Quest for Identity in Kakar’s Mira and The Mahatma
Keywords:
Cultural Psychology, Ashram, identityAbstract
The present paper attempts to focus on Madeline’s quest for identity. Madeline is the protagonist in Sudhir Kakar’s novel ‘Mira and The Mahatma’. Cultural psychology as a part of the psychological science begins with sampling of an individual person and his/her participation in social institutions. Madeline a daughter of a British Admiral comes to India, as she has proved being Gandhi’s greatest disciple. Before that, she was a great admirer of Beethoven. As she had been dissatisfied for years, she had decided to devote her life to the study of his life and music. Her plans went a sea change after reading Romain Rolland’s book on Gandhi. She takes rigorous efforts to adjust herself with the life style of the Ashram. Bapu embraces her into the fold and as she becomes indispensable part of the Ashram and his life, renames her Mira after Mirabai, the legendary devotee of Krishna. Madeline comes to India and lives for thirty four years. She loves Gandhiji passionately. Then as Mira she tries to find her identity. But at last after the death of Gandhiji, she returns to Europe, again in quest for identity as Madeline. And she turns to her first love Beethoven’s music.
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References
Kakar, Sudhir, Mira and The Mahatma India: Penguin Books 2004.
Kakar, Sudhir, Intimate Relations, Exploring Indian Sexuality, New Delhi: Penguin Books, 1989.
Matselmoto, David. The Cambridge Dictionary of Psychology. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009. Print.
Kakar, Sudhir. Culture and Psyche: Selected Essays. New Delhi: Oxford University press. 2008. Print.
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