Exploring and Reinventing Sexuality, Subalternity, Sedition, and Self-identity in Amruta Patil’s Kari

Abstract

This article attempts to explore and reinvent the aspects of sexuality, sub-alternity, sedition, and self-identity in Amruta Patil’s graphic novel Kari (2008). The Indian society, firstly, holds heterogeneity as a standard norm for both men and women. Any deviation from this position is punished by the society, and those who believe in the concept of homosexuality are seen as deviant and abnormal. Secondly, the individuals still experience caste discrimination, which is believed to have ended in the contemporary society. Thirdly, the modern society is interspersed with individual level protests and resistance against the established order and social norms set down by the authorities. Finally, with education and professional development, women’s sense of self-identity has grown, but maintaining that identity, remains a challenge for them due to the male dominance in the Indian society. Through her graphic novel Kari, Amruta Patil questions the traditional beliefs to break down the gender stereotypes, stemming out of the need for women to be heard strongly in the contemporary society. While this divergence from traditional culture continues to haunt the power structures of the Indian society, Patil draws the plight of individuals who are different and unconventional, but not deviant, and by reinventing contrasts with the mainstream society, Patil canvasses this dissent in the society. This article aims to interrogate on the aspects of sexuality, sub-alternity, sedition, and self-identity in the Indian culture in relation to different social groups (class, ethnic group, race, gender, etc.). This article provides insight into the transition, perception, and purpose of Indian graphic novels and seeks to critically analyze Kari to explore and reinvent identified aspects in the context of Indian culture and society. This research study is dissected from two perspectives: on the one hand, it studies the social impact and harsh reality of homosexuality in India, dealing with issues related to gender perceptions; on the other hand, it highlights the sexual innuendos created by Amruta Patil that portray women as thinking, self-aware beings who are placed within a patriarchal framework, but not necessarily living happily submissive within.