Author: Amit Ghosh
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/PP/020300043
Abstract: The reinterpretation of mythological narratives in contemporary literature has opened new avenues for revisiting entrenched cultural paradigms, especially concerning gender roles and female subjectivity. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, a prominent voice in diasporic Indian literature, reimagines mythological women through a feminist lens, granting them narrative authority, emotional depth, and intellectual agency. This research article explores how Divakaruni reconstructs feminine agency in her mythological retellings, particularly in The Palace of Illusions and The Forest of Enchantments. By foregrounding the voices of Draupadi and Sita, traditionally marginalized within patriarchal epic narratives, Divakaruni challenges canonical interpretations and offers a nuanced portrayal of women as active agents rather than passive recipients of destiny. The study employs feminist literary criticism, narrative theory, and cultural analysis to examine the transformation of mythological women from symbolic figures into complex individuals navigating identity, autonomy, and resistance. Ultimately, this paper argues that Divakaruni’s retellings serve not merely as literary reinterpretations but as cultural interventions that redefine femininity and empower women’s voices in both historical and contemporary contexts.
Keywords: Feminine Agency, Mythological Retellings, Feminist Literature, Draupadi, Sita, Narrative Voice.
Page No: 335-341