{"id":12161,"date":"2024-04-05T17:35:35","date_gmt":"2024-04-05T12:05:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/?p=12161"},"modified":"2026-05-30T23:35:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T18:05:07","slug":"female-subalternity-and-self-expression-in-the-forest-of-enchantments-by-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/volume2-issue2\/female-subalternity-and-self-expression-in-the-forest-of-enchantments-by-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni\/","title":{"rendered":"Female Subalternity and Self-Expression in the Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading has-vivid-cyan-blue-color has-text-color\">Author: <strong><strong><strong><strong>Amit Ghosh1 &amp; Dr. Rama Kant Sharma<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-ast-global-color-0-color has-text-color\">DOI Link :: <a href=\"http:\/\/10.70798\/Bijmrd\/02020013\">http:\/\/10.70798\/Bijmrd\/02020013<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Abstract: <\/strong>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\u2019s 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\u2019s emotional struggles, resistance, and identity. The article further examines how the novel critiques patriarchy, redefines mythological womanhood, and foregrounds women\u2019s agency and voice. Through its feminist reinterpretation of mythology, the novel becomes a literary space where silenced women reclaim narrative authority and dignity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Keywords:<\/strong> Female Subalternity, Self-Expression, Feminism, Mythological Retelling, Sita, Patriarchy, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Page No: 77-82<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-ast-global-color-6-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/77-82.pdf\">download journal<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Author: Amit Ghosh1 &amp; 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 &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/volume2-issue2\/female-subalternity-and-self-expression-in-the-forest-of-enchantments-by-chitra-banerjee-divakaruni\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Female Subalternity and Self-Expression in the Forest of Enchantments by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":"","_joinchat":[]},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":null,"rttpg_author":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/author\/asraful-alibiswas\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/category\/volume2-issue2\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Volume2 Issue2<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Author: Amit Ghosh1 &amp; 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&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12161"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12161"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12162,"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12161\/revisions\/12162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bijmrd.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}