https://doi.org/10.67147/literariness.v1i3.068
Reclaiming Silenced Mythological Voices: Trauma, Cultural Memory, and Affective Representation in The Daughter from a Wishing Tree
B. POOJA
Ph.D. Research Scholar (Part-Time)
Department of English
Government Arts and Science College, Thiruvennainallur, Tamil Nadu
DR. C. ARUN
Assistant Professor
Department of English
Government Arts and Science College, Thiruvennainallur, Tamil Nadu
Abstract: The The Daughter from a Wishing Tree Unusual Tales about Women in Mythology by Sudha Murty revisits lesser-known female figures from Indian mythology and reinterprets their experiences through contemporary narrative sensibilities. This study examines the text through the theoretical frameworks of trauma studies, memory studies, and affect theory to explore how mythological women’s experiences of suffering, resilience, and emotional endurance are represented and re-signified. While traditional mythological narratives often marginalize female voices, Sudha Murty’s retellings foreground the emotional landscapes and suppressed memories of women such as Parvati, Mandodari, and Ashokasundari. From the perspective of trauma studies, the stories highlight the silent suffering and psychological wounds endured by women within patriarchal mythological structures. Memory studies illuminate how these narratives function as cultural memory, recovering forgotten or marginalized stories of female agency and endurance. Sudha Murty’s narrative strategy reconstructs myth as a site where collective memory preserves women’s struggles and contributions across generations. Additionally, affect theory helps analyze how emotions such as grief, devotion, courage, and empathy circulate within the narratives, inviting readers to engage emotionally with these mythological women and reconsider their roles beyond conventional portrayals. By blending mythology with contemporary storytelling, Sudha Murty reclaims women’s experiences and transforms mythological memory into a space of empathy and recognition. The text thus functions as a cultural intervention that challenges patriarchal interpretations of mythology and highlights women’s resilience and emotional strength. Through the lens of trauma, memory, and affect, these narratives demonstrate how mythological storytelling can recover silenced histories and reshape the affective understanding of women’s roles in cultural tradition.
Keywords: Trauma Studies, Memory Studies, Affect Theory, Mythological Women, Cultural Memory, Feminist Retellings, Indian Mythology
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