Author: Amit Ghosh1 & Dr. Rama Kant Sharma
DOI Link :: http://10.70798/Bijmrd/02020013
Abstract: Mythological narratives have long occupied a central position in Indian cultural and literary traditions. However, these narratives have traditionally been dominated by patriarchal interpretations that silence or marginalize female voices. Contemporary Indian English literature has increasingly revisited mythology to reinterpret women characters from feminist and subaltern perspectives. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Forest of Enchantments represents a significant contribution to this literary movement by retelling the Ramayana through the voice of Sita. The novel reconstructs Sita not merely as the ideal wife and silent sufferer of traditional mythology, but as an emotionally resilient, intellectually aware, and selfexpressive woman who questions patriarchal structures and social injustice. This research article explores the themes of female subalternity and self-expression in the novel through feminist and subaltern theoretical frameworks. The study analyzes how Divakaruni transforms Sita into a powerful narrator who articulates women’s emotional struggles, resistance, and identity. The article further examines how the novel critiques patriarchy, redefines mythological womanhood, and foregrounds women’s agency and voice. Through its feminist reinterpretation of mythology, the novel becomes a literary space where silenced women reclaim narrative authority and dignity.
Keywords: Female Subalternity, Self-Expression, Feminism, Mythological Retelling, Sita, Patriarchy, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
Page No: 77-82