A JOURNEY FROM AGNOSTICISM TO AFFIRMATION: A STUDY OF ANITA NAIR’S THE BETTER MAN AND KIRAN DESAI’S THE INHERITANCE OF LOSS

Abstract

From the womb till the tomb mankind is on a continuous search either for worldly gains or for something indefinable. Despite the advancement in the social life, which has increased pleasure and comfort, the contemporary man finds himself in tragic mess. In advanced modern societies man is essentially alienated because he has under the possession of mechanism beyond his understanding and control. A person’s concomitant journey towards self-realization or soul-searching has become prominent theme in contemporary literature. Like the recent eminent writers from India Anita Nair & Kiran Desai exemplify the issues of self-examination and the exploration of inner dimension of a man. Their works realize not only the quest for self-searching but the search for one’s roots in modern world. Having found no hope, no answer to the bewildering questions regarding their existence, their characters look into their searching soul. Thus, the aim of the present paper is to examine their characters journey from agnosticism to affirmation or self- consciousness.