Cultural Semantics of Perumal Murugan’s novel One Part Woman: A Roland Barthes Mythological Exploration

Abstract

Myths are part and parcel of Indian society. Myths and superstitions are entwined in rural India and are still being passed on to generations and followed heedlessly. Variations in myth are inevitably embedded in region and community. Whenever we come across any myth that is dealt with in any work of art, it must be subjected to the questions of rationale. To reason the majority's belief, it has to be discussed by readers worldwide. One Part Woman, a narrative discourse set in the Kongu region, around the town of Tiruchengode in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu, entwined with myths surrounding the issue of the childlessness of a young couple, Kali and Ponna, who wait for almost 12 years to bear a child, provides the space for the study. Despite their love and care for each other, they fail to prove it with a child. Thus, Ponna is advised to follow the myth, which was widely believed to be the ultimatum to bear a child in the given space Karatoor. The chariot festival is the thick description with which the myth is to be studied in the light of Structural Anthropology. The spectacle of such anthropological study leads us to examine, for a deeper understanding, the binary oppositions, symbolic elements, social structures, and kinship dynamics. The findings could shed light on the intricate interplay of conventional rules in modernity. This enables the reader to infer the socio-cultural context of the story, especially in the novels of Perumal Murugan, which pertain to the conflicts that arise between characters in the novels. Thus, this research paper intends to trace the conflicts convoluted with meanings and also demonstrates the ability of structural analysis to unravel the complexities of literary texts.