The Subtlety of Caste in Dystopian Literature
Author : Taniya Sachdeva
Abstract :
This research paper endeavours to interpret two works of Dystopian Literature through the lens of caste and its politics of marginality, while unearthing the unnoticed and subtle presence of the issue of caste in these dystopias, namely Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World (1932) and Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985). This research paper thus aims to offer an alternative way of analysing Dystopian works, specifically through the politics of caste, while rescuing the dystopian literature from the clutches of Western modes of literary interpretation. Placing the Dystopian English literature of the twentieth century within an Indian context of Caste, this research endeavours to bring to light and unearth innovative insights with a focus on the nexus of hierarchy and power in dystopian worlds, and its impact upon the humanity of the marginalised sections within these dystopias. The commonalities between all these texts is the faint yet palpable glimpses of the marginalised groups in each dystopian society, undoubtedly signalling the nuances of caste within these imperfect societies. This intersectionality between caste and dystopia is precisely what this paper endeavours to unravel.
Keywords :
Dystopia, Caste-Dystopia, Hierarchy, Division of Labour, Discrimination, Humanity.
