Women Writing in India

Semester and Year Offered: IIndSemester (Winter Semester 2021)

Course Coordinator and Team: Dr Usha Mudiganti

Email of course coordinator: usha@aud.ac.in

Pre-requisites: None

Course Objectives

• The course aims to interest students in the experience of being women writing in India.
• It is designed to study the literary work of women writers in India while also discussing their struggles in overcoming barriers of gender, caste, class and culture.
• Women’s literary expressions of their lives and their navigation of socio-cultural spaces across times will be done in an attempt to chart a literary historiography of women in India.

References/Readings

Primary Reading List

• Tharu, Susie and K. Lalita.“Introduction”.Women Writing in India.
• Niranjana, Anupama. “A Day with Charulata”.
• Muddupalani.Verses from RadhikaSantwanam. Section 1 Verse: 71, Section 2 Verse: 101 and 102
• Antal. Verses 13.7 to 13.10
• Mirabai. “I am pale with longing for my Beloved”, “The Bhil Woman tasted them…”
• Sankavva, Sule. “In my Harlot’s Trade”
• Akkamahadevi. “I love the Handsome One…”, “Brother, you’ve come…”
• Janabai. “Caste off all shame”, “Jani sweeps the floor”
• Therigatha: Mutta. “So free am I”, Ubbiri. “O Ubbiri, wails in the woods”. Sumangalamata. “A woman…”
• Sangam.VenmanipputiKuruntokai 299, KavarPentuPurananuru 86
• Shinde, Tarabai. Excerpt from Stri-PurushTulna
• PanditaRamabai. Excerpt from The High-Caste Hindu Woman
• Kanitkar, Kashibai. “My Education”
• Hossain, SakhawatRokeya. Sultana’s Dream
• Tilak, Lakshmibai. Part II Chapters 1 and 2 of SmritiChitre
• Sen, Haimabati. Excerpt from Because I am a Woman
• Sorabji, Cornelia. Letter to The Pioneer Mail and The Indian Weekly
• Dasi, Binodini, Excerpt from her Autobiography
• Kanuparti, Varalakshmamma, “The Promise”
• Kamble, Baby, Chapter 5 of The Prisons We Broke
• Karve, Iravati. “Kunti” from Yuganta
• Devi, Mahashweta. ‘Kunti and the Nishadin’
• Pritam, Amrita. ‘Waris Shah’
• Antarjanam, Lalitambika. ‘Revenge Herself’
• Desai, Anita. Fire on the Mountain
• Das, Kamala. “Relationship”

A supplementary reading list composed of feminist scholarship in late 20th century and early 21 centuries in India will be shared with the class after the course begins. Students will be expected to make class presentations from an essay each from this list.

Assessment Details with weights:

Tentative Assessment schedule with details of weightage:

The pattern of assessment is subject to revision depending on the composition and size of the class.