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  • Essay / The Nature of Dalit Literature and “The Life We Live” by Arun Kamble

    Dalit literature, to which “The Life We Live” belongs, is essentially a type of Indian literature that expresses the anguish of subordinates in India. Works of Dalit literature are known for their crude depiction of reality. They move away from romantic notions of what life is and tell things in a realistic light. Dalit literature is often compared to slave narratives. Its origin lies in the exploitation and persecution of Dalits in Indian territory. Dalit literature is most often seen through the mechanism of protest literature, as it shares many characteristics with protest literature. It is essentially a post-independent literary phenomenon used as a tool of social activism to uplift the position of Dalits in society. This literature emanates from the margins. It answers the question “Can subordinates speak?” » and the answer seems to be a resounding yes. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Additionally, Dalit literature invokes violent and disturbing imagery, foregrounding the texts in real-life narratives. This literature allows non-Dalits to reflect on their treatment of the marginalized. This type of literature goes hand in hand with social activism, formulating resistance against the oppression of the dominant classes. Dalit literature is therefore filled with slang and informal language, which helps Dalit writers describe the daily lives and struggles of Dalits. It does not glorify or romanticize reality, but constitutes a projection of the subversive capacity of the community. A work that stands out in the canon of Dalit literature is “The Life We Live” by Arun Kamble. It is a work that expresses the reality of Dali's lives and juxtaposes it with that of the lives of the "savarna". It has a dominant tone of dissent and activism is deeply rooted in this work. It is essentially a justification of literatures from the margins and follows the process of active rewriting towards the center. This work demonstrates the deep disparity between the lives of Dalits and those of upper castes. THE POEM (Excerpt) If you were to live the life we ​​live, then poems would arise from you. : Recover fulfillment and the name of the Lord. We: the degraders of our heritage. You: its sole depositary, the descendants of the wise man. We: never have a paisa to scratch our ass. You: the golden cup of offerings in your bank... From the first look at the poem, it is very clear that there is an underlying anger and resentment within the poet. It essentially brings together elements of the lives of Dalits as well as 'Savarnas', detailing the stark disparity in the lives they lead. This poetry uses a mode of subversion by ultimately reversing the hierarchy of power. At the beginning, the poet says, “If you were to live the life we ​​live/ Then from you would be born poems,” speaking of the fact that the very act of writing is a form of protest. The poems of members of the Dalit community are the manifestation of a latent and often untapped inner anguish. These are stories of pain that help the community express itself as an act of defiance and counter the main narrative with their realistic portrayal of Dalit oppression. “From you would arise poems” is an indication that their literature is the product of an inheritance. of oppression. The poet says that Dalits do not have access to a prosperous life and their path to happiness is hindered by constant oppression. In fact, “Your bodies are flaming in the wood of.