International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160     Impact Factor: 9.24

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 7, Issue 4 (July-August 2025) Submit your research before last 3 days of August to publish your research paper in the issue of July-August.

Gender Performance and the Construction of Masculinity in Anuja Chandramouli’s Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince

Author(s) Ms. R.V. M Aarthi, Prof. Dr. A.A Jayashree Prabhakar
Country India
Abstract This article examines gender representation and the construction of masculine identity in Anuja Chandramouli’s Arjuna: Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince. Drawing from the Mahabharata and retold through a modern lens, Chandramouli’s narrative reimagines Arjuna not only as a warrior-hero but also as a complex figure negotiating expectations of duty, emotional vulnerability, and gendered performance. Through the lens of gender theory—particularly Judith Butler’s concept of performativity and Connell’s theory of hegemonic masculinity—this paper explores how Arjuna’s identity is shaped by sociocultural codes and epic conventions. It argues that the novel offers a nuanced depiction of masculinity as performative, fractured, and subject to continual negotiation within the mythological and moral frameworks of Hindu tradition.
Keywords Masculine identity, emotional vulnerability, hegemonic masculinity
Field Arts
Published In Volume 7, Issue 4, July-August 2025
Published On 2025-07-22
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.51669
Short DOI https://doi.org/g9t2d3

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