Volume 7, Issue 10

ஜோ டி குரூஸின் யாத்திரை புதினத்தில் சிறுவனின் தேடல்கள்: கத்தோலிக்கம் மற்றும் பூர்வீக நம்பிக்கைகளின் புரிதல்கள் | Exploring the Boy's Quest in Joe D Cruz’s Yathirai: The Dynamics Between Catholicism and Ancestral Traditions

Author

Dr Hebzibah Beulah Suaganthi TR, AssistantProfessor,Deparment of Tamil, Faculty of Science and Humanities, SRM IST, Kattankulathur , India

Abstract

The narrative of Yathirai explores the way of life of coastal communities. The author, who holds a postgraduate degree in economics and has worked in the commercial shipping industry, has lived among maritime communities since childhood and has documented his experiences and reflections in Yathirai as a journey of discovery. His novels Korkai and Aazhisool Ulagu have established him as a prominent writer on the global stage. This particular work critiques the lifestyle of Tamil Catholic Christians, highlighting that even after conversion, the ancestral reverence for local Neithal deities and the remnants of their original faith persist deeply in their memories. The author argues that the adoption of foreign (Christian) cultural practices, rather than retaining their traditional Tamil customs, reflects a lack of awareness that needs to be addressed. He criticizes the Catholic practice of confession as an example of this ignorance and advocates for the reformation and revitalization of Tamil cultural heritage, which is clearly expressed in the narrative’s quest.

Keywords: Cultural Identity, Catholicism, Confession, Foreign vs. Domestic Idolatry, Ancestral Beliefs.

DOI

PAGES: 14 | VIEWS | DOWNLOADS