METADATA
Title: Personal is political: A critical study on the autobiographical paradigm shift with reference to Sudha Murthy’s writings.
Vol. 13(1), 2025, pp. 41-54
DOI: https://doi.org/10.46687/LOCO7508
Author: G. Akil Raj
About the author: G. Akil Raj is a Senior Research Fellow, Department of English and Foreign Languages, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, TamilNadu - 603203, India. His research interests span autobiographical writings, cultural studies, and postmodern theories. He has contributed significantly to academia by publishing research papers in reputed journals and presenting his work at various international conferences. In addition to his scholarly pursuits, Akil Raj is the founding member of EFL Theatre Tribe, the theater wing of the Department of English and Foreign Languages at SRM, which promotes creativity and artistic collaboration through stage performances and related activities.
e-mail: akilenglit@gmail.com
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0708-975X
Author: Anderleen Diana Lazarus
About the author: Dr. Anderleen Diana Lazarus is an Assistant Professor of English and Executive Assistant to the VC, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, TamilNadu - 603203, India. A native speaker of English, she brings exceptional linguistic and academic expertise to her work, specializing in English Language Teaching, Stylistics, and contemporary literary theories. Dr. Diana is passionate about mentoring students and contributes significantly to both academic and administrative excellence at the university. She has presented papers at national and international conferences and published her research in reputed journals, fostering intellectual growth and promoting cross-cultural academic engagement.
e-mail: anderlef@srmist.edu.in
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8236-948X
Link: http://silc.fhn-shu.com/issues/2025-1/SILC_2025_Vol_13_Issue_1_041-054_14.pdf
Citation (APA): Akil Raj, G., & Lazarus, A. D. (2025). Personal is political: A critical study on the autobiographical paradigm shift with reference to Sudha Murthy’s writings. Studies in Linguistics, Culture, and FLT, 13(1), 41-54. https://doi.org/10.46687/LOCO7508.
Abstract: The Traditional Humanist Paradigm perceives literature as an ahistorical and apolitical entity to be examined. The above premise is supported by Eliot’s (1982) notion of depersonalisation, which states that the personal in any literary writing must be subjugated. The advancement of theory tries to analyse literature as discourse, which consists of numerous levels of reality that contribute to multidimensional truth perspectives. This poses a challenge for language as a way of constructing Reality, as all truths are simply partial representations. Postmodernism subverts the act of canonisation in literature, making personal writings such as autobiographies and memoirs a forum for discussion. Apart from that, it fundamentally challenges the concept of universality, viewing literature as a re-presentation of race, ethnicity, caste, class, gender, and the period in which it was produced. Among these re-presentations, autobiographical writing is gaining traction, indicating a transition from personal narrative to political and subsequently to politicise. As a relevant frame, this study will trace this transformation through Sudha Murthy’s JRD’s words inspired me in philanthropy and few other writings. The relevance of the personal-political link will be highlighted as a result.
Keywords: autobiography, political, personal, experience, representation.
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