The Secret Life of Bees begins with Lily's encounter of bees in her bedroom. Bees and bee-related objects function as a central symbol and motif in the novel. Apparently, they also signify guidance and demonstrate the power of a female community through a bond of relationship. Signs and symbols study the life within the society which is a part of social, cultural and psychological relation to semiology. And, also this is a girl's (Lily's) journey to find the truth about her mother whereby setting the captive nanny Rosaleen free from the bondage and finally out of the cage from the confinement of her father T. Ray. Throughout this novel Lily is in search of truth about her mother and whether her mother loved her or not. Eventually, signs and truth converge at a point in understanding the whole novel in a better perspective. Thus, this paper focuses on applying the signs to the text using semiotic theory and further focus on applying the concept of new historicism to the text in the light of truth which is a matter of interpretation of culture and history through revolution whereby affirming the Black Culture and their identity in white. Reality and courage of the novel is highlighted in the scenario of culture identity.
If untouchability lives, humanity must die. —M.K. Gandhi In this present and current global research scenario, the theme of subaltern has become a household word in regular usage and also in various disciplines other than literature. Literature, on the other hand, represents life in relation to social reality. The word ‘subaltern’ has its origin in the German word which means ‘inferior rank’ or ‘secondary importance’. Julian Wolfreys defines subaltern as a concept: ‘It contains the groups that are marginalized, oppressed and exploited on the cultural, political, social and religious grounds’. Thus, subaltern literature reflects various themes such as oppression, marginalization, gender discrimination, subjugation of lower and working classes, disregarded women, neglected sections of society and deprived classes of the existing society. As De Boland rightly confesses, ‘literature is an expression of society’. Literature in itself embodies life and life is a social reality of society. A writer, who is a member of a society, is influenced by specific social status and receives some degree of social recognition and recompense. Though this may benefit them in one way: it obviously helps them bring to limelight the sufferings and difficult paths the downtrodden tread upon. Thus, this article focuses on the voice of the voiceless in bringing out their voices to be heard in the outer world. In Bama’s Karukku, she testifies her situation of life and narrates her feelings in this small writing. In a world where problems relating to human privileges have been under perilous focus, literary portrayals of the experiences of demoted groups have assimilated great implication. The modern stream in Dalit literature in India is a challenge to bring to prime the experiences of discrimination, inequality, violence, injustice and poverty of the Dalits.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.