53. Gourab Chatterjee

Abstract 53
Gourab Chatterjee    

Un-conventional, Individual and Active: The use of language in women’s prison writings

Abstract

As Saussure has told us, a language structure has two units. One is langue which is a social product, conventional, not designed; and the other one is parole which is an individual construct, un-conventional, designed. So, parole has the capability to function according to one’s own will. Thus, it has the power to dissent from the rest of the society, or if we want to rephrase the statement, parole is the fundamental linguistic weapon one has to challenge the power-structure. In this paper, we will try to do a linguistic analysis of two prison narratives. Jenana Phatak by Rani Chanda and Jail-er Bhetor Jail by Meenakshi Sen. Both of the authors were women and political prisoners. So, they were in a position to challenge the power structure doubly. They were at once building up a voice against the state-power and as well as, against patriarchy, not only through the contents, but also through their usage of language. Though, Rani Chanda was an August-Revolution prisoner from colonial India, and Meenakshi Sen was a Naxalite prisoner from Post-Colonial India, we will see, how they bridged up the generation gap and had some common linguistic symptoms to voice their protest, to use their language against convention, according to their will.