DECODING OF THE STRUCTURAL CHILDHOOD NARRATIVES IN OMPRAKASH VALMIKI’S JOOTHAN

Abstract

This paper studies the autobiography as deep structural narratives of dalit childhood traumatic and painful experiences in linear mode. Besides this it also examines how the hostile condition of Valmiki’s Childhood made him to become as successful human being despite horrible conditions in which he was living that time. Any Dalit text especially autobiography unfolds the truth of this how a Dalit boy or girl undergoes a traumatic experiences in the hands of dominant groups. Likewise, childhood becomes an integral part of Dalit life which nourishes of both pleasant and unpleasant realities of life. Nevertheless, Dalit’s childhood is so painful, and it is filled by gloomy experiences. It’s been so hard to think of those miserable life lead by Dalit writers in their childhood. There is always a sort of conflict between dalit self and the higher caste society. Dalit child’s life moves in and around certain grim realities like poverty, hunger, discrimination, marginalization and exclusion. The reality of poverty, hunger, discrimination and marginalization are part and parcel of dalit child is shown in Valmiki’s Joothan (1997).