எஸ். அர்ஷியாவின் புதினங்களில் நடப்பியல் அரசியல்: Realist Political Discourse in the Novels of S. Arshiya

Abstract

This study explores the nature of realist political discourse in the novel Sottangal  by S. Arshiya. It critically investigates the tension between democratic ideals and lived political practices, with particular attention to party-centered propaganda, uncritical leader worship, ideological inconsistency, caste- and religion-based mobilization, politically sanctioned violence, and institutional compromise within law enforcement and the judiciary. Adopting a qualitative, text-oriented analytical framework, the study approaches these novels as interpretive representations of socio-political realities rather than as empirical historical accounts. The analysis demonstrates that democratic participation is frequently transformed into performative spectacle, while the preservation of power becomes the dominant organizing principle of political conduct. By engaging both realist and existential perspectives, these novels emerge as significant literary sites that document and critique contemporary political culture in Tamil Nadu.

Keywords

• Realism
• Democracy
• Political Performance
• Caste Politics
• Institutional Power
• Violence