The Department of English, The Bhawanipur Education Society College organized Peer Seminar: Chapter IV on 17th October, 2023 at 3 pm. The speaker was Mr. Soumyajit Chandra; his paper was entitled Wild Basil and Dancing Lights: Ecofeminist Reconceptualisations of the Bengal Landscape in Select Short Stories by Narayan Gangyopadhyay. The seminar was attended by the faculty members and PG students of the Department of English.
In his paper, the speaker subjected two Bengali short stories composed by Narayan Gangyopadhyay, namely Bana-Tulsi (Wild Basil) and Aleyar Raat (The Night of Aleya) to an ecofeminist critique through a study of the author’s representation of the Bengal landscape.
Traditionally, the Bengal landscape has been represented as fertile, prosperous and maternal in nationalistic and early modern Bengali poetry alike. Gangyopadhyay displaces “Mother Nature” from her nurturing, maternal role, constructing a radically alterantive femininity which undermines patriarchal and essentialist understandings of nature as feminine. Gangopadhyay plays off male protagonists (harbouring varying degrees of patriarchal affiliation) with nature in some of its insidious manifestations, observed in the wild basil wilderness and the dancing lights on a rain-drenched field at night. With respect to critical works of Madelon Sprengnether and Donna J. Haraway, the paper attempted to reclaim Mother Earth imagery and utilize essentialist positions to assign autonomous, self-determining roles to Nature.
The session was conducted by Dr. Gargi Talapatra, Head of UG English. Peer Seminar has served to foster research interests and facilitate academic dialogue at all levels of the academic space at the Department of English, The BES College.
Breast cancer has ranked number one cancer among Indian females with age adjusted rate as high as 25.8 per 100,000 women and mortality 12.7 per 100,000 women. Data reports from various latest national cancer registries were compared for incidence, mortality rates which paint a terribly scary picture. What is even more worrisome is the fact …
“Excellence in education is when we do everything, we can to make sure they become everything they can.” Perhaps there is no moment quite like the one that makes one feel proud of achievements of their children. And when they are 189, the joy is magnified. On the 8th of September, 2022 these bright stars …
The Department of Computer Science organized a special talk on the “Career Avenues for Computer Science Graduates” on the 18th of September, 2018. The purpose of the talk was to inform all the students from computer science about the career possibilities after completing the B.Sc. degree in Computer Science (Honours). Dr. Sen not only enlightened …
In commemoration of the ‘divine mentor’ Rabindranath Tagore’s 162nd birth anniversary, the Department of Commerce, UG (Afternoon and Evening Section) hosted a grandiose celebration aptly named ‘Kobi Pronam’ on the evening of the 15th of May, 2023. The Concept Hall became the setting for this resplendent event where distinguished guests, esteemed faculty members, enthusiastic students …
Peer Seminar: Chapter IV
The Department of English, The Bhawanipur Education Society College organized Peer Seminar: Chapter IV on 17th October, 2023 at 3 pm. The speaker was Mr. Soumyajit Chandra; his paper was entitled Wild Basil and Dancing Lights: Ecofeminist Reconceptualisations of the Bengal Landscape in Select Short Stories by Narayan Gangyopadhyay. The seminar was attended by the faculty members and PG students of the Department of English.
In his paper, the speaker subjected two Bengali short stories composed by Narayan Gangyopadhyay, namely Bana-Tulsi (Wild Basil) and Aleyar Raat (The Night of Aleya) to an ecofeminist critique through a study of the author’s representation of the Bengal landscape.
Traditionally, the Bengal landscape has been represented as fertile, prosperous and maternal in nationalistic and early modern Bengali poetry alike. Gangyopadhyay displaces “Mother Nature” from her nurturing, maternal role, constructing a radically alterantive femininity which undermines patriarchal and essentialist understandings of nature as feminine. Gangopadhyay plays off male protagonists (harbouring varying degrees of patriarchal affiliation) with nature in some of its insidious manifestations, observed in the wild basil wilderness and the dancing lights on a rain-drenched field at night. With respect to critical works of Madelon Sprengnether and Donna J. Haraway, the paper attempted to reclaim Mother Earth imagery and utilize essentialist positions to assign autonomous, self-determining roles to Nature.
The session was conducted by Dr. Gargi Talapatra, Head of UG English. Peer Seminar has served to foster research interests and facilitate academic dialogue at all levels of the academic space at the Department of English, The BES College.
Related Posts
Breast Cancer Awareness Programme
Breast cancer has ranked number one cancer among Indian females with age adjusted rate as high as 25.8 per 100,000 women and mortality 12.7 per 100,000 women. Data reports from various latest national cancer registries were compared for incidence, mortality rates which paint a terribly scary picture. What is even more worrisome is the fact …
Scholarship Felicitation Ceremony Batch of 2021
“Excellence in education is when we do everything, we can to make sure they become everything they can.” Perhaps there is no moment quite like the one that makes one feel proud of achievements of their children. And when they are 189, the joy is magnified. On the 8th of September, 2022 these bright stars …
A Special Talk on “Career Avenues for Computer Science Graduates”
The Department of Computer Science organized a special talk on the “Career Avenues for Computer Science Graduates” on the 18th of September, 2018. The purpose of the talk was to inform all the students from computer science about the career possibilities after completing the B.Sc. degree in Computer Science (Honours). Dr. Sen not only enlightened …
Rabindra Jayanti Celebration ‘Kobi Pronam’- “ROYECHO NOYONE NOYONE”
In commemoration of the ‘divine mentor’ Rabindranath Tagore’s 162nd birth anniversary, the Department of Commerce, UG (Afternoon and Evening Section) hosted a grandiose celebration aptly named ‘Kobi Pronam’ on the evening of the 15th of May, 2023. The Concept Hall became the setting for this resplendent event where distinguished guests, esteemed faculty members, enthusiastic students …