Journal of Literature, Culture and Media Studies

Khomdram Shyamsundara Singh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of English, Manipur University, Canchipur, Manipur, IN

Abstract

In Chaman Nahal's The Gandhi Quartet. illicit love affairs play a pivotal role in the fictionalisation of many historical and political events of Indian history from 1915 to 1952.They are employed mainly to serve as a literary technique to reduce the characters to mere mortals by portraying them as being unable to resist the temptations of their carnal desires, thereby preventing them from being idealised and making them appear as ordinary human beings, not as demi-gods. But for their illicit love affairs, all the prominent characters, especially Gandhi's followers, namely Sunil, Kusum, Raja Vishal Chand, Vikram and Rahena would have appeared so ideal. Another purpose that illicit affairs serve in the epic novel is the reflection of socially unacceptable forms of man-woman relationship like elopement, free love, incest and live-in prevailing both in Indian society as well as in British society during the time of Indian freedom movement.

Keywords

Fictionalisation, Consummation, Ashramites, Padyatra, Interim-Government, Marxism, Himmat, Incestuous, Firmament.

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