Dalit personal narratives : Reading caste, nation, and identity / Raj Kumar.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [262]-288) and index.

Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Autobiographical Practices Examples from the West 2 The Public Self Indian Upper Caste Womens Autobiographies 3 The Private Self Indian Upper Caste Womens Autobiographies 4 Caste Culture and Politics Towards a Definition of Dalit Autobiography 5 The Marginal Self Dalit Mens Autobiographies 6 Beyond the Margin Dalit Womens Autobiographies Conclusion Bibliography Index"Autobiography as a literary genre is diverse and complex and Dalit Personal Narratives is an attempt to understand its multiple meanings expressed and mediated through different identities such as caste class ethnicity religion language and genderRaj Kumars pioneering book primary examines Dalit autobiographies It is a historic breakthrough because till recently Dalits in India were voiceless These narratives thus symbolise how Dalits are breaking down the age-old barrier of silence Focusing on multiple marginalities pertaining to caste nation and identity the author has followed an inter-disciplinary approach across disciplines such as history sociology law religion philosophy and gender studies apart from English literature to bring to the reader remarkably different personal narratives both Dalit men and women The autobiographies are located against a socio-cultural background along with the emergence of Dalit literature Dalit caste and class exploitations that call for the restoration of dignity and self-respect In itself the very emergence of Dalit autobiography is an act of resistance because Dalits are using this opportunity to assert their identities through their writings Through the autobiographies one gets a glimpse into the life of a community struggling against deprivation discrimination and exploitation at the hands of a society ridden with caste biases and unequal opportunitiesIt also traces the origin of autobiographical writing in the West and follows its development both thematically and structurally by analysing the autobiographies of Saint Augustine Jean-Jacques Rousseau Benjamin Franklin and JS Mill Also discussed are autobiographies of upper caste Indian public personalities including MK Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru The personal narratives of upper caste Indian women however?like Rassundari Devi Binodini Dasi and others?reveal their under-privileged status in a patriarchal system jacket 298 pp.

In Indian context.