THE THEME OF ISOLATION AND ALIENATION IN THE NOVELS OF ANITA NAIR

Abstract

In modern literature, the theme of isolation and alienation has been applied by many writers in various genres like novel, play and short stories. It displays the gap between individual and others. This gap is in the sense of emotional, psychological and social relations. This theme has been reflected especially after the Great World War in the twentieth century. It has influenced to the authors in other various languages in other countries also. Indian authors are also not different in this case. The plot of the novel or play has been interwoven in various situations which exhibit strikingly the theme of isolation and alienation. Various Indian English writers have also focused on this theme. In recent time, Anita Nair is a novelist who has depicted situation and characters in familial background in relation to this theme. The family problems like miss-communication, state of deprival, treatment of hatred, gender bias, diversion in temperament and relational attachment are the major issues in her novels. She has presented in various backdrop with the different socio-cultural milieu. Her characters are facing plea of isolation and treatment of alienation as they are unaware about their upcoming situation what they are not expecting. The entanglement in situation has put forward them into the complexity of life. Nair’s characters Akhila in ‘Ladies Coupe’, Meera in ‘Lessons in forgetting’, Radha in ‘Mistress’, Lena Abraham in ‘Alphabet Soup for Lovers’, Mukundan in ‘The Better Man’ and Idris in ‘Idris:Keeper of the Light’ face the traumatic situations in their lives. These situations bring them into the feelings of isolation physically and psychologically.