The Distinct Voice of Women: Context Kamal Chakraborty’s Satya-Brati / নারীর স্বতন্ত্র স্বর : প্রসঙ্গ কমল চক্রবর্তীর ‘সত্য-ব্রতী’

Abstract

Since, Nineteenth century world literature was introduced to new thoughts and ideology. Bengali literature has also adapted these new ideologies and shaped around it. Beginning with social consciousness to nature consciousness then to feminism. These topics have been incorporated into various Bengali literature. If we solely focused on Bengali fiction, we can find numerous examples. From the works of Bankim, Rabindranath and Sharatchandra to contemporary novelist Kamal Chakraborty has been influenced by those new ideas and there is no end to the curiosity about women in the thought process of a novelist. Focusing on women, K. Chakraborty wrote the novel, Satya-Brati. At its core, Satya-Brati revolves around the life and thoughts of an ancient intellectual woman named Satyabati. Chakraborty portrays her as the world’s first feminist who raises her own voice and expresses her thought in her own words. The novel explores how a simple village fisher-woman from Vedic era adapted to that civilization of that time and become a key figure in the Great Epic Mahabharata. Novelist Kamal Chakraborty reconstructs this ancient figure Satyabati with a distinctly feminist perspective. This paper aims to analyse how Kamal Chakraborty deconstruct Feminism in this novel according to the modern world.