T 1290.pdf - Pondicherry University DSpace Portal

caught between two cultures and who aspires to a third,>magined world. Living in her social vacuum, Dimple isuprooted from her family and her familiar world. The mediabecomes her surrogate community.The mythical pattern of Jasmine can be traced with thediffering roles performed by Jyoti/Jasmine/Jase/Jane, relatingherself to the splendourous many-faced goddess Durga celebratedin Bengal as the all-pervading divine spirit. According tothe Indian concept Durga is the many-splendoured archetype ofthe different functions of the woman in society. She iscreator, protector, provider, destroyer, mother, wife,daughter, consort - all rolled into one. Bharati Mukherjees'sBengall sensibility must have provided the seeds in theportrayal of the character of Jasmine. Jasmine performs manyroles in America. Like Durga she has to fight her battles,perform the role of a consort, glve birth to a child and whendrlven to the extreme she has to perform the rather unpleasantrole of the destroyer when she kllls her victlmlser, Half-Face.The Indian myth about Durga envisages that life is a battle andone has to fight against all odds, single-handedly for whichDurga is celebrated in Bengal. Consequently, Jasmine's life1s from this mythical point of view an eternal battlefield.Jasmine is the tale of a liberated woman. Mukherjeecontinues to operate, rather elaborately on the theme of