Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature
The Partition of India in 1947, which coincided with the end of British colonial rule, stands as a pivotal moment in South Asian history. This cataclysmic event in South Asian history is marked by widespread violence, displacement, and trauma. This article explores Geetanjali Shree’s novel Tomb of S...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The English Language and Literature Research Association of Türkiye
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Ideas: Journal of English Literary Studies |
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| Online Access: | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ideas/issue/88091/1545324 |
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| author | Sreya Mukherjee |
| author_facet | Sreya Mukherjee |
| author_sort | Sreya Mukherjee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Partition of India in 1947, which coincided with the end of British colonial rule, stands as a pivotal moment in South Asian history. This cataclysmic event in South Asian history is marked by widespread violence, displacement, and trauma. This article explores Geetanjali Shree’s novel Tomb of Sand and Shauna Singh Baldwin’s What the Body Remembers, within the broader context of Partition literature and feminist discourse. Both novels offer a nuanced and multi-layered portrayal of gender dynamics in the aftermath of Partition, foregrounding the agency and resilience of their female protagonists. The narrative techniques employed—characterised by metafictional elements, nonlinear structure and vivid characterisations—provide fertile ground for an exploration of the complexities of memory, identity, and trauma. This article examines how these authors navigate the intersection of gender, nationhood and memory, paying particular attention to the ways in which women’s bodies become sites of contestation and resistance in the aftermath of communal violence. By juxtaposing these texts, it aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities of gender, memory, and power dynamics in the context of historical trauma. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3fef07db80c34f128d79eb400a427ff2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2757-9549 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | The English Language and Literature Research Association of Türkiye |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ideas: Journal of English Literary Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-3fef07db80c34f128d79eb400a427ff22025-08-20T01:56:32ZengThe English Language and Literature Research Association of TürkiyeIdeas: Journal of English Literary Studies2757-95492025-04-015111110.62352/ideas.1545324Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition LiteratureSreya Mukherjee0https://orcid.org/0009-0007-3662-5255The English and Foreign Languages UniversityThe Partition of India in 1947, which coincided with the end of British colonial rule, stands as a pivotal moment in South Asian history. This cataclysmic event in South Asian history is marked by widespread violence, displacement, and trauma. This article explores Geetanjali Shree’s novel Tomb of Sand and Shauna Singh Baldwin’s What the Body Remembers, within the broader context of Partition literature and feminist discourse. Both novels offer a nuanced and multi-layered portrayal of gender dynamics in the aftermath of Partition, foregrounding the agency and resilience of their female protagonists. The narrative techniques employed—characterised by metafictional elements, nonlinear structure and vivid characterisations—provide fertile ground for an exploration of the complexities of memory, identity, and trauma. This article examines how these authors navigate the intersection of gender, nationhood and memory, paying particular attention to the ways in which women’s bodies become sites of contestation and resistance in the aftermath of communal violence. By juxtaposing these texts, it aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the complexities of gender, memory, and power dynamics in the context of historical trauma.https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ideas/issue/88091/1545324partitionmemorytraumawomengendermigration |
| spellingShingle | Sreya Mukherjee Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature Ideas: Journal of English Literary Studies partition memory trauma women gender migration |
| title | Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature |
| title_full | Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature |
| title_fullStr | Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature |
| title_short | Mapping Divided Legacies: Unravelling Memory, Identity, and Body Politics in Select Partition Literature |
| title_sort | mapping divided legacies unravelling memory identity and body politics in select partition literature |
| topic | partition memory trauma women gender migration |
| url | https://dergipark.org.tr/tr/pub/ideas/issue/88091/1545324 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sreyamukherjee mappingdividedlegaciesunravellingmemoryidentityandbodypoliticsinselectpartitionliterature |