Volume III Special Issue IV April 2023

Name of Author : Niharika Sirohi

Title of the paper : Construction of Caste in Serious Men by Manu Joseph

Abstract: This paper is centred on exploring the representation of Dalit lives and the conception of caste in the work of a non-Dalit writer, Manu Joseph. His novel, Serious Men, is subjected to critical analysis in this paper. My study makes the case that his social standing significantly impacts his understanding of caste in the Indian society. His book carelessly interprets caste and erroneously conflates it with class very often. I aim to extend the analysis by the means of a study of characters and their construction in the novel. The falsified depiction of Dalit characters will form the locus to build on the evaluation of the writers position and perspective. The paper introduces the meritocracy debate and concludes by revealing the authors biases and affinity towards the upper-castes, disclosed through his process of creating the primary character of Ayyan Mani.

Keywords : Dalit Representation, Manu Joseph, Author Position, Construction of Caste, Meritocracy

DOI :

Page Number : 79-81