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Hayavadana as a Post Colonial Play

The document analyzes Girish Karnad's *Hayavadana* through postcolonial theory, focusing on themes of hybridity, ambivalence, and mimicry. It discusses characters like Ganesha and Hayavadana to illustrate fragmented identities, while also examining Kali's subversion of colonial narratives and the dynamics between Devadatta and Kapila. Ultimately, it highlights the complexities of identity formation in a postcolonial context, culminating in the representation of Padmini's son as a symbol of evolving hybrid identity.

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Maryam Abid
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243 views

Hayavadana as a Post Colonial Play

The document analyzes Girish Karnad's *Hayavadana* through postcolonial theory, focusing on themes of hybridity, ambivalence, and mimicry. It discusses characters like Ganesha and Hayavadana to illustrate fragmented identities, while also examining Kali's subversion of colonial narratives and the dynamics between Devadatta and Kapila. Ultimately, it highlights the complexities of identity formation in a postcolonial context, culminating in the representation of Padmini's son as a symbol of evolving hybrid identity.

Uploaded by

Maryam Abid
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Exploration of Colonial Aspects in Girish Karnad’s Hayavadana

Applying Homi K. Bhabha’s and Frants Fanon’s concept of postcolonial


theory—particularly hybridity, ambivalence, and mimicry—to Girish
Karnad’s *Hayavadana* (Oxford University Press) reveals a nuanced
exploration of identity and cultural interaction.

Hybridity and Fragmented Identity

Postcolonial theory explores hybridity as the blending of cultural


influences. *Hayavadana* portrays this through its characters, particularly
Ganesha and Hayavadana. Ganesha is an Indian Lord who has body of a
human and head of an elephant. The Bhagavata describes Ganesha as
“the embodiment of imperfection, of incompleteness,” yet he is
refereed to as complete, reflecting the fragmented identity of the
postcolonial subject.

Similarly, Hayavadana, with a human body and a horse’s head, also


embodies hybridity. His desire for completeness - first to become fully
human, then transforming into a complete horse—highlights the instability
of identity.

When Hayavadana becomes an incomplete horse, he states ; “I have


become a complete horse—but not a complete being! This human
voice – this cursed human voice—it’s still there! How can I call
myself complete? If only I could!”

This aligns with Bhabha’s idea that cultural interaction leads to hybrid
identities that are never fixed and cause psychological issues.

Kali as a Subversion of Colonial Narratives

Frantz Fanon critiques how colonialism distorts native culture and imposes
Eurocentric ideals. Karnad challenges colonial misrepresentations by
portraying Kali as lazy and indifferent rather than fearsome or
divine. This subverts both Western demonization and traditional
glorification of the goddess, decolonizing her image.

Her question “What’s the use of calling me if you don’t know what
you want?” portrays her as a figure trying to make others reflect on their
hybrid identity.

Kali’s indifference symbolizes the failure of traditional systems to provide


a stable postcolonial identity.
Ambivalence and Mimicry in Devadatta and Kapila

Bhabha’s ambivalence describes the simultaneous attraction and


repulsion in the colonizer-colonized relationship. Mimicry occurs when the
colonized imitate the colonizer but never fully become them. The head-
swapping incident between Devadatta and Kapila manifests both.

This blurring of identities challenges traditional notions of self and other,


illustrating how postcolonial subjects struggle to define themselves.

Fanon argues colonial subjects suffer from a split identity. *Hayavadana*


asks: Is identity defined by the mind (colonial intellectualism) or body
(indigenous strength)?

“Does the head count, or does the body?”

Devadatta, initially intellectual, gains Kapila’s physicality, while Kapila,


initially strong, adopts Devadatta’s intellect. Yet neither fully embodies the
other’s traits, creating psychological ambivalence.

Bhabha’s mimicry suggests that adopting colonial attributes does not


erase indigenous roots. Devadatta mimics Kapila’s strength, and Kapila
mimics Devadatta’s intellect, but both remain incomplete.

This incident also reflects the clash between European emphasis on


intellect and traditional emphasis on emotion / body. Due to this, a hybrid
identity is formed in Kapila and Devadatta.

At one point in the play, Kapila asks Padmini “Isn’t that surprising? That
the body should have its own ghosts—its own memories?” It reflects how
his body remembers Padmini and yet his head can’t. This shows the
hybridity formed within him.

Kapila’s head is considered inferior to Devadatta’s because Kapila belongs


to lower caste where as Devadatta belongs to upper cast. Kapila is dusky
with a strong body whereas Devadatta’s body is shown as fair and weak.

Padmini as a Metaphor for Colonized Land

Postcolonial discourse often emphasizes land as a female entity as it


produces crops. They often call it as ‘Dharti Maa’. Padmini, desired by both
Devadatta and Kapila, represents this contested space.

Fanon’s believes Colonial powers objectify land and its people. Devadatta
(symbolizing European intellect) and Kapila (symbolizing lower cast and
indigenous physicality) struggle for Padmini, mirroring the postcolonial
subject’s divided identity.
If we apy Bhabha’s Perspective, then Padmini’s shifting preference—first
for Devadatta’s intellect, then Kapila’s physicality—illustrates hybridity.
Just as postcolonial nations oscillate between tradition and modernity,
Padmini remains unsatisfied with either.

Padmini’s Son: A Postcolonial Hybrid Identity

Padmini’s son represents a new generation, shaped by both colonial and


indigenous influences.

Bhabha’s gave the concept of Third Space. He proposed that Postcolonial


societies exist in a space where hybrid identities emerge. Padmini’s son,
born of Devadatta and Kapila’s fusion, symbolizes this evolving identity.

“He has the heart of a warrior and the mind of a poet.”

Fanon’s Liberation Theory states that true decolonization requires


breaking from past psychological burdens. The son being left with
Bhagavata, a neutral figure, suggests hope for a future identity not bound
by colonial conflicts.

Conclusion

Karnad’s *Hayavadana* encapsulates the complexities of hybrid identities,


cultural ambivalence, and the negotiation of self within intersecting
narratives. By applying postcolonial theories, the play reveals the
struggles of defining identity in a world shaped by colonial and indigenous
influences.

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