Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
@article{206330,
author = {B. P. LOGESHWARI and Dr. B. R. VEERAMANI},
title = {Embodied Survival and Narrative Restraint: A Comparative Study of Mahasweta Devi’s Dhouli and Toni Morrison’s Recitatif},
journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
year = {2026},
volume = {13},
number = {2},
pages = {1140-1145},
issn = {2349-6002},
url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=206330},
abstract = {Most literary studies of survival focus on the inner life, thoughts, moral contemplation, and emotions. But Mahasweta Devi’s Dhouli and Toni Morrison’s Recitatif break this pattern. This study adopts a comparative close reading approach to examine both texts. These narratives depict survival without the need for a clear resolution or psychological explanation. This article offers a comparative analysis of both works, emphasizing how survival is shaped through repetition, bodily experience, and restricted access to inner voice.
Using a comparative and close reading approach, this study focuses more on the representation of lived experience, silence and narrative structure rather than thematic generalization. In Devi’s Dhouli life is represented by effort, physical labour, routine and endurance. The narrative focuses on the character’s actions and circumstances rather than her inner feelings and thoughts. In Recitatif, survival appears through narrative gaps, silences, and uncertain memories. It does not provide any clear conclusion or moral closure. Additionally, the analysis highlights how narrative restraint serves as a purposeful artistic technique to represent marginalized experiences. By comparing both texts, the study redirects the focus from theme to narrative techniques. It contends that both texts show survival as something that goes on without explanation or conclusion. This approach enables us to understand how literary form can represent lives that are still ongoing and unresolved.},
keywords = {Comparative Narrative Analysis, Embodied Survival, Narrative Restraint, Silence and Gaps, Non-Closure.},
month = {July},
}
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