Contemporary Literary Review India

1-20

Authors: Akriti Kanodia

Literature has existed since the time humans learnt to communicate. Authors having been presenting their views of on society for centuries and some works have become timeless and thus belong in the genre of classics. These timeless literatures are not only subjected to changing times but also to the contemporary competitors that take the stage as years pass. Their quality to mould according to the society is one of the reasons they have lasted and this mould has been used by many others to create more literature. A growing phenomenon is the use of written literature to be adapted for the screens. It has led to the exploration of the classics to understand and present to the society the evergreen realities of the human kind but it also brings up the question of whose vision is being presented; the original author or of the writer who has adapted it. The paper explores the relationship between the changing authorship and adaptation to understand how they impact each other using the work, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott that has been adapted multiple times through the years.

69-81

Authors: Debabarnine Bhattacharya

While humanity has eternally been foregrounded as the primary subject of fiction, the place of non-human characters has not necessarily dwindled into oblivion. Time and again they have resurfaced, have made their presence felt in an assortment of ways, and have waged a war to exert their dominion over the intricate workings of the reader’s consciousness. Their purpose in certain narratives, as this paper will attempt to elucidate, is two-fold. In that, while on the one hand, authors often employ these entities whose existence is rooted in the annals of folktales and legends, on the other their actual repercussions on any given text borders heavily on the domain of the psychological. In the course of such narratives these two strands---folkloric and psychological, merge inextricably as the non-human entity comes alive on the pages of literature with an almost preternatural vitality. In order to explicate this aspect of such characters, this paper will attempt to analyze certain works of Edgar Allan Poe from a folkloric and psychological perspective, works which bear testimony to the enduring lure of the supernatural that still remains in this modern world.

116-141

Authors: Radhika Aggarwal

This is a review of one of the earliest literatures from Independent India written on homosexuality. Mitrachi Goshta, a Marathi (a local language from the state of Maharashtra, India) play, is one of the few Indian literatures that does not portray homosexuality as a disease or as an object of comedy. The author, Vijay Tendulkar, has exhibited sensitivity while dealing with the subject, which is laudable, considering the time period when he wrote it. Even now, homosexuality is considered a taboo and something to be ashamed of in the Indian society. Although, things are changing for the better, there is a lot left to be desired, even in the present 21st century. The researcher, while reviewing the play, has also connected it with the present-day society, and checking if the situation today is any different from the one portrayed in the play.

171-180

Authors: Shamna Nasreen

This academic paper explores the portrayal of gender and sexuality in Khaled Hosseini's novel The Kite Runner. The novel is set in Afghanistan, a country where gender roles are clearly defined and homosexuality is taboo. Through the complex and multifaceted characters of Amir, Hassan, Assef, and Soraya, Hosseini challenges traditional ideas about gender and sexuality. The protagonist Amir is portrayed as a sensitive and emotional boy who does not fit neatly into traditional ideas of masculinity. In contrast, Hassan is portrayed as a strong and brave young boy who enjoys sewing and embroidery, traditionally feminine activities. The character of Assef challenges traditional ideas about sexuality by being attracted to other men, despite the severe punishment for homosexuality in Afghan society. The character of Soraya defies tradition by running away with a man before marrying Amir, portraying women as strong and independent. Hosseini's portrayal of gender and sexuality challenges traditional binary narratives and shows the complexities of gender and sexuality in a society heavily influenced by tradition and religion. This paper argues that The Kite Runner sheds light on the impact of societal expectations and cultural traditions on individuals and highlights the need for a more nuanced understanding of gender.

202-215

Authors: Ateesh Kropha

Pablo, the Potato is a story by Ateesh Kropha.

225-234

Authors: Nagma Sinha

The Constant Shadow is a story by Nagma Sinha.

237-239

Authors: Ila Parag Railkar

We her daughters and For me are poems by Ila Railkar.

245-249

Authors: Dr. Ronny Noor

A Little Light, Last Time, and The Wild Deer: Homage to Hafiz are the poems by Dr. Ronny Noor.

261-267

Authors: Sonia Singh

Selves of the Concrete and Rise and Fall the poems by Sonia Singh.

278-283

Authors: Prasanta Kumar Panda

Book Review analyses the scope and literary values in Salman Rushdie’s Languages of Truth.