Volume 7, Issue 10

அண்மைய நாவல்களில் மீனவர்களின் பண்பாட்டியல் | Fishermen's Culture in Contemporary Novels

Author

Dr. N. Ratnakumar, Associate Professor,Madurai College,Madurai 625011 India

Abstract

Fisher folk constitute one of the major ethnic communities living in the southern districts. They are referred to by various names such as Bharathar, Fernando, Mukkuvar, and Nulayar. Literary references to these communities can be traced back to the Sangam period. The Neithal thinai poems, which focus on coastal life, are highly prominent in ancient Tamil literature. Even after the emergence of modern literature, there has been extensive discussion about the lives of fisherfolk. Notable fictional works such as Rajam Krishnan’s Alaivaai Karaiyile, Bodhi Sattva Maitreyan’s Sippiyin Vayittril Muthu, Vannanilavan’s Kadalpurathil, Thoppil Mohamed Meeran’s Oru Kadalora Gramathin Kadhai and Thuraimugam, Ponneelan’s Thedal, Sridhar Ganeshan’s Vaangal, J.T. Kurus’s Aazhisoozhl Ulagu and Korkai, Christopher Antony’s Thuraivan, as well as the stories of Kurumpanai Berlin and Varithaiya Constantine, hold great significance. This study explores the representation of fisherfolk in these fictional narratives, focusing on the challenges of their daily lives and the cultural identities portrayed within them. 

Key words: Mukkuvar, Bharatavar, Prati, Identity Crisis, Ethnic Groups, Trade, Production

DOI

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