VIOLENCE WITHIN THE MOST UNEXPECTED WALLS: NOMI REPRESENTATIVE OF RAPE VICTIMS IN INDIA IN ANURADHA ROY’S SLEEPING ON JUPITER

Abstract

This paper enunciates the rape culture in India. The focus of this paper is to shed light on the sexual violence against children especially by their close and trusted people through the work of Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter. Roy’s Character ‘Nomi’ in the novel represents the rape victims in India. She throws light on sexual harassment that takes place, within the most unexpected walls, in the ‘ashram’, by the fatherly Godman who protects Nomi from the war once, and then exploits her psychic innocence to satisfy his carnal hunger; Guruji is a representative of aggressors and sexual offenders. The protectors become a threat to the children as Guruji to Nomi. And it suggests a few possible ways to protect children against the sexual offence. Children are the future for a nation. They are the builders of a strong and healthy nation. If the children are assaulted sexually by the care-takers/parent, what will be the future of a nation? This should be stopped at this point of time by amending the rules and punishments to ensure a good life for children who are the future of a nation.

Violence Within the Most Unexpected Walls: Nomi representative of Rape Victims in India in Anuradha Roy’s Sleeping on Jupiter

Rape in India has become a dreadful and disagreeable culture. During the recent years, articles about rape are predominant in the newspapers, especially those are about the rapes against children. Though there have been a numerous movements and campaigns conducted against the rape, nothing much has changed. The very unbearable part is that the children had lost their innocence and childhood because of these brutal rapes. Further the future life of the rape victims has been less discussed and less cared for.

This paper attempts to exposes the impact of a brutal rape against Nomi, and how it affects her throughout her childhood; Nomi is the main character in Anuradha Roy’s award winning novel Sleeping on Jupiter (2015), who is also a representative of all other rape victims. The Children in a country are bound to build the future nation. But the violence against these future builders of nation, such as rape is weakening the nation. It is very hard to accept that the offenders are often the family members of the victims and the people who are very close to the children. They are the people from whom the children expect and receive love and have trust. Once the crime has been committed against the children, they loss their innocence and their unredeemable childhood. All they could remember about their childhood is the harassment and the loss of trust over their loved ones.