Transition experiential narratives A study on fishermens experiences of the Kerala coast based on the writings of A Andrews and Robert Panippilla

Abstract

The genre of 'narrative of experience' is a cultural text formed through the process of constructing subjectivity. Departing from individual-centric European notions of autobiography, postmodern narratives of experience offer new possibilities for identity construction rooted in social awakenings and political contexts. Developed within the framework of coastal life, these narratives transform personal identity into a political and social agency. Focusing on the experiential narrative of A.Andrews and Robert Panippilla published between 1990 and 2018, this research analyzes the socio-political dimensions of coastal identity formation. ​Grounded in post-structuralist thought, the thesis examines autobiographical identity through the lenses of modernity, body, labor, gender, trauma, and sociality. The study is structured into an introduction, five comprehensive chapters, and a conclusion. The first chapter, Transition Experiences: Life Contexts, analyzes the socio-cultural transformations among the fisherfolk of the southern Kerala coast, while the second chapter, Transition Experiences: Theoretical Approaches, discusses the theoretical categories of transformation and identity. In the third chapter, Modernity and the Displaced, the research critically examines the struggles of traditional fisherfolk through the concepts of civilization and displacement. The fourth chapter, Alternative Narratives of Expertise, explores the narrative representations of traditional and modern skills, followed by the fifth chapter, Between Adventure and Lament, which investigates the multifaceted identity of the fisherfolk through the themes of lamentation and adventure. The final chapter provides a synthesis of these findings and discusses the broader implications of the study. By deconstructing the internal conflicts and power structures of the coast, this research seeks to reclaim the identity-history of a social group that has historically remained an 'absence' in the Kerala public sphere.