RECLAIMING NARRATIVES: DECONSTRUCTING PATRIARCHY THROUGH SITA AND DRAUPADI IN INDIAN ENGLISH LITERATURE
Sr No:
Page No:
1-6
Language:
English
Authors:
S. Bala Kumari*, Dr. B.V. Ramana Murty
Received:
2026-03-21
Accepted:
2026-04-30
Published Date:
2026-05-14
Abstract:
The present research paper aims at two feminine epic characters- Sita & Durapadi in Indian English literature from the
Ramayana and the Mahabharata for analysing patriarchy deconstruction in modern literature. Since traditional interpretations have
limited these characters to perform obedience while making devotion and sacrifice their primary functions, they faced patriarchal
evaluations that uphold social gender rankings. Contemporary Indian English writers have taken control of traditional stories to
subvert original interpretations which leads to social structures becoming unstable.
This paper examines the portrayal of female mythological characters and their resistance and desires through critical analysis of
The Palace of Illusions and The Forest of Enchantments by author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Through these texts Sita and Draupadi
have become popular among young professional writers who began to interpret instead of object status to tell their own story rather
than become background characters. Through first-person narratives and introspective storytelling, the authors critique the silencing
mechanisms of patriarchy and foreground the emotional and intellectual complexities of these women.
The author uses feminist literary theory with postcolonial discourse to explain why these revisions matter during Indian sociocultural development. Through their revision of mythology these works engage in two interconnected activities which confront
patriarchal traditional beliefs of religious text and combat European literary institutions that suppress native identities along with
gendered expressions.
This research paper demonstrates the restaging of Sita and Draupadi in Indian English literature creates a strong form of feminist
intervention in Indian cultures. These works achieve two objectives by modifying traditional interpretations as they continue to spark
critical analysis regarding modern issues between gender and power structures.
Keywords:
Reclaiming, Narratives, Restating, Patriarchal.