BREAKING THE CHAINS: A TALE OF SUPPRESSED DREAMS, TRAUMA, AND LIBERATION IN ASHOKAMITRAN’S SAND AND OTHER STORIES

Abstract

The research article delves into the poignant novellas that explore the lives of three main characters who are relegated to the role of maid by their own family and society, a situation that subjects them to trauma and emotional distress. The novellas ultimately narrate the journey of breaking free from oppressive chains, abandoning their family, and choosing their own path. The Sand and other stories were written with the deepest empathy for women trapped by an almost absolute lack of resources and support – financial, intellectual, and emotional. These stories by Ashokamitran have all the identifiable characteristics of his writing like irony, interiority, and sensitivity. The narrative in all three novellas – Sand, Malati, and Those Two moves in a series of short scenes, building tension with a relentless layering of details. The exploitation of women (Sarojini, Amma, Malati, Dhanam, and Vaala), and their daily struggles against it lie exposed in all their terrifying ordinariness. Through a close analysis of the short stories, this article examines the themes of familial and societal oppression, suppressed dreams, and the transformative power of personal choice.