Societal Norms and Gender Roles in S L Bhyrappa s Select Novels

Abstract

S L Bhyrappa was born on 26 July 1934 in Santeshivara, Hasan District of newlineKarnataka India. He was born in a poor Brahmin family. He has seen poverty and newlinedeath from his young age. He lost his mother and brother early in childhood by newlineplague. When he was fifteen he took his younger brothers dead body on his shoulder newlineto cremate. Out of fourteen children s born to his parents only two left alive. So this newlinemade a drastic effect on the mind of the writer. His father who was a irresponsible newlineperson wanted him to support in running family by leaving education. This effect of newlinedeath and social behaviour are seen in most of his novels. He completed his newlineeducation in Hasan and Mysore districts; initially he worked in different capacities newlineas a gatekeeper in a theatre, porter in Bombay Station, later after completion of his newlinemaster s degree he joined as a philosophy lecturer in Hubli College and Sardar Patel newlineUniversity Gujarat. newlineS. L Bhyrappa originally a Kannada writer; most of his novels written in newlinekannada are translated to English and many Indian languages. He wrote nearly 24 newlinenovels; in which he reflect different themes of present transitional India i.e. question newlineof birth and death, personal life, cultural diaspora and its problems, historic themes, newlinemythological themes, and sanatana dharma which received criticism from many newlinewrites. newlineChapterisation: newlineThe research work has grappled with most of the works written by the novelist. A newlinemajor focus has been given on his novels such as Nele (1983), Sakshi.(1986). newlineSartha(1998), Anchu(1990), Doora Saridaru(1962), Parva(1979), Tantu(1993), newlineThe study has been divided in six chapters: newlineThe first chapter includes an introduction to the overall thesis. In this chapter, I newlinehave extensively dealt with the way the subjects of societal norms and gender role newlineare present different literary cultures. As an entry point into the debate, I have begun newlinemy investigation with the English literature or canonical texts. After touching upon newlinesignificant writers and works, I have moved to the Indian English literature