

Communal hate has never done anyone good and the author has conveyed his message in the most convincing way.

One Half from the East

by Nadia Hashimi

Gender Studies Shreeya Sawant

The story of a bacha posh, Obayda now Obayd, under influence of her aunt is described truthfully by Nadia Hashimi, uses the voice of Obayda, an 8-year-old from Kabul who was made to dress as a boy in order to bring luck to her family, after an unfortunate incident. The writer begins this story using a historical approach, describing a flashback as to how the man of the family, Obayda’s father had lost his leg due to the Kabul bomb explosions; an event that marked history, but scared Obayda’s family.

Obayda, however, had been incredibly reluctant of this idea put forward by her aunt to reconcile the bond their family shared, but towards the end did almost anything in her power to turn into, well…a boy.

“The hell with naseeb. Naseeb is what people blame for everything they can't fix,” states a frustrated Obayd to his friend Rahim. Although this story is narrated through Obayd’s perspective, the reader tends to feel more connected to Rahim, another bacha posh that teaches Obayd the tricks of the trade and convinces him to believe how life as a male is so much easier.

The reader too experiences the whirlwind of emotions the character undergoes and as these young girls face the battles to be men, they eventually emerge as strong yet independent women. Unfortunately the superiority complex of the genders is what shatters a girl’s self-esteem but helps her begin a new race of confident women.

When Obayd befriends Rahim and when Obayd’s family moves to a small village near Kabul, they pull all their efforts into staying as males till their last breath, which only results in Rahima getting married off to the local gangster by her alcoholic father. The composition further describes how Obayd tries to trick the gangster’s men and reach Rahima, the story takes a comical turn, showing a clear contrast between the gravity of the situation and the little girl’s humour. The writer, narrating this incident portrays how gender doesn’t defy intelligence, kindness or even strength for that matter, one sees that Obayd did travel almost a mile with a bag full of Rahim’s belongings to remind Rahima how her transition doesn’t change her image in Obayd’s eyes.

One Half from the East by Shreeya Sawant

The writer, however, does touch upon the adorable and true bond the two-bacha posh share while narrating their trip to the mountains. Obayd had heard about an ancient Afghan myth, which said that passing under a rainbow transforms you into a boy. During the trip, the writer describes how Obayd compliments Rahim about his hat which reads “WIZARDS” but our naive Obayd read it as “Why-zar-dis”.

This was a highlight in the story as Rahima later gives this hat to Obayd asking him to continue being brave, a bacha posh or not, before saying their final goodbyes. The simplicity of Rahim’s present to Obayd conveys how every once in a while we do require a push to completely understand our destiny, just like Obayd realised his and began the village’s first ever Female Ghursai Team (Ghursai is an ancient Afghani sport, similar to Kabbadi) “I know you, because I am you,” Rahim had said, “We’ll be like brothers!” Obayd replied. They were more than just brothers; they were one soul in two bodies. This builds the reader’s perspective on how gender doesn’t matter when an individual is determined to make a change. However, sometimes a fictional story is all one need to change their mindset and be the change. Obayd, eventually, comes back to being Obayda, since her family was ‘blessed’ with a baby boy. However, this didn’t change the situation of her family; her father still lay in his quarters, ignoring the condition of his family, but this didn’t stop Obayda. She remembered how Rahim had told her to be bold irrespective of the pronouns people use for her, which led her to build a walking stick from scratch, she even climbed a 10 foot tall tree to get some resources. The writer clearly shows how a determined and focused little girl defied the laws set by society just for the happiness of her father.

Now, the house was filled with movement of the walking stick along with the joy and giggles of its owner, Obayda’s father.

Given vast inequities between the sexes, the voice of a bacha posh injects cultural flexibility. Yet despite its utility (a prepubescent son can work, helping to support the family; a girl cannot), this story also leaves psychological and emotional scars, issues Hashimi touches upon gently.

Well-told through appealing characters, this tale sheds light from a unique cultural perspective on the link between vastly different, rigidly enforced roles for boys and girls and gender-identity issues. “Your differences unite you; you have one half from the east and the other from the west, make the most of it!”

Dune

Gender Studies

by Frank Herbert

Sarah Albrecht

A seemingly timeless futuristic classic, Dune by Frank Herbert is the introduction to a saga that is cited as a genre game changer for science fiction. Part of what makes it so special is the desert planet of Arrakis, whose scarce population and arid landscape provides the perfect growing conditions for many unique resources, but especially the Spice Melange, a highly sought after and secretly addictive crop. Through intricate and immersive world-building, Herbert brings Arrakis to life, complete with a unique system of ecology, environment, government, and class system. This class system creates a distinct divide between the wealthy Houses of nobility, who have recently settled on Arrakis for it’s swath of natural resources, and the native Fremen tribes, who have lived on Arrakis for thousands of years and developed their own culture and methods of survival. There is also a distinct divide between the men and women of Arrakis, and this gender divide will be analyzed through literary analysis, using the Feminist Lens to show that the female representation in Dune is not as strong as it seems on the surface.

From the beginning, one of the strongest and most likeable characters is Lady Jessica, who breaks the damsel-in-distress stereotype and instead is portrayed as a strong female figure who could fend for herself and make her own decisions. She was trained as a Bene Gesserit warrior, an ancient way of fighting that has produced generations of powerful women warriors, as well as giving them unique mental capabilities. However, Lady Jessica is quite the exception when it comes to women’s rights, because she is a concubine for a wealthy family and is also respected as a powerful Bene Gesserit warrior. For the native Fremen society, women were sometimes the prizes for winning a duel, and most had to serve men instead of being able to fight, unlike Lady Jessica, or were even stolen as Harkonnen House slaves who had to serve the House and work in the dangerous Spice Melange fields.

Despite Lady Jessica’s advantages in the patriarchy, she still faces discrimination from many men around her, who most likely seem to be envious of her strength and refer to her, and other warriors, as witches. For instance, when there is a traitor amongst the Atreides house, most men ended up jumping to the conclusion that it was Lady Jessica without any real evidence, cursing that “the she-witch [was] alive while those she betrayed [were] bones in lonesome graves” (Herbert 688), and even tried to take her life before she could prove her innocence.

Dune by Sarah Albrecht

In fact, for most Bene Gesserit warriors, they are not independent, but are rather employed by men who are high in society that take advantage of their lie detection and mind-controlling voice powers. So, despite the cast of strong female characters in Dune, the power on the planet of Arrakis mainly lies in the hands of men, especially considering that the Dukes and Heads of the Houses are always males in the book. All of these male characters are also very stereotypical, with Herbert emphasizing their independence, brute strength, and, unfortunately for the time, superiority to women. For example, the test of the Gom Jabbar is used to determine one’s fitness to become a Bene Gesserit warrior, yet when Paul takes the test, his results are outstanding, and it is clearly stated that “no woman-child ever withstood that much” (Herbert 14) level of difficulty on the test and was still successful.

Despite these issues with the portrayal of women in Dune, it is important to consider the time period that Dune was published during, for what classifies as good female representation has changed greatly from 1965, the year of Dune’s publication, to 2020. Having any female characters that were more than a love interest was uncommon for epic war-centered stories at the time, so including a whole school of strong female warriors could have been seen as revolutionary, and perhaps even generous for a book written by a male author. However, it is true that Herbert’s gender could have hindered the representation of women in Dune, for a man could never truly capture the experience of what it is like to be a woman in writing without experiencing it for himself.

So, with all of this in consideration, the female representation in Dune was far from perfect, but similar to how the novel was a game changer for science fiction, the strong women in the novel served as a stepping stone for many of the influential women warriors in science fiction and fantasy that are known and loved today.

The Maze Runner

by James Dashner

Psychoanalitic Criticism Aditi Chhotaray

Set in a dystopian world, The Maze Runner is a spine-chilling novel that centers around a group of teenagers, stuck inside a cryptic maze with no memory whatsoever of their former lives, each of them with an aspiration of somehow solving the maze so as to find some clue to the cause of their predicament.

“If you ain’t scared, you ain’t human” is the line that greets Thomas, the protagonist, upon his ingress in the maze. The only memory which he can sustain, other than those of universal truths, is his name which is likewise for every other Glader, a term used for the residents of the glade, i.e. the maze. Confusion, curiosity, panic, fear and, most of all, the dark feeling of utter despair, these emotions overwhelmingly dominate the rational part of his consciousness. This loss of memory and a growing sense of alienation manifests into a lot of self-doubt, leading Thomas to a conjecture that perhaps they were juvenile criminals and their current situation serves as prison. This train of thought might have been formed due to the extremely harsh conditions to which the Gladers were subjected and the recurring feeling of isolation.

The next big emotional upheaval arrives when two boys are stuck in the maze and Thomas, though forbidden to do so, enters the maze to help them. This impulsive action results in a night of great torment, where he battles terrifying creatures called grievers. In the end when dawn approaches, the epiphany of the previous night, combined with escalating feelings of terror and depression become unbearable and Thomas starts crying. After this passionate outburst, Thomas finally begins to accept his situation and even befriends other Gladers. This holds true in reality also because when anyone confides in others, the emotional burden effectively lightens. Though Thomas’s actions are fully justified by the fact that he had gone to aid someone in their time of need, this impulsive action, unknowingly so, might have been due to his burning desire to explore the maze. Subconsciously, Thomas had achieved what he desired. This happens with us too; we may deny that many such actions of ours are not for personal satisfaction, however they may have been initiated by our subconscious itself.

The Maze Runner by Aditi Chhotaray

A process, namely the changing, is when a glader is stung by a griever and temporarily retrieves some of his memories. Thomas, after undergoing the changing, discovers that he himself had helped design the maze; along with this memory comes the realization that he was the cause of their predicament, this is a startling revelation which really takes a toll on his mind as he was the one urging others to escape the maze. This guilt intensifies at the end when Thomas’s friend is murdered in an attempt to save him. Thomas feels that he is the root cause of the murder as he had designed the maze and hence, the consequences were so.

As the progression of the narrative unfolds, many events ultimately lead to the cessation of the horrendous puzzle but nevertheless the carnage involved is de trop.

If we analyze the book from a psychological perspective, a wide spectrum of emotions, ranging from indecision to terror and excitement, have been portrayed.

Even though the events may not be relatable due to the genre of the book, the mental conflicts certainly are. All in all, the maze might be seen as a metaphor for our lives and the decisions that we take, some of them resulting in new pathways and others in dead ends.

The Colour Purple

by Alice Walker

Feminist Criticism Ananya Barua

The Color Purple by Alice Walker, a Pulitzer Prize winning epistolary novel follows the life of an African-American woman, through episodes of domestic violence, gender inequality and racial discrimination, but above all…. self-discovery.

The story revolves primarily around the life of Celie, elucidating her point of view, thought process, and psyche.

The story is set in the socio-cultural milieu of the early twentieth century.

African-Americans are discriminated against on the basis of their skin color. Those who dare to portray themselves as equals to the white Americans, often risk being lynched. After marriage, Celie faces many hardships like domestic abuse. Her daughter-in-law, Sofia’s nature is in stark contrast to that of Celie’s, as Sofia was anything but subservient and compliant. Celie soon meets the sick ex-lover of her husband, Shug Avery. Shug’s relationship with Celie makes her realise the wrongdoings of her husband, however she keeps quiet. Until one day at the dinner table when she speaks up against Mr.___(Albert) and announces her intentions ton move to Memphis with Shug. This unanticipated turn of events allows us to begin perceiving Celie as someone who will stand her ground in the future. In Memphis, she starts her own successful enterprise ‘Folkpants’ (unisex clothing for men and women); thereby breaking free from gender stereotypes.

Celie, the protagonist of the story, is forced to marry, bear children at the age of fourteen and experience domestic abuse. Such a traumatic experience in the early years of her life results in her becoming an unassertive and quiet person. However, her loving relation with Shug Avery, allows her to overcome oppression and abuse to find independence and happiness at last. The character of Mr.___, husband of Celie, is cast as ruthless, abusing, pedophilic but with complete control over his family.

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The Colour Purple by Ananya Barua

Shug Avery, the sometime mistress of Mr.___ and the lover of Celie, turns out to be a ray of sunshine for her. Shug is depicted as an outgoing and vibrant singer; and is capable of lighting up the room as soon as she enters, attracting everyone’s attention. She is portrayed as a headstrong and independent woman who has her own modus operandi.

Sofia, as a black American woman, is expected to remain absolutely subservient to whites, both economically and socially; and to her husband too. However, she is not willing to accept the norms of a subservient black maid or a subservient black wife.

She is portrayed as a fighter, a woman who never bows to any man and stands her ground.

‘Wives is like children. You have to let ’em know who got the upper hand. Nothing can do that better than a good sound beating.’ The utterance of these words through Mr.___ reveals the author’s caricaturing of a typical of male psyche of the time. As it has been for many centuries now, women have been believed to be things for men to possess, abuse or assert their dominance on. They are expected to bear children and look after the household. Men, on the other hand, are relied upon to be the breadwinners of the family and have often led a very prominent role in family life. As a result of this, women have been continually oppressed and abused (emotionally or physically) by the so called ‘superior sex’ or by social convention.

‘He say, Celie, git the belt. The children be outside the room peeking through the cracks. It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you a tree. That’s how come I know trees fear man.’ These words sum up perfectly the thoughts and emotions that Celie experiences while abused, and at the same time expressing the sheer feeling of helplessness. Shug insists Celie to have a little fun, whereas Mr.___ has the intention of confining Celie to the house. ‘A woman need a little fun, once in a while, she say. A woman need to be at home, he say.’ Since this novel is predominantly focused on Feminist Criticism, it evokes strong emotions of injustice, rectitude and an irresistible drive to right the wrong.

In this novel, a great contrariety is shown between the dispositions of Shug, Sofia and Celie. While Celie’s persona initially would be defined as -‘resigned to her fate’, Sofia and Shug are shown to be more masculine. This deflects from how women are generally taught to act, talk and behave.

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The Colour Purple by Ananya Barua

This novel acts as an example and inspiration for thousands of women who are incessantly molested, emotionally and physically, by their husband or significant other.

Walker’s raw description of the anguish and suffering endured by Celie acts as a reminder to all those strong women who are trapped in cages, that they have it in them to break free and write their own story. To be the author of their life.

All in all, the novel is a great piece of art mirroring the fights, both internal and external, women of the early twentieth century had to wage in the United States. So far as the form is concerned, the author has been able to chronicle the evolution of the characters in a natural way through the epistolary model she has adopted.

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For One More Day

by Mitch Albom

Gender Studies Trisha Lodha

When a child is surrounded by values of toxic masculinity, they tend to internalise it. For One More Day is a short novel written by Mitch Albom that outlines the relationship between the main character–Charlie Bennett–and his parents. When Charlie, a drunk alcoholic that spiralls as a result of losing his time as an athlete, working in an undesirable job, and losing money, he is driven to commit suicide. At this moment, he meets the ghost of his mother, whom he has betrayed several times to live up to the expectations of his father.

He then faces a series of flashbacks that outline his childhood, namely his attitude towards his mother, father, and himself, that come as a result of his father’s values, and society’s dictation. Throughout his childhood, Charlie is advised to suppress his emotions, depend only on himself, exhibit both emotional and physical strength, and take none of the blame for himself, all of which affected his capabilities of dealing with trauma and hardship.

At an early age, Charlie was encouraged by his father to suppress his emotions as a “man”. His father was the epitome of masculinity–basketball enthusiast, liquor store owner, buff figure. His son was encouraged to emulate the same aura of masculinity, and hence, many of the “masculine traits” that he forced himself to acquire came from his father’s mentorship and advice. His father would say “buck up, kid, buck up,” whenever Charlie cried. As a result, Charlie would suppress his true feelings during important trauma points, such as the divorce of his parents. He said “I felt an obligation to manhood at the age of 11” and refused to let himself emote during the splitting of his parents. Furthermore, rather than healthily dealing with emotion, Charlie would resort to toxic substances like alcohol– anything to numb his emotions.

Another healthy way to cope with severe trauma is through dependence on personal relationships. However, Charlie’s father instilled the value that every man is an island at young age–a man can not reach out for the help he needs, he must enter the battle alone. He refused to help Charlie when he needed it most. The way Charlie described him was “a man of repose–he would watch me swim, or sink.” He had first approached his father with help for a science project, for which the father retorted by saying “what are you asking for?” When he later approached his mother, he was met by immense disapproval from his father; “let him do it by himself” the father snapped, and afterwards, “what a colossal waste of time.”

For One More Day by Trisha Lodha

Throughout his childhood, Charlie was taught that he should be entering every battle alone.

There was one figure that tried to be an army standing behind Charlie in these battles– his mother. She helped him in every walk of life. However, his father’s advice of independence made Charlie see his mother as nothing more than a “nag”.

Charlie was taught to have unmatchable emotional and physical strength, shielding him from dependency and tears that were a threat to his “masculinity.” As a man, he was encouraged to be dominant, not submissive. The mindset stemmed from the hierarchy in his own household. As he said in the novel, “if my family was a democracy, my father’s vote counted twice. He decided what to eat for dinner, what paint to use on the walls.” His father’s position pressured Charlie to fit the same mould. He thought that he would need to be the one with power, decision-making, and control.

This position of power that Charlie was appointed also met with a lack of acknowledgement for his mistakes, or an inability to take blame and responsibility.

Afterall, in his tight-knit town, the blame for the divorce and other problems fell on his mother, something that he barely questioned as a child. His single mother was considered a threat to women, and an opportunity to men. She was fired from her own job for being a “distraction to the male doctors” and “standing up for herself”, she was criticised by other wives for “creating a grand scheme” and “dressing up in costumes.” The double standards faced by women influenced impressionable Charlie, and he too criticised his mother. “Why do you have to dress like that, you make me sick!” he said, on the day that she was wearing heels and lipstick, a bold and dominant choice in appearance. While Charlie was initially angry at the reaction that his town had towards his mother, he too, began blaming her for the attraction from men, disapproval from women, and unemployment.

This affected him in the future, when he fell into episodes of drunkenness and blamed his wife, rather than himself. He didn’t feel the need to take the blame, because men aren’t supposed to.

To feel like a man, Charlie felt the need to isolate himself, exhibit emotional and physical strength (even during vulnerable times), shift blame, and suppress his emotions. While he felt the short bout of approval from his father, his well being and approach to life were deeply influenced. He severed his relationship with his mother, his wife, and most importantly, himself. Mitch Albom shows the audience that a well-intentioned, impressionable, and altruistic child can be influenced by the toxic masculinity that is prevalent in society, and embedded in households.

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The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas

by John Boyne

ReaderResponse Criticism Ritwika Sinha

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, is a historical drama, written by John Boyne. It revolves around two ingenuous young boys who are living lives poles apart and yet manage to find similarities between one another, a simple action that most were incapable of, during that time. It is set during World War II when Nazi Germany was infamous for exterminating Jews. It tackles one of the darkest and most terrible times in European history. Yet, we see it all through the eyes of Bruno, a nine-year old boy, who is nescient about the Nazi propaganda, concentration camps, the War and all atrocities associated. The story focuses on Bruno and Shmuel who have somehow formed a beautiful yet tentative bond in Nazi Germany of all places, where their friendship is an absolute taboo, and is highly forbidden.

'Of course all this happened a long time ago and nothing like that could ever happen again. Not in this day and age.'

The last line of the novel is a highly aphoristic statement by the author for the current society. The Holocaust is the greatest example of man's inhumanity towards each other, of irrational hatred based on people's religion, sexuality, skin colour, and of horrendous violence. The fences that divide the adults (Bruno and Shmuel’s families) in the novel, their simple faith and belief in the rationality of these hatreds, continue to exist around the world even today.

The book leaves its readers with thoughts that force them to look around, to delve deep and introspect. It has been successful in making them empathize with Bruno and Shmuel, whose deaths were a result of groundless and fallacious hatred, a hatred the unblemished boys had nothing to do with. The young and unsuspecting naĂŻve boys had no part in this gruesome war, however, the consequences of it, did cost their lives.

Reading this literary work will not fail to peak one's interest in World War II, Hitler's barbarity , the plight of the Jews and the Holocaust. Every page flipped has the capability to increase the reader's want to explore the workings of the world during Nazism.'

The Boy in The Striped Pyjamas by Ritwika Sinha

Some things are just sitting there, waiting to be discovered. Other things are probably better off left alone.' - Bruno in 'The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas' There is a high probability that the reader would want to embrace their inner Bruno and be up for some exploration. Bruno and Shmuel, in their journey have once again proven that hate is never justified and its consequences are always harsh.

'Father was ordered to go with them, and he went without complaint and he was happy to do so because he didn't really mind what they did to him anymore.'

Father, a commandant for Hitler, had from a very young age believed in the superiority of Nordic Aryans and values of Hitler. Never once in his life had he regretted his brutality towards Jews, not even when his own mother had refused to talk to him due to his pride in being cruel. Despite being a callous commandant, he was a great father to his children. The realisation that Bruno's death had been due to his orders, directly or indirectly, and his blood was technically in his hands, destroyed him.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has painted the picture of the atrocities of the nazi world beautifully. Two unsuspecting boys roped into a war that wasn't theirs and hate they didn't possess. Personally, the book has piqued my curiosity of knowing Hitler, also known as ‘the fury’ by Bruno. There is so much in this world that has happened and there is so much that is still happening. Reading books like these take us into a whole other world, whichever time period, empire, or people we want to experience life with. I had an eye-opening albeit sad time with Bruno. A blend of perfect innocence and mischief, friendship and realities, this book is definitely a must read.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

by Stephen Chbosky

Psychoanalitic Criticism Diva Mehta

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is a stirring novel, written by Stephen Chbosky as a series of letters by Charlie, the protagonist, to a friend who remains anonymous throughout the book and never writes back. Charlie is a high school freshman who suffers from PTSD and starts his school year with no friends, until he meets the high-spirited step siblings Patrick and Sam and his English teacher Bill, who help him overcome his past and teach him how to live fully.

The book is written in a way that molds the readers’ point of view with its language and the protagonist’s actions as the story moves forward. In the beginning, Charlie’s way of writing his letters gives the readers an insight on his innocent and sensitive demeanor and what he’s going through, by stating issues of the events in his life in a very confused tone. For instance, when he writes about his first day at high school and is puzzled as to why none of his middle school friends greeted him anymore. This puts a very childish twist onto Charlie’s personality and amplifies his innocence. Normally, when a reader reads a book, they put themselves into the protagonist’s shoes and shape their viewpoints and beliefs according to that of the characters. however, in the beginning, the story tells the reader to take a back seat and view the events taking place as an audience rather than being a part of it. By showcasing this different perspective, the writer tries to hint that Charlie’s personality is somewhat like the readers viewpoints. since the story is being narrated

by Charlie, the readers should be in sync with his constantly changing emotions, and the reader's absent connection with the protagonist provides evidence for the fact that Charlie himself is living his life from the sidelines. “I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.” Charlie mentions this quotation in his first letter, which evidently portrays that he watches his life wash by him rather than participating in it.

The first friend Charlie makes in his freshman year is his English teacher Bill, who fuels Charlie’s interest in becoming a writer, by assigning him extra books to read.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Diva Mehta

The basis of their relationship is based on literature which slowly develops into that of personal experiences. Bill helps Charlie persevere through the isolation he is in, by handing him books that he assumes would broaden Charlie’s vision on how he views high school.

Not long into the book, Charlie befriends Sam and her step brother Patrick at a school football game, who introduce Charlie to their friend circle and include him as one of their own solely, on the basis of Charlie, being a wallflower. The term wallflower in this context is what the framework of Charlie’s relationship with his friends is made of. Introducing Charlie to a term that encompassed his character and personality, drew Charlie closer to Sam and Patrick and made him feel accepted. The free-spirited step siblings start impacting Charlie's life, in a way that makes him put their happiness and wellbeing before his. Their companionship transported Charlie to a place where he forgot his past traumas, and lived in the moment causing him to participate in his life.

As the novel progresses Charlie starts developing feelings for Sam after she gives Charlie his first kiss. Towards the end of the novel, when Charlie is confronted by Sam about his feelings for her, he remarks, “We accept the love we think we deserve” Charlie, never tells Sam about his feelings, in the fear of telling Sam something that she would not want to hear causing her to be upset. As a response to this Sam elucidates the meaning of love to Charlie. The writer has described love as a concept, that holds far more significance when applied to oneself. This opens Charlie’s eyes and gives him a vision through which he never saw things. As a result of which Charlie realizes the reason behind his mental complexities. While getting intimate with Sam, Charlie’s repressed memories of being sexually harassed by his favorite aunt, Helen start flooding back. It is through these memories Charlie finally understands the reason behind his love for Sam, because she too, had been molested. The writer relates Charlie and Sam by placing them under a situation where they both constantly keep receiving what they do not deserve, creating a bond between them, in which they both appreciate each other's love, for they know how it's like to be receiving lesser love than that they are providing.

As Charlie’s friends start leaving for college, Charlie gets transported back to being forlorn, except this time, his late realizations, consume him into a bag of emotions where he begins to hallucinate again. However, this time, his hallucinations are far more vivid than before and signify the burden on Charlie’s mental condition on subduing his memories of being molested.

The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Diva Mehta

This rings in the thought of Charlie’s overdependence on his friends and their companionship, adding to the distractions Charlie used to conceal his memories.

Charlie's traumatic conditions instill suicidal thoughts in his head and invokes emotions of pain and disturbing perplexity to an extent that causes him to blame himself for everything and sends him into a wave of distress. After finding him naked and crying on the couch, Charlie’s parents take him to the mental hospital where he gets proper treatment to get better.

Charlie ends his last letter with, “Not caring if I saw downtown. Not even thinking about it. Because I was standing in the tunnel. And I was really there. And that was enough to make me feel infinite.”, where he tells his ‘friend’ about him, Sam and Patrick, in their truck, driving through the tunnel. Charlie, felt the moment he was in and that euphoric feeling of finally having to look forward as he went and not care about what ‘had’ happened, instilled him in a spirit of living in the moment and ‘participating’. By this time in the story, Charlie’s emotions as he opened up to the friend he was writing to, radiated into the reader's mind, linking their thoughts and sentiments that the readers could sense the soothing satisfaction in Charlie’s words as he wrote his final letter.

The novel is an exceptional work of literacy, where Stephen Chbosky gives the readers an insight into the mind of a teenager and his notion of love and emotions.

The author has signified that the act of selflessness revolves around the trajectories of self-love and love for others and that one's mental presence in their surrounding is what sculpts their character.

Celebrating Latinx Heritage Month Through Literature The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo “Black, brown, beautiful -- viviremos para siempre. AfroLatinos hasta la muerte.”

Who doesn't want to curl up with a good ol' spooky tome when it's fall?

Halloween is round the corner and so is Aiden Thomas's newest release Cemetery Boys! An own-voices, queer Latinx paranormal romance about a trans boy with some ghosts in it?! I'm sold!

Corazón by Yesika Salgado Set in the 1970s near the Texas–Mexican border, Lydia is a magical realist drama about the unexpected relationship between Ceci, who was tragically disabled in a car accident, and the new domestic help in her family. If you're looking for an intense read on queer immigrant experiences, look nowhere else.

A cathartic journey of a feisty AfroLatinx teenager who discovers solace and fulfilment in the realm of slam poetry, The Poet X is sure to make you reflect on your passions through its immersive verse narrative.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Salgado, a Salvadoran poet, pens some gut-wrenching pieces on lost love, intimacy, family and the beauty of brown skin, all in an ode to her Latinx roots. Find out some more gems like these in her debut poetry collection, Corazón.

Lydia by Octavio Solis

A Note on the Nobel Laureate Louise Glück A distinguished graduate of Columbia University, Glück is an American poet who was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Literature. Her body of work spans 12 books that have garnered much praise and accolades, especially for the simple diction and accessibility of her poetry.

Her sparse yet pointed prose can be best experienced in her collection titled 'Averno', published in 2006. This 79 page anthology of poems was one of the finalists for the National Book Award in the same year. The title is derived from the Latin word Avernus, the name of a volcanic crater near Naples, Italy. However, it is more than a geological wonder, fans of roman mythology might recognise it to be the tunnel to the underworld. Glück borrows the inspiration and theme for her anthology from this Roman myth, with the monsters that surround Avernus; Gorgons, Harpies, the Chimera, each representing Grief, Disease, Age, Dread and Discord characters and concepts in the poems. In "Averno," the myth of Persephone is Glück's touchstone.

One of the most startlingly glib yet beautiful lines hail from her poem titled 'October'; It is true there is not enough beauty in the world.

It is also true that I am not competent to restore it.

Neither is there candor, and here I may be of some use.

The poems of 'Averno' are intricately woven together, linked by the imagery, motifs, recurring characters, and overlapping themes. It is the perfect gateway to appreciating Glück's versatile writing and the niche she has carved out for herself in the world of literature.

Issue II will be released in November 2020