Retelling of Assamese Folktales from a Feminist Perspective: A Reading of Tejimola and the Tale of Kite Mother's Daughter

Ankurjyoti Talukdar, Anuradha Gogoi

doi:10.17762/pae.v58i1.2189

Abstract

Assam is a diverse land and so does it has a diverse expanse of folktale stories that widely shows the Assamese culture, the lifestyle and also its typical society. After reading the narratives of which has been taken in this research paper, the issue of women in Assamese folktales can be seen a matter of study and research, taking into consideration the aspects such as- position of women in Assamese society, identity of women, woman-woman relationship and women in the realm of class structure, and along with this a question definitely arises that do women have any hold of power in a society dominated by men and do they have any influence over the decision making aspects of men in a patriarchal society. The re-telling of Tejimola and The Tale of the Kite’s Daughter narratives is done with a feminist point of view where the role of the female characters emerge in a contemporary manner and not as what had been thought and said in earlier times. The main motive is to highlight how the women emerge as a strong persona in the patriarchal domain, although their age-old interpretations project them as weak, inferior and male-dependant.

Highlights

Folktales have probably been as old as mankind and are an integral part of every culture since ages
Though the Assamese women became aware of their pathetic situation in society, the seeds of feminism were sown by a few male writers, in the realm of world literature; Condorcet gave his thoughtful ideas through his work entitled, “Admission of Women to Full Citizenship” (1790)
We find certain truths about the societal system and how it creates an order which eventually people are bound to follow

Summary

Introduction

Folktales have probably been as old as mankind and are an integral part of every culture since ages. Indian folktales are diverse because it comes from a diverse land of religions, languages and cultures. As a Discipline, Folktales are a particular division of Folklore and they generally are stories that are passed down from generations to generation. Folktales are not to be regarded as a simple moral and entertaining narrative for the audience, especially children. It is regarded as a means of social conditioning, it is a reflection of the society and their ideologies. Assam is a diverse land and so does it has a diverse expanse of folktale stories that widely shows the Assamese culture, the lifestyle of Assamese people and its typical society

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion