Exploring the Psychological Hurdles Encountered by Urban Indian Women: A Study of Shobhaa De’s Second Thoughts and Strange Obsession
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11103528
Author(s): Ritika Pawar & Dr Jayatee Bhattacharya
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11103528
PDF: Download Full Text
Volume 15 | Issue 2 | April 2024
Pages: 106-118
AboutUs: https://www.the-criterion.com/about/
Archive: https://www.the-criterion.com/archive/
ContactUs: https://www.the-criterion.com/contact/
EditorialBoard: https://www.the-criterion.com/editorial-board/
Submission: https://www.the-criterion.com/submission/
FAQ: https://www.the-criterion.com/fa/
ISSN 2278-9529
Galaxy: International Multidisciplinary Research Journal
www.galaxyimrj.com
The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 15, Issue-II, April 2024 ISSN: 0976-8165
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
Enriching Minds and Cultivating Hearts: The Pedagogical Significance of
Sudha Murty’s Work
Nikita Bhardwaj
Assistant Professor English,
Department of Applied Sciences,
Bhagwan Parshuram Institute of Technology,
GGSIPU, Delhi.
Article History: Submitted-26/03/2024, Revised-11/04/2024, Accepted-16/04/2024, Published-30/04/2024.
Abstract:
Sudha Murty, a renowned Indian author and philanthropist, has significantly
contributed to children’s literature with her captivating stories that intricately weave cultural
and moral themes. Murty’s narratives carry profound messages that resonate with readers of
all ages. Her work is popular amongst audiences for its real-life relevance and simple language
and holds the potential to enhance literacy and language skills in children. This paper aims to
evaluate the moral and social ideas in the stories by Sudha Murty and further understand their
impact on the cognitive and moral development of the readers. Through an analysis of her
selected works, this study seeks to explore how her stories promote diversity, inclusivity,
critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, essential for nurturing a broader perspective in
children. While reviewing these elements, we will also discuss the significance of her work in
promoting the development of young readers, its pedagogical implications, and its role in
enhancing readers’ critical thinking skills.
Keywords: Pedagogical value, Diversity, Inclusivity, Critical thinking, Problem-solving.
Introduction
Literature exposes children to different cultures, beliefs, and perspectives; it enables
them to explore new worlds and ideas beyond their immediate surroundings. Children’s
literature serves as a gateway to the world for young readers, aiding in the improvement of
their cognitive and problem-solving abilities, fostering imagination, and ultimately enhancing
their capacity to comprehend complex real-world situations or concepts. Children’s literature
includes narrative or themes that caters to the imagination, emotions, and feelings like empathy,
099
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.11103496
Enriching Minds and Cultivating Hearts: The Pedagogical Significance of Sudha Murty’s Work
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
kindness, and humility which helps the readers develop a broader understanding of the world
around them.
India has the richest and most ancient history and culture. It is a land of diversity, of
landscapes, languages, traditions, and cultures that we have inherited from our ancestors, and
all generations have tried passing it on further to the new ones. Literature and storytelling have
always been a medium to pass on the culture and long-surviving customs, and moral lessons
are often interwoven to impart values and ethics in a culturally relevant context. The characters
in the works of fiction, especially children’s fiction like the gods, goddesses, kings, speaking
animals, and the fairies are often portrayed as exemplars of these virtues, serving as role models
for young readers. Through these narratives, children learn about foundational skills and values
like the importance of respecting elders, showing compassion towards others, and the
consequences of greed and egocentricity, through stories they are also exposed to the probable
life situations and adversities, and the fictional characters then become their models of first
perceiving the problems and developing solutions to these problems, this is how any reader
develops their connection with literature and understands the narratives. In India children’s
literature also emphasizes the interconnectedness of all living beings and the importance of
living harmoniously with nature. Overall, these stories not only entertain but also educate,
instilling in children a solid moral foundation that guides their actions and decisions as they
grow.
Sudha Murthy, the prolific Indian author has developed many heartfelt stories that are
especially popular amongst young readers, all her stories are not just entertaining but
enlightening too. Her writings are appreciated for the simple words that hold the power to
generate language and literacy skills among young readers. Her characters are relevant to
reality and foster a strong link with the minds of the readers. She is extremely popular amongst
young children and preferred by parents and teachers for the same reason. “Stories play a
prominent role in shaping the personality of children from the tender age. Exposing to the
stories will develop a broad sense and analyzing capacity. Sudha Murthy’s stories are
encapsulated with morals and ethical values. These stories orient them to build self-reliance
and aesthetic sense. The characters in her stories motivate children and help them to acquire
the traditions and culture of the modern generation. These help them to develop a positive
attitude and familiar with problems, miseries, merits and demerits theoretically” (Dr. Singla.
P,2023)
100
The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 15, Issue-II, April 2024 ISSN: 0976-8165
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
Her stories revolve around simple yet profound narratives. She has always tried to instil
values and respect for our diverse culture, and tradition and foster moral values like humility,
empathy, kindness, tolerance, and respect in the hearts of the readers through her narratives,
while also subtly introducing them to complex problems through the relatable characterization,
that leads into fostering of rational decision-making and problem-solving capabilities. This
style of storytelling style is popular amongst children as it gives them the scope to develop a
perspective and find their voices in the stories. This paper aims to explore how the varied moral
themes, characterization, and cultural representation in her selected work and identify their
pedagogical value for the development of children.
Pedagogical Demands in Context to India
In India majority of the Indian parents have emphasized reading amongst children for
the simple reason of developing language proficiency and literacy skills, previous studies have
also highlighted the value of children’s literature in promoting moral values, the introduction
to these moral values in the narratives of the literature written has often been very didactic.
However, with the new generation’s reading preferences, the children appreciate a voice that
represents them in the works they read. They do not like the idea of didactic lessons but rather
appreciate the learning of all kinds of values and cultures in a natural way and when this is
achieved the objective of cognitive development happens organically.
The writing style of the eminent children’s author Sudha Murty has become popular
because of all these ideas that she has effortlessly embedded in the narratives with simple
language in her entertaining books. They hold the ability to convey complex moral ideas
through entertaining characters, and relatable themes, and with a praise-worthy ease. Sudha
Murty’s works note the cultural and societal context in which her stories are set. Sudha Murty’s
writing has the quality of motivating the readers into action and make them fall in love with
virtues, hate, and vices, it directs them towards courage to act and ultimately towards a
transformative power of values.
Importance of Cultural and Historical Context for Indian Children
Sudha Murty’s works are deeply rooted in the Indian culture and provide insight to
readers across ages into the diverse and rich tapestry of traditions, customs, and values defining
the Indian ways of life. Her works present the various facets of Indian life in a sensitive yet
interesting way. Sudha Murty’s works cater to Indian readers where readers are never
disappointed and always feel the characters and themes relatable, this is because Murty herself
101
Enriching Minds and Cultivating Hearts: The Pedagogical Significance of Sudha Murty’s Work
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
holds strong values and respect towards the Indian culture’s roots and prefers to stay away from
the Western influence despite her evolutionary thoughts. (Govind, 2019).
She has always celebrated and embraced the Indian culture and heritage. Her story “The
Man from The Egg” from her collection “The Man from the Egg: Unusual Tales about the
Trinity.” introduces the readers to the idea of Indian culture and Hindu mythology through the
character of Manu, the creation of the world by the gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh, the
traditional philosophical concept of life and death cycle and helps develop a sense of respect
towards nature and the importance of living in harmony with all the expanses of the human
being while at the same time it develops the children’s understanding towards the Indian culture
in the fast-paced westernized world.
Her writings are thought-provoking and reflect on the importance of preserving the rich
Indian culture and customs in one of her books “The Old Man and His God” she suggests the
idea of hope and belief, that holding on to the belief in the heart and remaining steadfast to it
would always prove fruitful. In another story “How Far Would You Go” from a similar book
she appeals emotionally to the readers to understand the human consciousness, that probably
is slowly losing its grip with time. She mainly highlights the family values and love towards
the elderly people, which has been an Indian way of living forever. In the story, she showcases
the journey of a young woman who goes through great hardships for her grandmother’s love
and the wish fulfilment of her dying grandmother. This story touches the hearts of readers of
all ages and primarily teaches the gradually vanishing emotion of love, respect, and empathy
towards the family.
Fostering Vivid Human Values and Life Skills
B. Parinitha (2022) mentions in her article about Murty, “Her children’s stories dealt
with the importance of family bonds and concern towards society and fellow beings” Sudha
Murty’s work is popular amongst all ages and especially children for their thematic content,
the entertaining narratives revolve around timeless cultural and moral values, social issues, and
human experiences, all the necessary experiences required for the moral and cognitive
development of a human being. Murty’s work has always left a lasting impact on the reader’s
mind and has the ability to resonate with audiences worldwide. Her enchanting stories are a
blend of fantasy and reality. They can be sparkling to the imagination of young readers, while
at the same time imparting hidden life lessons necessary in the current modern world, that are
not didactically forced on the readers.
102
The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 15, Issue-II, April 2024 ISSN: 0976-8165
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
Her short story collection “The Bird with Golden Wings: Stories of Wit and Magic” is
a fantastic example of this art. Life lessons like wit and the power of unity can be learned
effectively through the story of ‘The Snake and The Frogs’, one of the stories from this
collection wherein the wicked snake who has been a threat to the life of the frogs in a pond is
outsmarted by the old wise frog’s plan when he suggested the other frogs to stand in a line one
after the other and puff their bodies when the snake approaches to appear bigger and stronger
than the snake who has been the reason of panic amongst all frogs. This story can be regarded
as a fresh Panchatantra, giving the moral importance of unity and the power of wit in a fun and
straightforward way.
An important lesson is taught through another poignant tale “The Bird with Golden
Wings”; the story of a king obsessed with finding and capturing the bird with golden wings,
believing it would bring him immense prosperity and wealth, which to his disappointment does
not happen. Time passes and he realizes that there is no real value in the materialistic aspect of
living however true happiness is felt by him when he releases the bird off the cage. This story
makes the young readers grasp the importance of common welfare, moral autonomy in a
utilitarian society, and developing the value of nature and humility.
The following collection of inspiring tales “The Magic Drums and Other Favorite
Stories” suggests similar values inspired by Indian mythology and a continuation of the Indian
folktales. For Instance, the title story is about the Magic Drum brought by a group of travelers,
who informs the villagers of its power to bring rain which is much needed by the villagers for
the resources and crop failure that they were struggling from. The story closes with an
important life lesson learned by the villagers, who understood that the true magical power of
the drum lies in bringing together the people in unity to accomplish a common goal for
everyone’s welfare. The story teaches the strength of community and belief in unity as moral,
instilling the idea of teamwork. The essential human values and ethics, that are reflected in all
the works of Sudha Murty, and these human values are the basis of all the education that is
necessary for the improvement of cognitive skills as well as to guide the children’s actions
towards a morally desirable way and for moral and responsible conduct.
Essential Understanding of the Current Modern World Problems
The goal of children’s literature is to cultivate resilient individuals with clear thinking,
determination, and moral integrity. Children, naturally curious, explore the world through their
questions. Creativity and imagination are vital for the growth of young children. Murty
103
Enriching Minds and Cultivating Hearts: The Pedagogical Significance of Sudha Murty’s Work
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
understands the needs of young minds and comes up with diverse themes in her books like
gender stereotypes, environmental conservation, the importance of education and
empowerment, etc. the reason for her growing readership. Her stories may be fictional or at
times mythological, however, the themes traced are necessarily relevant and current.
Murty’s “The Man from the Egg”, a retelling of the story of Garuda, the mythical bird
from the Hindu mythology hints at the idea of sustainable behavior towards the environment.
In the story, the children are presented with an example of the mythological character of
Garuda, who is born from an egg, so huge that it blocks out the sun. This becomes a problem
for all the others on the planet, and how then Garuda modifies his size by shrinking smaller;
therefore, allowing sunlight for the others and the greater good of the planet.
Murty also addresses the idea of gender roles in Indian Society through her works and
strongly suggests women’s empowerment even to young readers; for instance, her story “The
Magic Drum” presents the story of a young girl, Rukmini, who faces varied barriers in
accessing her dreams of becoming a drummer and how she gradually wins over the admiration
and love of everyone with her talent pushing aside the gender stereotypes. In another tale, “The
Day I Became God”, Anu, the young girl, consistently chases her ambition of becoming a
doctor despite all the hardships, from becoming homeless after running from a forced marriage
to helping the poor and needy, the journey of Anu who becomes a doctor with the Prince’s
support and her determination. This story is a way to guide young readers, especially girls,
towards the pursuit of their dreams and standing up for themselves despite adversities.
These are just some direct moral lessons learned from Murty’s narratives, in her
different stories she has tried to be socially relatable to the readers, producing not just moral
lessons but showcasing different issues of the society that the young readers are bound to come
across in later years of their life. The idea of this kind of literature is to conceptualize the world
issues beforehand develop a problem-solving approach and explore self-balancing skills in case
of adversities.
Conclusion
Sudha Murty is one of the best-selling authors amongst the children. Because of her
engaging and entertaining narrative styles, she has become the most widely read Indian
children’s literature author. Her stories hold the power to promote moral values; the engaging
quality and the Indianness of her characters are relatable to the children of our country. Her
strong personal cultural beliefs and philanthropic consciousness are reflected in her stories as
104
The Criterion: An International Journal in English Vol. 15, Issue-II, April 2024 ISSN: 0976-8165
www.the-criterion.com
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10448030
well and they keep resonating with readers of all ages. This kind of timeless narrative of the
Indian culture is something the present generation requires the most. In the evolving modern
world, wherein values are wavering we require more authors like Murty, who refrain from
being popular at the cost of losing of cultural identity. Moral lessons like love, empathy,
honesty, kindness, and integrity are present and can be traced in literature all across the globe.
What makes Murty more remarkable is the pedagogical way through which she takes up the
voices of the Indian children and represents the Indian culture in her stories. She represents
social problems through her works, and talks about the solution to those problems through the
interesting character’s explorations, challenging the readers to think analytically and make
reasoned judgments. She prompts the idea of the Indian family system, the age-old values of
respecting elders. Her diverse characters and varied themes introduce the young readers to
diverse cultures, traditions, and beliefs broadening their perspective and developing respect
towards cultural diversity. Her work can provide them with a holistic learning experience in an
entertaining fashion, greatly benefiting young minds.
Works Cited:
Singla, Priyanka. “Moral Lessons in Sudha Murthy’s Children Stories.” Literary Herald,
vol. 8, no. 6, April 2023, p. 332.
Murty, Sudha. The Man From The Egg: Unusual Tales About The Trinity, Penguin Books,
2017.
Govind, R. “Sudha Murthy’s new book profiles strong, brave women from mythology.”
The Hindu, 27 Nov.2019,
https://www.thehindu.com/books/booksauthors/sudhamurthy/article30096474.ece.
Parvathi, S., & D. S. “Quest for Self in the Select Novels of Sudha Murthy.” International
Journal of English Language and Literature, 2016.
B., Parinitha., “The Soul and Spirit of Morality in Sudha Murthy’s Select Short Story
Books for Children.” The Creative Launcher, vol. 7, no. 6, 30 Dec. 2022, pp. 203-209,
doi:10.53032/tcl.2022.7.6.23.
Murty, Sudha. The Old Man and His God: Discovering the Spirit of India, Penguin Books,
2006.
Murty, Sudha. The Bird with Golden Wings, Illustrated ed., Penguin Books, 2016.
Murty, Sudha. The Magic Drum and Other Favorite Stories, Paperback ed., Penguin
Books, 2015.
105
Ritika Pawar & Dr Jayatee Bhattacharya