Published Paper Details:

This paper explores the representation of subaltern identities, cultural narratives, and systemic oppression in Narayan's Kocharethi: The Araya Woman, the first tribal novel in Malayalam literature. Through a postcolonial and Dalit literary lens, the study examines how the novel articulates the lived realities of the Malayarayar tribe, particularly through the life of the protagonist Kunjipennu. Drawing upon theoretical insights from Edward Said, Homi Bhabha, Gayatri Spivak, and Jyotirao Phule, this paper investigates how Kocharethi functions as both a personal and collective narrative of resistance. By addressing land dispossession, gendered oppression, and cultural erasure, the novel provides a platform for indigenous voices long silenced in mainstream discourse. The paper concludes that Narayan's work is a seminal contribution to postcolonial and Dalit aesthetics, challenging dominant histories and asserting the agency of marginalized communities.