Jebamalar. E
Research Scholar, Dept. of English, Pondicherry University, jeba.litmsw@gmail.com , ORCID id: 0000-0001-8468-9535
Volume 11, Number 3, October-December, 2019 I Full Text PDF
DOI: 10.21659/rupkatha.v11n3.13
Abstract
Viramma, Life of an Untouchable (1997) is a telling of Viramma’s own life recorded in print wherein her life’s response to different forms of vulnerabilities was one of resistance which revealed resilience. Belonging to an economically disadvantaged, and socially marginalized community, Viramma’s narrative reached far across seas only with the support received from the purposive use of the tool of translation aided by transcripts collected from ethnomusicological research (1997, p. v). The objective of the paper is to analyse the variables of vulnerability and resilience in the life narrative of Viramma viewed through the lens of sustainable livelihood framework. Situated within the life narrative of Viramma are a number of themes which give rise to significant queries in relation to vulnerability induced due to circumstances. It is from analysis of instances from within Viramma’s life with the theoretical backing of Brene Brown’s shame resilience theory, this research paper seeks to find an answer to the query, if Viramma’s response to vulnerability challenged or reinforced gendered subjectivities?
Keywords: life writing/narrative, vulnerability, resilience, responses, sustainable livelihood framework, shame resilience theory.