Reconstruction of Women in Contemporary Myth: A Study of Sita’s Sister by Kavita Kane.

Abstract

Mythology has been an indispensable source and subject of study in literature down the Ages. The main reason of writing mythical theme in contemporary Indian English novels is to figure out the meaning in relation to ancient past. The mythical characters are the symbolic representation of the traditional values and are viewed as a cultural beacon of the nation. On one hand, in Hinduism woman plays a significant role as ‘Shakti’ assuming the power of creation, as a kind-hearted daughter, as an ideal wife, as an honourable queen and as the divine mother. While on the other hand, myths are created in the patriarchal society to conquer women describing them as the ‘Other’.

The male dominated religious scriptures have portrait women to be mute and obedient, sometimes they are not even entitled in the epics or given the adequate position for their sacrifices. Contemporary novels reconstruct the pictures of the characters like Sita, Urmila, Surpankha and so on different from the myths, which supress them in the male dominated society.

Sita’s Sister by Kavita Kane pictures Urmila, a sister of Sita and a wife of Lakshman, giving her a new identity. In The Valmiki Ramayana, Urmila portraits as ‘Other’, while the contemporary novelist Kavita Kane portraits her as a ‘Shakti’. The author renders the novel through Urmila’s viewpoints, who has remained in the shadow and one doesn’t much talk about in the Ramayana. She depicts Urmila as an enigmatic, fearless, and outspoken and gentle who looks after the whole kingdom of Ayodhya, and round the clock gathered all the members of the family who are deformed by heart after the exile of Ram, Sita and Lakshman to Dandak forest.

The paper focuses on the depiction of the most overlooked character of the Ramayana, Urmila who here gains a positive position in the male dominated society and also reconstructs to touch every human’s heart.