Cultural Ambivalence And Collective Resistance In Meena Kandasamy’s The Gypsy Goddess

Abstract

Meena Kandasamy’s debut novel The Gypsy Goddess powerfully narrates the socio-political horrors endured by the peasant class of Kilvenmani, Tamil Nadu, during the rise of the Green Revolution in the 1960s. Through her unique postmodern narrative techniques—particularly nonlinear storytelling and direct authorial interventions—Kandasamy not only recreates a historical massacre but also engages readers emotionally and ethically. This paper examines the cultural ambivalence embedded in the novel, especially through the lens of caste and gender oppression. It also explores how Kandasamy’s writing disrupts traditional literary norms to give voice to the silenced and oppressed Dalit communities.