Crossing Worlds and Resisting Power: Fantasy and Metaphorical Borders in Srivatsa and Karunatilaka

Title

Crossing Worlds and Resisting Power: Fantasy and Metaphorical Borders in Srivatsa and Karunatilaka

Creator

Malik, Anushka; Jena, Bidyut Bhusan

Description

The act of crossing and navigating physical, cultural, and symbolic borders has a profound impact on the shaping of identities, with a focus on the dynamics of resistance and power. By analyzing, through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the experiences of characters portrayed in select Fantasy Fiction [The Spice Gate by Prashanth Srivatsa (2024); and The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (2022)] in navigating borders-whether literal or metaphorical-the chapter studies how these crossings challenge fixed notions of identity and belonging. The protagonists of the chosen Fantasy works stem from both highly marginalized communities: the lower castes in India, and the more universally discriminated LGBTQIA+ people. Drawing on interdisciplinary perspectives pertaining to gender, sexuality, caste, oppression, and resistance, the chapter examines the act of border-crossing to illuminate the interplay between Self and Other, belonging and alienation, while confronting structures of power and oppression. 2026 by IGI Global Scientific Publishing. All rights reserved.

Source

Identity and the Dynamics of Border Crossing;pp.339-359

Date

01-01-2025

Publisher

IGI Global

Coverage

Malik A., Christ University, Bangalore, India; Jena B.B., Christ University, Bangalore, India

Rights

Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library

Relation

ISBN: 979-833732594-1; 979-833732592-7;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Book chapter

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-2592-7.ch016

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105024839259?origin=resultslist