Social Issues in the Novel Gīthāri

கீதாரி புதினத்தின் சமூக சிக்கல்கள்

Abstract

Literature serves as a mirror reflecting people’s lives. Across time, literary works depict the lifestyle, culture, and customs of their era. They act as evidence to understand the developmental stages of a society. According to Aristotle, “man is a social being”; he cannot exist in isolation. Human nature is inherently social, requiring family and community to thrive. The family serves as the foundation for societal development. However, challenges and conflicts are inevitable in human life, and every individual faces some form of difficulty within society. The novel Gīthāri portrays such societal challenges, including issues like social discrimination and caste-based oppression. The aim of this paper is to analyze the social problems depicted in the novel, exploring how they reflect broader societal structures and human struggles.