The Self-actualization Theme Of Anita Nair's Novels

Anita Nair(1966—)is an Indian contemporary female writer with unique creative ideas.Her works focus on people's living conditions and spiritual confusion in the process of modernization and secularization of Indian society.Different from the characters who indulge in religious thoughts in traditional society,Nair's images have a secular outlook on life,focusing on the value of the self and striving for self-realization.At the same time,Nair's work sharply presents the factors that hinder the individual's self-realization and depicts the obstacles to the individual's exploration of self-realization.The author not only describes the change of self-concept in modern Indian society,but also reflects on the harm brought by the following extreme individualism,which also reflects the depth of the writer's thought.This dissertation divides into five parts:The introduction gives a brief introduction to Anita Nair's life and creation,summarizing the research status of Anita Nair by domestic and foreign scholars,and pointing out the generalization of individual self-realization in the three works studied,to establishes the starting point of the article.Chapter one analyzes the game between traditional religion and secularization in India.The individual in the Hindu tradition is an individual within a religious framework whose ideal is to pursue liberation and "The Vatican and self".In addition,religion and various aspects of society are intertwined,hindering India's modernization process.After independence,the Indian government implemented the policy of secularization reform,which encouraged the younger generation to break free from the bondage of religion and form a new outlook on life.This chapter analyzes the secularization reform of India since independence to analyze the author's secularism thought and the background of the formation of the theme of "self-realization" in writing,and then expounds the progressive nature of the author's thought.Chapter Two analyzes the realistic dilemma that hinders individual self-actualization in contemporary Indian society.The oppression of women and children by patriarchy,the injustice of the caste system to the bottom of the masses,and the harm caused to immigrants by racial discrimination under post-colonial conditions are all real in the contemporary society.These factors restrict the realization of individual self and hinder the development of the society.Chapter Three analyzes the exploration and experiment of self-actualization in Nair's novels.Individual to complete the realization of self-worth has carried on the unremitting efforts,they fled the family or resistance,or real life in the process of exploring awareness of their real needs,gradually awakening,returning to the family,to take responsibility for their own actions,or be discarded in the process of the development of the individual things and their own internal factors,beyond the self,completing self-realization.The exploration of these characters has both success and failure.This section analyzes the reasons for the failure of characters in pursuit of self-actualization in combination with Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory.Through the description of the process of pursuing self-realization,Nair provides reference value for contemporary people,and at the same time gives people reflection.Chapter Four analyzes the limitations of secular individualism in the process of modernization and Nair's dialectical understanding of traditional concepts.On the one hand,she supports individuals to fight against constraints in reality and maximize their own value through their own exploration.On the other hand,she pointed out the terrible consequences of individualism turning into extreme egoism,and argued that individuals should assume corresponding social responsibilities and find their own value in the tradition.The contradiction of this thought reflects Nair's compromise with traditional values.The conclusion part summarizes the whole thesis and points out the significance of studying the self-actualization theme in Nair's novel to understanding the modern Indian society and Indian female literature.