‘I am not an animal’
Vikram Balagopal’s psychologisation of Hanuman in Simian
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22003288 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Anuja Madan (Kansas State University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 1328-1345 |
| Publication date | 2021-11-02 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Graphic Novels & Comics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2150-4857 • E-ISSN: 2150-4865 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/21504857.2021.2010994 |
| OpenAlex | W4210805930 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 21 |
This article discusses Vikram Balagopal’s mythological Indian graphic narrative Simian (2014), which is a retelling of particular episodes from the Ramayana from Hanuman’s point of view. The essay claims that Balagopal’s portrayal of Hanuman as a gelada baboon strips him of devotional/religious signifiers and allows readers to see him as a secular figure. The graphic narrative portrays this popular Hindu god as a heavily psychologised figure grappling with the ramifications of his special abilities, and questioning his liminal identity in the face of derogatory classifications by human beings. This representation is in opposition to the co-optation of Hanuman as a hyper-masculine warrior by an aggressive, resurgent Hindu nationalist movement. Simian also uses a reflective Hanuman to critique Ramayana’s anthropocentricism and gender and caste biases. It thus places itself into a long tradition of interrogative and subversive retellings of the Ramayana
Art · Hinduism · Literature · Mythology · Narrative · Sociology · Tamil · Comics and Graphic Narratives · Digital Storytelling and Education · Film in Education and Therapy · Gender Studies · History · Philosophy · Religious studies
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |