From the Gutter - Odayil Ninnu as a Picaresque- Socialist Realist Novel

Abstract

P. Kesav Dev's Odayil Ninnu (From the Gutter) is a landmark in Malayalam literature that brings to the forefront the life of a rickshaw-puller, Pappu, and his defiant struggle for dignity against a deeply stratified and unjust social order.This paper explores how the novel embodies the conventions of the Picaresqueand Socialist Realist traditions, blending them to portray a hero from the lower strata of society whose endurance and self-respect redefine heroism in modern Indian fiction. In addition, this article emphasizes Pappu’s stoicism, moral resilience, and emotional depth, particularly in his relationships with Kalyani and her daughter Lakshmi, which reveal his profound capacity for sacrifice and compassion. The study situates Odayil Ninnu within its historical, social, and ideological contexts, analyzing how Kesav Dev reimagines the individual’s struggle as a metaphor for collective awakening.