Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Research in Social Sciences
Year: 2024
DOI:
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Romanticism and Resistance: Toru Dutt’s Feminist Poetics in Colonial India
Dr. Prachi Sharma
ABSTRACT:
Toru Dutt, a trailblazer in Indian English literature, fused romanticism with feminist resistance in her poetry, pioneering a unique narrative for Indian womanhood amid 19th-century colonial rule. This study examines Dutt’s poetic techniques, her appropriation of romantic themes like nature and mythology, and how she crafts a subversive feminist voice within the constraints of a colonized and patriarchal society. By challenging the cultural hegemony of British colonialism and questioning gender norms, Dutt creates a dialogue between Indian and Western literary traditions that redefines both romanticism and Indian identity. Through close readings and a theoretical approach rooted in postcolonial feminism, this paper sheds light on Dutt’s reimagining of classical narratives and landscapes, demonstrating her complex engagement with both Western and Indian contexts. Dutt’s work, with its fusion of romance, resistance, and self-assertion, emerges as an early call for Indian women’s autonomy, celebrating agency and identity in the face of colonial and patriarchal constraints.
keywords: colonial India, feminist poetics, romanticism, Toru Dutt, resistance