Redefining Aranya-Kanda: Sita’s Feminine Anxiety and Lakshman’s Dilemma in Toru Dutt’s Lakshman

Abstract

Indian literature in all ages reflect authentically the mythological characters and themes that are reconstructed, interpreted and evolved in different human contexts. In Indian English literature, the reflections of the Ramayana are diverse and multidimensional. With its timeless appeal, the Ramayana has handled a long-lasting and pervasive influence on the Indian mind. Till recent times, poetry occupied the principal place of admiration and importance in Indian English literature. Toru Dutt’s Lakshman is a retelling of the Ramayana, especially the Aranya Kanda – the forest chapter. This paper brings a wondrous dimension to the feminine anxiety of Sita and the dilemma of Lakshman. Toru Dutt's contribution to Indian poetry serves as an opening into the magnificent cultural tradition of India. Her poetry is outstanding in that there is abundant use of Indian background, imagery, myth and folklore.