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Stories
(the) Grand Mother Told: `Magic Realism' in Contemporary Oriya
Fiction
-- Sachidananda
Mohanty
Historical
legacy of colonial experience and the subsequent efforts at
decolonization are the commonalities generally identified
between India and the Latin American nations. But it is interesting
that there exist common contextual and ideological markers
in the reading of the literatures of these nations. Narrative
technique and story telling, which, as Gabriel Garcia Marquez
says, is the way "my grand mother used to tell the story"
lend `magic realism' to the tale, as in the works of Jorges
Luis Borges in Argentina, besides Marquez in Columbia. This
paper attempts to identify comparable storytelling modes and
`magic realism' in the works of Oriya writers like Gopinath
Mohanty, Manoj Das, Pratibha Ray and Rabi Patnaik. It is demonstrable
that the common techniques and modes in the literature of
Orissa, a culturally rich state in India, and Latin American
nations reveal the awareness of the real and the surreal and
help forge common imaginaries across cultures.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
Elisa
and Rangi: Profiles of Frustration and Fulfillment
--
S
Padmavathi
The
portrayal of women by two writersJohn Steinbeck of America
and Palagummi Padmaraju of Andhra Pradeshhas certain cultural
analogies, which merit critical evaluation. In a poignant
short story, "The Chrysanthemums", Steinbeck evokes
the feeling of frustration of Elisa with an indifferent husband
and her dream of getting away from sordid domesticity. In
the Telugu story, "The Boat Moves On" (Padava
Prayanam in Telugu), Padmaraju presents the sense of fulfillment
experienced by Rangi in her attachment to her husband, Paddalu,
who ill-treats her and even tries to burn up her hut. It is
a love which defies all rationalization. Both the writers,
although hailing from vastly different cultural ethos and
social milieu, present memorable portraits of women.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
Tigers
and Elephants: Ringside View of Economic Transformation of
India
-- Deepti Gupta
India
Unbound and The Elephant Paradigm, the two collections
of essays by Gurcharan Das, are analyzed in this study to
understand Das' narrative style that makes for such a compelling
reading. F C Bartlett's `schema theory' is applied here to
determine the efficacy of words in leaving lasting effects
on the reader's mind. Das creates memorable images through
simple discursive formations offering a complete portrait
of the economic transformation of India effortlessly. The
paper looks at the `elephant paradigm' about the pace of progress
in India, which is steady, while some of the `Asian tigers'
gallop and stumble woefully. The Indian economy and the societal
structure go through the process of change with dignified
steadiness, despite detractors, especially consequent on the
liberalization of economy initiated in the 1990s.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
Nonverbal
Communication: Influence or Interference? The Effect of Culture
-- Seema
Murugan
Today,
speaking a common language does not by itself guarantee effective
communication. In an increasingly shrinking world with an
increasing level of interactions across cultures, the workforce
has become multi-cultural. Therefore, apart from effective
verbal communication, it is also important to be aware of
the different behavioral aspects as well as attitudes/values
of communicators from different societies. One cannot rest
assured on the assumption that people from other cultures
know and use the same types of nonverbal communication that
one does. This is because, even if nonverbal communication
is a universal phenomenon, its meaning varies from culture
to culture. In that sense, nonverbal communication is not
universal. On the other hand, according to cultural anthropologist
Edward T Hall, "culture is communication and communication
is culture." This implies that culture is extremely important
in its effects on nonverbal communication, which constitutes
93% of the message value in any act of communication. By interfering
with nonverbal communication, cultural influences can hamper
the entire communication process itself. On the other hand,
sometimes by being congruent with nonverbal behavior, it may
facilitate the communication process. This paper elaborates
on the three aspects of communication. Firstly, what is `culture'
and `nonverbal communication'? Secondly, how does culture
help or hamper nonverbal communication? And finally, what,
in conclusion, should be done for effective communication
in a multicultural workplace, where communicators display
the influence of culture as well as an equally strong nonverbal
behavior?
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
English
Curriculum for Quality Enhancement: A Perspective with Special
Reference to Arts and Science Colleges
--
J T Masilamani Jeevaraj
Consequent
to globalization, MNCs have set up a large number of outfits,
which require a large workforce equipped with effective communication/soft
skills. The present curriculum in English and the teaching
methodologies adopted, as revealed by a survey conducted among
the undergraduate students of colleges in Karur District,
Tamil Nadu, are both irrelevant and ineffective. To rectify
the situation and improve the linguistic proficiency of learners,
it is necessary to develop a suitable curriculum and adopt
innovative methodologies. The primary requirement is a `paradigm
shift' from the existing teacher-centric to the learner-centric
approach. The new methodologies include ensuring motivation
and monitoring; increasing use of audiovisual aids and multimedia;
classroom interaction with students; conducting group discussions
and debates; encouraging awareness of current news; and adopting
English for Specific Purpose (ESP) materials. For this purpose,
universities and formulators of curriculum in English should
take a serious step and revamp the present curriculum and
the obsolete methodologies prevailing now in educational institutions
all over.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved..
Sinning
Towards Sainthood: Arthur Dimmesdale and the Whisky Priest
-- T
Bharathi
The
essential duty of a priest is "to heal the sick, raise
the dead, cleanse lepers (and) cast out demons." But
in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Graham
Greene's The Power and the Glory, we find "priests,"
who are a travesty of the noble profession. Both are transgressors
of the religious code that have taken an oath to abide by.
Hawthorne's Dimmsdale is a much-respected clergyman, but he
is also an adulterer, who refuses to admit his lapse right
to his end. Greene's whisky priest also deviates from the
righteous path, but he admits his lapse, declares his love
for his illegitimate daughter and prays to God to save her
and punish him only. The paper makes a comparative study of
the moral lapses of these two `priests', who are similar and
yet different in the degree of the realization of the seriousness
of their fall.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
More
Sinned Against, than Sinning: The Saga of Sister Carrie
--
V C Sudhir
Among
the American novelists of repute, Dreiser is sometimes considered
"the Mount Everest of American fiction", with his
literary merits comparable to those of Balzac and Dostoevsky.
However, he did not receive the recognition he deserved. His
major novel, Sister Carrie, kicked up a storm when
it was published, as it presented the numerous romantic liaisons
of `the heroine' in a condoning tone and even with approbation.
Caroline Meeber, affectionately called Sister Carrie, embarks
at a young age of 18 on her (mis)adventures in Chicago, where
she is at first exploited on account of her poverty and helplessness.
In the end, she becomes a successful star and turns the tables
even on Hurston, who loves her and deserts his own family,
finally becomes a pauper and seeks mercy and financial help
from his erstwhile protégé. The novel poignantly
evokes the futility of the American Dream as evidenced in
the soulless exploitation of a hapless woman, despite the
claims of equal opportunity enshrined in the Declaration of
American Independence. The novel is an insightful exploration
of the dialectics of sin and the paper demonstrates that Sister
Carrie is more sinned against, than sinning.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
The
Myth of Racial and Cultural Superiority: An Approach to
William Dalrymple's
--
White
Moghuls
M Q Khan
Despite
the pervasive attitude of cultural superiority of the colonizers
to the subject nations of the East, it is possible to find
instances of racial and cultural intermingling between individuals
of disparate racial origins and religious persuasions, in
the annals of history. One such instance is the celebrated
romance between John Kirkpatrick, the British Resident in
Hyderabad, and Khair-un-Nissa, the niece of Nawab Salar Jung,
the Prime Minister of the Nizam of Hyderabad. His love for
her was so intense that he gave up his phoren dress
and habits and adopted the Muslim ways of living and even
got himself considered the adopted son of the Nizam. Such
cultural and religious inter-mingling give the lie to the
imperialistic theories of cultural superiority and the clash
of civilizations. This paper examines the central theme of
William Darlymple's much-acclaimed novel, White Moghuls,
which brilliantly narrates the peerless tale of love and the
enduring message of oneness of all mankind, irrespective of
the fissiparous tendencies which haunt the strife-torn world
of today.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
Making
a Vineyard of the Curse: W H Auden and the God That Failed
-- Nibir
K Ghosh
In
his birth centenary tribute to the distinguished poet, W H
Auden, the author shows that, like many poets declared by
Shelley as "unacknowledged legislators of the world",
Auden too sought the Utopia"the Good Place"but at
first was attracted by the Communist experiment in Soviet
Russia. During the 1930s, he was disillusioned with the economic
wasteland in England and sought refuse in the socialistic
El Dorado. But like most intellectuals of Europe, he realized
that the experiment was a God That Failed. And yet
he did not allow his disappointment sap his enormous vitality,
although he was convinced that man was more than a number.
He was certainly involved in the political consciousness of
his time, but eventually he came to realize that the proper
function of poetry is "to tell the truth, to disenchant,
to disintoxicate." The achievement of Auden relates to
his ability to present the political, the psychological and
the spiritual converging in a happy harmony.
©
2006 IUP . All Rights Reserved.
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