Supernatural Narratives Entwined with The Subjugated Class- Mahasweta Devi and Charles Dickens

Abstract

Supernatural events in narratives have been a part of literature since Shakespeare. There’s a new aspect added to it by the concept of ideology which is now getting interweaved with the subjugated class. People affected by supernatural events are taken for granted in society. In fact, they are marginalized to an extent where no one can help them. Their fate is unpredictable. The research paper takes two short stories completely different in their origin- Bayen by Mahasweta Devi and The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens. Mahasweta Devi’s Bayen illustrates life’s difficulty for those living on society’s margins. They are looked down upon and stripped of the basic tenets of humanity. Dickens molds his narrative where the supernatural elements find their place. Stripped of his name, the signalman is thrown much beneath his level of education. Focussing on the protagonists, the paper would aim to find solutions to free these characters of their plight.