Human Emotions in Narrative: Interventions of Fear in R. Chudamani’s Short Fictions

Abstract

Chudamani is one of the inconspicuous writers in Indian literature who is gradually gaining prominence in the recent past. Chudamani’s works are powerful and sensitive unveiling the reality of human beings in society and their psychological aspects. This research article aims to analyse a novella and three short stories of R. Chudamani and inquires about the human emotions especially fear portrayed in those stories. The major focus of the article is on the novella, Yamini, and the minor focus is on the three short stories: “A Knock at the Door”, “The Strands of the Void” and “Drought”. Yamini is the story of a girl Yamini, who is forced into the institution of marriage. “A Knock at the Door” is the narrative of two widows who safeguard their sister’s son from his father. “The Strands of the Void” explores the system of dowry in Indian society. “Drought” is the story of a married woman who tries to escape from the torments of her husband. This paper also scrutinizes the fear in the protagonists and the central characters in the above works. It also inspects how fear transmogrifies the characters in different situations.

Reinterpreting Kubler-Ross’s Grief Theory in R. Chudamani’s Short Fiction

“…She has penned several literary pieces in both Tamil and English and almost all her short story collections in English are published posthumously. Chudamani's works divulge the psychological emotions in human beings (Anish & Priya, 2022). She has mastered her short stories with psychological emotions and human values.…”