Volume No: 1 Issue 1 September 2016

International Multidisciplinary Innovative Research Journal

-An International refereed e-journal of literary Explorations
ISSN: 2456 - 4613
IMIRJ, 1(1), 2016 [1-6]

Social Ostracism and Gender Subordination in the Writings

of the Marginalised
JainVarsia Rani.R
Research Scholar
V.V.Vanniaperumal College for Women
Virudhunagar
E-mail: varsiarj@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
This paper addresses the matters of caste system and racial prejudice prevailing
between Dalit literature and Afro-American literature. It chiefly focuses on the persecution
of blacks and the whites. Constant social clash between the capitalists and the working class
is the major issue discussed throughout.

Keywords: Social stratification, gender oppression, inequality, persistence and

transformation.

INTRODUCTION All societies are stratified into two

major social groups such as a ruling class
The term „Social Ostracism‟ is
and a subject class. The power goes to the
defined as social exclusion and social
ruling class; through that power they assist
rejection. A particular community is being
workers from the subject class with low
expelled from a group considered that they
wages. But they extract more labour from
are untouchables or disgrace to the society.
them. They just do not bother about the
Gender Subordination is nothing but
workers and their families. There is an
subjection and servitude. The present
unending war between the submissive and
paper explores how men and women are
the aggressive. An always aggressive
treated in the hands of contemporary
person wins. Nothing matters, but money.
writers.
Social Ostracism and Gender Subordination in the Writings of the Marginalised IMIRJ, 1(1), ISSN: 2456 - 4613

The powerless never get satisfied with the class wants to rule over or dominate the
work they do because they do not get working class. The main focus is on
adequate wages to run their families. Sivakami‟s The Grip of Change and Toni
Throughout their life they are exploited by Morrison‟s Beloved where in the Hindus
the power mongers. They are made to and whites suppress and crush the Dalits
suffer in the stratified society. They are and the blacks down respectively. In this
not able to get rid of their poverty. way, Dalit literature and Afro-American
literature are similar to each other. They
Hierarchical distinctions of colour,
came into existence after much struggle.
caste, sex and religion are dominant tropes
of oppression operative in a society and Brahminical literature refused to
are responsible in perpetuating systems of include the life of the oppressed that are
inequality. The black women in the west renamed as Dalits/untouchables. They
and dalits in the east as minorities have hate to get blended, the life and history of
been categorically denied not only literacy the kings and queens with the life of the
but the most minimal possibilities of untouchables. Naturally, Dalits had no
decent human life. They encounter place in the literature. After many efforts
deprivation which determines their taken by Dr.Ambedkar, Dalits have
limiting and limited circumstances. Their received their recognition in the literary
entry into the mainstream is made difficult field. Followed by Dr.Ambedkar,
not merely by prejudices and restrictions innumerable dedicated contemporary
but also by psychological boundaries they writers have bloomed to raise the position
internalize as they develop in a social of the untouchables from the dust. The
structure that historically has excluded agony and traumatic condition of Dalits
them. are brought out to the light only through
the Dalit writings. Dalit writers started
The research paper entitled “Social
their literary career with autobiographies
Ostracism and Gender Subordination” is
daringly. Until then no one knew that
the never ending clash and conflict
Dalits were the sufferers. The writers who
between the upper class and the lower
belong to the Dalit community struggle to
class, the blacks and the whites, the
rescue the remaining people under the
capitalists and the workers, dalits and the
clutches of upper caste monsters.
non-dalits and how they are reflected in
Dalit literature in India and Afro-American
literature. Problems arise when the high
THE WORKS OF SIVAKAMI House, a major publishing company. This
was the time when she decided to devote
Among them, P.Sivakami
herself to writing and resultantly her debut
occupies a special place in the field of
novel The Bluest Eye appeared in 1970.
Dalit literature. She is a prolific writer and
activist. She has published four novels The subject of slavery has a
and four short-story collections and is a particular fascination for Toni Morrison as
regular contributor to the literary magazine it enables her to explore the implications
PudiyaKodangi. Her self-translated work of representing slavery on the “real slaves”
The Grip of Change is considered as the and their descendants who are no longer
most prominent among the rest of the slaves. All her novels especially Beloved
novels. She is regarded as India‟s leading offers a painfully compelling, detailed
feminist and Dalit novelist. She is a account of slave humiliation and
former IAS officer. She served in the oppression so that the black life on
government of Tamil Nadu and central American soil is recorded, examined and
government from 1980 to 2008. understood for its complexity and
Afterwards she voluntarily retired to serve significance and not excluded in a new
the poor and the disadvantaged. In most of version of American history.
her novels, she grapples with the life of
Beloved is set during the end of
dalits mainly on the afflictions of Dalit
Civil War when violence against black
women. She feels that most gender
reached its climax. Through flash backs
atrocities are committed against Dalit
Morrison takes us to a more distant period
women.
when slavery was practised in the south.
In Afro-American literature, Toni The narration revolves around a group of
Morrison attained the unfathomable and slaves who once lived on a plantation in
unsurpassable height by receiving the Kentucky “Sweet Home”. Each slave has
Nobel Prize for literature in 1993. She is a a drastic story to tell and each share a
creative writer of grand and glorious common burden of exploitation,
possibility who hails from a family of ostracization and oppression and their
industrious and hard-working black people stories gradually merge into a single story.
struggling against racial oppression.
PLIGHT OF THE DALIT COMMUNITY
Morrison started her literary career in
journalism and very soon she has been The real plight of the Dalit
acclaimed as a senior editor at Random community is brilliantly exhibited through
Social Ostracism and Gender Subordination in the Writings of the Marginalised IMIRJ, 1(1), ISSN: 2456 - 4613

the novel The Grip of Change. The novel considered to be lower than the men.
comprises how Dalits are treated in the Everyone established their worth by
hands of upper caste Hindus, how they are pointing to those beneath them (63).
addressed, how much they earn, where
There is a long gap between the
they live, how Dalit women are violated
upper caste street and the low caste street.
etc. Dalits are completely ignored by the
Economic inequality separates them
high class people. They think even the
accordingly. The people who live in the
single touch of Dalits would pollute them.
low caste street should not walk on the
Dalits hold the lowest place in the
upper caste roads. They are not known to
hierarchical set up. They are considered
the upper caste locality. They do not know
worse than animals. In the novel The Grip
anyone from them. But the upper caste
of Change, Sivakami has criticized the
men and women have illegitimate
self-destructive tendencies of Dalit
relationship with the Dalit men and
community by exposing caste hierarchical
women. If they do not yield to their
order existing in Tamil Nadu, by giving an
desires, they will be tortured, raped and
elaborated narrative in the text, she says:
violated. Thangam, the protagonists, body
Even amongst the lower is repeatedly damaged and violated. When
castes, hierarchy existed-pallars were the affair between Thangam and Udayar is
agriculturallabourers, Parayars were brought to light, he simply leaves her to be
drummers and menials, and the punished and to be beaten up black and
hakkiliyars were cobblers. The first blue by his relatives. In this case, the
grade-the pallars were absent in exploiter is Udayar and the exploited is
Puliyur. The pallars considered Thangam. As per the law he should be
themselves superior to the rest. The punished and sentenced to death.
Parayars considered themselves Contrarily, Thangam is accused and
higher than the chakkiliyars, who in blamed for having relationship with
turn considered themselves superior Udayar.
to the Para-vannars, the washer
SEX ALUSES ON DALIT WOMEN
community. The para-vannar men
washed clothes for the lower castes Dalit women are not only sexually
and the women worked as midwives abused by the upper caste men but also by
for them. Similar to all other human the Dalit men. Being a childless widow,
communities, the women were she cannot fight for her share of land on
her own. So she seeks the help of she is of low caste. In The Grip of
Kathamuthu who is the leader of the Change, Sivakami just documents how
Parayar community. He takes in charge of Gowri was disturbed by an event in which
Thangam in order to find justice for her. she gets wounded on the remarks of a
He inserts her in his house as the third one; student belonging to a backward caste.
already he has two wives. He struggles to Gowri asked the student who was
save her from being caught up in the hands returning after getting her scholarship
of upper caste beasts. Finally he wins the money,
justice. But as an exchange offer, he just
How much did you get?‟ For you,
uses her body to quench his thirst for lust.
it is different‟, the girl replied.
Throughout this novel, her body is
„Aren‟t youfrom a scheduled
considered as „seducer‟. If they really hate
caste?‟ Gowri enquired doubtfully.
Dalits they would not have touched them.
„Nonsense! I am Vanniyakula
On the basis of caste division, the upper
Kshatriya‟. If you are not from a
caste Hindus set the Dalit community
scheduled caste, just say so!
apart. But whenever they want sex they
can use women from Dalit community. Why do you have to prefix a
This is the tentative law made by them. nonsense‟? (95).

There is another female character Without bothering about being

Gowri who undergoes humiliation and subordinated, she just does her work with
hurt. When she is a girl, she is her heart and soul. Simply she breaks the
continuously suppressed and blamed by obstacles using education as a weapon.
her father, Kathamuthu. With this She has found the imperishable treasure
subordination she can be called as a victim that no one can steal from her. A huge
as her mother is under the control of her transformation takes place through the
father. Naturally she cannot raise her character Gowri. Thus Sivakami conveys
voice against patriarchy. But she is not the message to the Dalits that they can
ready to be considered as a victim overcome anything when they have
throughout her life. Fortunately and education.
successfully she completes her schooling,
Sethe the central character of the
and she dares to pursue her higher studies
novel Beloved is a runaway slave woman
in the distant place. Even in the college,
and slave mother who feels alienated and
she is insulted by her classmate because
repressed under the burden of her past.
Social Ostracism and Gender Subordination in the Writings of the Marginalised IMIRJ, 1(1), ISSN: 2456 - 4613

Her past comes to us in bits and pieces in with the hardships but could not neglect
form of stories and flashbacks. Paul D, the responsibility of her motherhood.
one of her companion at „Sweet Home‟, Sethe is a desperate victim of violence of
comes after eighteen years and his both slavery and female oppression. The
presence makes Sethe speak. She recalls spooky memories hinder Sethe to lead a
the incidents of her racist and sexist healthy and peaceful life. Sethe has
oppression. The worst she suffers is when conserved some of the traits of her original
the boys at the farm steal her breast milk traditional African culture, which highly
while her own children separated from her values motherhood. She is deprived of a
are deprived of their mother‟s milk. The normal family life in her youth which she
tree like scar mark tells the horrible story wants to give her children as a mother, at
of physical torture. The cruel school any cost. She will not let the white men
teacher encodes scars on her back when blemish her children like they have already
she complains about the boys who took done with her. Sethe‟s elevated motherly
away her milk. Sethe decides to leave love alone leads her to kill her daughter, as
„Sweet Home‟ to escape torture. Her a mother she takes the womanhood to a
children leave before her but her husband new level. Sethe is Morrison‟s paradoxical
Halle does not come at the appointed hour character who has a lot of motherly love
and is lost to her forever. Finally Sethe towards her children, loyalty to her White
commits her desperate and violent act of masters and at the same time ferocity
infanticide so that no white man will ever towards her oppressors.
“dirty” her, so that no young with “moosy
Economic reasons more than any
teeth” will ever hold the child down and
others had led to the killing of infants in
suck her breasts” (Beloved 251, 70).
the slavery era. The African-American set
IDEAL MOTHERHOOD up is the example where economic factors
led to the sorrowful phase of the Black
In Beloved, Toni Morrison
community. Infanticide has always been
discusses about the African American
the background of the slave age. It
motherhood. Although giving birth is a
sometimes showed resistance and
noble act, for Blacks it is just to bring
sometimes mercy killing. But child abuse
another innocent human being into an
and especially girl child faced the most
oppressive world. Morrison has given
terrible consequences of slavery. Denver is
Sethe as an ideal mother who is able to
also a victim of child abuse. The initial
escape from slavery, bear rape, sustain
years of her childhood are spent in prison specific needs, desires, and problems are
along with her mother. She is mocked by greatly shaped by her race, socioeconomic
the society for the crime committed by her status, class, sexual orientation,
mother. Her mother never reveals her past educational experience, religion and
to Denver which makes Denver lose faith nationality. Hence the experiences shared
on Sethe. The rest of her childhood is by the Dalit women and the Black women.
spent in fear of being killed by her mother. As a result, various other factors need to
She is a psychologically scared child. be taken into account when dealing with
Slavery has done a psychological damage the problems of African American
to a mother-child relationship. females.

The power of the women in acting STRUGGLE OF BLACK WOMEN

as a community to meet their feministic
The roles of slave women varied as
ideals is seen in Beloved. Sethe who is
domestic and farm help, procreating slave
isolated from the community is drowned
children, and even used up for the
into the depth of insanity due to the guilt
recreational purposes of their master. The
of the murder. In the end Paul D and
helplessness and the unsupportive nature
Denver join with the community to
of the Black women may be the reason for
exorcise the ghost, Beloved. The
the increasing crime on the Black women.
community of women also organises
However, all the Black women of the early
themselves in the case of an adversity. The
nineteenth century could not have met a
feministic ideal of the strength of women
fairy tale ending but they have been
in a group, to fight such adversities and
strongly enduring the ill treatment for
oppression is seen in this incident.
years. Even if forced into hopeless
Denver, despite turning physically into a
marriages or kept working until death they
full grown woman still acts girlish because
endured them silently. Black women did
of her confinement inside the house for
not run away from their responsibility in
many years. Sethe‟s psychological
society. The history of the Black Women
oppression forced Denver to set out and
is regularly one of the quarrel and of
seek help from the society and from the
extreme torments. Through the centuries
womanhood.
there has been a struggle for women to
Most women in the world, in one find their self-identity and to remove
way or another, are subject to patriarchal themselves from the forced identity by
and racial oppression. Each woman‟s both the Black men and the White people.
Social Ostracism and Gender Subordination in the Writings of the Marginalised IMIRJ, 1(1), ISSN: 2456 - 4613

CONCLUSION thinking that slave owners may come at

any time. But whatever happens they
Capitalists are born with the
won‟t give up their struggle. Because they
sadistic nature. They get some kind of
have a strong hope for the future that one
satisfaction when they see them suffering.
day the situation will change.
They do not have the word „compassion‟
in their dictionary. There is no boundary REFERENCES
drawn to the domination of whites and the
1. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York:
Hindu community. Dalits, without the
Signet Books, 1991. Print.
botheration of caste and class, gradually
2. Sivakami, P. The Grip of Change.
they start lifting their heads to fit in the
Chennai: Orient Longman Private
society from the clutches of poverty.
Limited, 2006. Print.
Education helps them do so. Contrarily, in
the case of blacks, they are being
subordinated by the whites throughout the
novel. They push the blacks constantly
and make them down to earth. They are
unable to break the bondage of slavery. In
the novel Beloved, slaves are not regarded
as human beings but as animals. Sethe
remembers how “Schoolteacher‟d wrap
that string all over my head, cross my
nose, around my behind. Number my
teeth” (Beloved 226). By using a string,
the schoolteacher measures the body parts
of the blacks and studies them.This action
of physical measurement becomes a form
of oppression, as it subjugates the slaves
into biological specimens. If they make an
attempt to get rid of their hands they will
be whipped and tortured. Even though
Paul D, Sethe and their family feel free
from the enslavement after the ghost has
been exorcised still they are afraid by