கூகை நாவல் வெளிப்படுத்தும் விளிம்புநிலை மாந்தர்கள்

Marginalized Communities and their Lived Experience in the Novel “Kookai”

Abstract

So. Dharman is one of the notable writers in modern Tamil literature who has documented the life and experiences of the people inhabiting the Karisal region. His novel Kookai records the intergenerational life experiences of oppressed people living on the margins of society. This study aims to examine the social, economic, and cultural dimensions of the lives of marginalized people as represented in the novel. The study focuses on how caste-based oppression, the atrocities of untouchability, landlessness, denial of access to water, exploitation of labour, drought, famine, and the marginalization of women are portrayed in the novel. It also examines how education and social awareness function as instruments for developing self-respect, a sense of rights, and social advancement among marginalized communities. The symbol of the ‘Kookai’, which forms the title of the novel, not only reflects the condition of people subjected to the oppression of dominant social groups but also expresses their awakening towards freedom from darkness and their aspiration to live with rights and dignity. In this way, Kookai stands as a significant literary work that records the lived experiences, struggles, social transformation, and quest for liberation of marginalized people.