Feminism In Historical Autobiography

AUTOBIOGRAPHY AND HISTORICISM
IN
RAMADEVI CHOUDHURI’S INTO THE SUN: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

Mrs.P.Gandhimathi M.A., M.Phil.,
Assistant Professor of English
Sri Meenakshi Government Arts College for Women (A)
Madurai.
[e-mail]

Abstract: Literature and History appear to be sharply distinct disciplines but has been overwhelmingly concomitant to each other since their inception. Literature and history had been relying upon each other through centuries of inquiry. Within literature, autobiography/self-life writing shares an intense coalition with history to the extent that a specialized type of autobiography known as ‘historical autobiography’ has emerged. The historical autobiography is the vista where history and literature encounter

Autobiography has transgressed into other disciplines of knowledge in order to compliment the other disciplines as well as itself. Its interdisciplinary adaptability makes it an effective genre that yield itself to multiple speculations from varies perspectives. Autobiography as a historical document has been a much investigated subject both by literary theoreticians as well as historical theoretician. Interestingly, they have unanimously accepted the productive outcome of the alliance between autobiography and history. History is the document of the important events that has occurred in the past. History is concerned about the events of the nations and the great leaders of different nations. History is macro in nature. History as a specialized branch of knowledge associated itself with ‘truth’ or ‘fact’. History battles to disassociate itself from arts and inclines more towards science by its preoccupations with facts. Ancient Greek philosophers like Herodotus, Thucydides and Trevelyn have treated history as a branch of literature. In due course because of multiple theorizing, history started disassociating itself from literature and even holds an antithetical position against

Autobiography by itself has the element of history (i.e.) micro history within it. Historical autobiography as a specialized variety has the historical events of national and international importance as the main subject with only a different perspective from that of the narrator, who might have been a victim, survivor or a participant of the historical event. Historical autobiography has a post-structural attitude in trying to rewrite the master narrative and contributing many alternative histories that can either reconstruct or deconstruct the already established historical master text. The deconstructive inquiry into the binary opposite of truth and untruth has challenged the empirical status of history. The deconstruction of history checks the scientific claims made by it as a treasure ground of truth. Therefore, the readers can expand their inquiry into other source of historical data. Literature becomes the next potential source for historical inquiry. Historical autobiography can substantiate the readers with a rare kind of historical data seasoned with emotions. Historical autobiography reincarnates the past events and individuals within the present as well as the future. Historical autobiography has the potential to resurrect the past spontaneously at any time and space. For