Theme of Protest in the Selected Novels of Toni Morrison and Bapsi Sidhwa

Abstract

Right since the beginning of the human civilization, protest has been a part of human race. It can take many different forms, from individual statements to mass demonstrations. Of all the literary forms, fiction is the most vital form of literature which reflects and signifies the social conditions and values. The writers, therefore, cannot use words merely for amusement; they need to tackle more serious issues and problems. So, they not only replicate the various discourses of the society they live in, but also make an active involvement to transform the society as well. newlineThis dissertation undertakes a comprehensive study to expound on various types of protest and its multiple manifestations. The advent of democracy brought in the sense of individualism and protest also became an effective means to project the need for equality and reaction against injustice. newlineToni Morrison and Bapsi Sidhwa being sensitive to human sufferings, explicate the sufferings of life in a wider framework. A careful scrutiny of the novels of Morrison and Sidhwa unfolds that the dynamics of protest is manifested in many forms, political, racial, social, sexual and psychological and in varied dimensions. newlineTherefore, the purpose of this study is to make an in-depth study of the contemporary socio-political, cultural and economic conditions of these writers which left an indelible mark on their psyche, personalities and points of view, to explore various types of protest, its causes and effects on the common man. Protest arising out of these factors exists even today and thus has become a forum for discussion. Thus, in short, both the writers are symbolic of human struggle against various kinds of oppression, and above all, of global longing for liberation. newline newline