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The IUP Journal of English Studies

Displacement of the Song: A Study of Pather Panchali

Article Details

Pub. Date	: June, 2023
Product Name	: The IUP Journal of English Studies
Product Type	: Article
Product Code	: IJES030623
Author Name	: Hardeep Kaur
Availability	: YES
Subject/Domain	: Arts & Humanities
Download Format	: PDF Format
No. of Pages	: 07

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Abstract

Displacement has largely been studied from a focal point of having arrived at a specific place, giving rise to nostalgia towards the place left behind. One of the significant factors associated with identity and being is memory, whereas both the aspects of belonging and longing emanate from the familiarity with the place. The physical and the arbitrary thus entail rootedness within the uprooted state. The state of dislocation when perceived as a journey holds scope for the study of the interface between loss and gain and the transition from innocence and experience appended with renewed idea of place. The study is based on the novel Pather Panchali by Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay, and proposes to examine different aspects of dislocation that are essentially effectuated by unmitigated poverty in the text. The depiction of Indian rural life and the delineation of cultural nuances is another characteristic study in the novel, as it shapes the prospective displacement. It also includes the exploration of how the migration of characters from Nishchindipur to Benares is viewed through the eyes of Horihor, Shorbojoya and Opu towards the end of the text. An attempt is made to critically analyze the importance of 'road' in the form of onward journey for the characters in the novel. The significance of the literal English translation of the original title, Pather Panchali,which means 'Song of the Road,' is studied in relation to alteration from the song of the nativity to becoming music of memory towards the end.

Introduction

Pather Panchali (1929) was published at a time when the narrative form was not much experimented and Bandopadhyay through the text established a novel setting wherein the depiction of the plot is represented through the eyes of both Opu and Durga, who see life as unfiltered and showcase the innocence of perception.