Re-Historicizing Women from Myth: A Study of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions

Abstract

Helene Cixous said that, ‘‘Woman must write her self; must write about women and bring women to writing, women must put herself into the text – as into the world and into history by her own movement" (Cixous 254), and the mythical narratives which forms a large part of tradition and history is defined by the roles played by women in shaping the events and stories that continue to influence the contemporary culture and society. The two great epics of India – The Ramayana and the Mahabharata are now studied for the thematic complexities and nuances regarding gender politics, marginalization, motherhood, transexuality, marriage, which forms a large part of modern literary discourse. Contemporary writers especially women, while trying to reconstruct these narratives focuses on the changing perspectives, and adopts textual strategies that best suit their purpose of unveiling the silent voices and powerful presence of women in a world that is purposedly composed of emasculated ideologies and values, and breaks down certain cultural formations that are legitimized and predetermined in the original texts.