Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

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Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

 

Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

There are many writers throughout the world who write on the themes of oppression, racism, class discrimination etc. Among them, some writers write from their personal experience of oppression and some write sympathizing with the people who become the victims of oppression. There are differences between the two groups of writers in outlook and treatment of the subject matter. In the first group, there are many writers like Hira Bansode, Marge Piercy, Eunice De Souza, Joytirao Phule, Omprakash Valmiki and many others. In the second group, there are Premchand, Rabindranath Tagore, Virginia Woolf and many others.

Though both the groups write on the same theme as oppression, yet their writings differ in attitude and outlook towards life. For example, Rabindranath’s ‘The Exercise Book’ is a short story where he has portrayed the sufferance of a little child named Uma. In portraying her Tagore presented the events in such a way that can easily draw the sympathy of his readers. Likewise, the writings of Virginia Woolf, and Premchand were pictures of the oppressed seeing which the readers show pity with them.

On the other hand Maya Angelou, an American-Negro female poet was an exceptional one. He composed many poems on the theme of oppression after her personal experience. In her personal life, she had been a victim of oppression many times.  At the age of eight, she was sexually harassed by one of her mother’s boyfriends. Again one day during her childhood, she happened to go to a white dentist, but the doctor refused to treat her because she was a black one.  In addition to these, she was often raped that forced her to be a premature mother of a child at the age of sixteen.

Maya Angelou took up the pen in her hand, determined to depict her personal experiences in writing. But her outlook and style of representation were unique and energetic. In the poem ‘Still, I Rise’ she gives no account of how he was treated during her childhood, instead, she defies the oppressors with extraordinary force and boldness. Here Maya is outright revealing her inner hatred, reaction and revolt against the oppressors. But Marge Piercy’s poem ‘Breaking Out’ is lack in vigour and determination. 0 0 0 

Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

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N. B. This article entitled ‘Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature’ originally belongs to the book ‘World Poetry Criticism‘ by Menonim Menonimus. Treatment of the Theme of Oppression in Literature

Books of Literary Criticism by M. Menonimus:

  1. World Short Story Criticism
  2. World Poetry Criticism
  3. World Drama Criticism
  4. World Novel Criticism
  5. World Essay Criticism
  6. Indian English Poetry Criticism
  7. Indian English Poets and Poetry Chief Features
  8. Emily Dickinson’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
  9. Walt Whitman’s Poetry-A Thematic Study
  10. Critical Essays on English Poetry
  11. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: Return of the Spirit-An Analytical Study
  12. Tawfiq al-Hakim’s Novel: ‘Yawmiyyat Naib Fil Arayaf’-An Analytical Study
  13. Analytical Studies of Some Arabic Short Stories
  14. A Brief History of Arabic Literature: Pre-Islamic Period
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Menonimus
I am Menonim Menonimus, a Philosopher & Writer.

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