Towards a Visual Literacy: Bhimayana and the Caste Problem of India

Abstract

Words tell stories that are readable. When a book is written in words it is available only to those who can read. Caste problem in India has earlier been dealt in verbal mode which appeals only to those who have verbal literacy. Bhimayana is an attempt to deal the caste problem in visual medium which approaches even to those who lack verbal literacy. This article argues how with the use of colours, metaphors and subversive pattern, Bhimayana has successfully depicted the caste problem ina unique way which has added a greater number of readers. It appeals to the visual literacy to which more people have access. Bhimayana’s innovative use of gond painting and its wide range of colours with their extensive metaphorization serve to tell the story from the ground level, from the perspective of the oppressed class. In this paper I have tried to show how the political connotation of the colours help in visual representation of caste and how it demanded for a critical visual literacy in the readers of the novel.