Resistance And Freedom In Bama's Autobiography Karukku

This research paper examines the thematic intersections of resistance and freedom in Bama’s autobiographical narrative Karukku (1992). Positioned within Dalit feminist discourse, Karukku articulates a lived praxis of resistance against caste and gender oppression while asserting the quest for freedom through self-narration. This study investigates how Bama’s narrative strategies subvert dominant caste structures, destabilize hegemonic religious discourse, and reclaim embodied autonomy. Utilizing a Dalit feminist theoretical framework, the research foregrounds caste as structural violence and femininity as a site of both subjugation and resistance. Through close textual analysis with contextual quotations, the paper argues that Karukku exemplifies autobiography as a tool of political resistance and a declaration of freedom of self-hood. Ultimately, this study contends that Bama’s narrative reshapes conventional autobiography by foregrounding the voices of those historically marginalized, thereby extending the parameters of emancipatory literature.