Dichotomy between ‘Female Desire’ and ‘Constructed Identity’: The Subversion of ‘Male Ego’ in Kamala Das’ My Story and The Looking Glass

Abstract

Abstract

Kamala Das is one of the most prominent literary personages in the history of Indian English literature, especially in the field of poetry. Her writing involves nostalgia and her overt confession of sexual desire. In my paper I have tried to bring out the dichotomy between female sexual desire and the constructed female identity. Here my purpose is to focus on the process of suppression in the name of sexuality especially when it is about female desire for sexual liberations. Kamala Das with her varied and expressionistic descriptions portrayed the ‘female desire’ in her works. Though the celebration of female egotism she has tried to subvert the male ego. To elucidate my thesis I have tried to restrict my discussion on Mrs. Das’s overtly expressionistic autobiography My Story and one of her widely criticized poem The Looking Glass. Therefore the subversion of male egotism and the suffering of the marginalized race in Das’ writing is the topic of my discussion.