Thinking Activity: Frankenstein & Writer's Market

Welcome Readers,

This blog provides an insightful understanding of the Frankenpheme in contemporary Indian culture as well as a popular artist/writer & his/her market (material condition). The task is assigned by Prof. Dr. Dilip Barad Sir as a thinking activity to reflect our understanding of these two topics. 

Frankenpheme-

                  The word 'Frankenpheme' was used by Timothy Morton in the 'Routledge Literary Sourcebook' on Frankenstein, drawn from phonemes and graphemes. 

Here, the words: phonemes and graphemes means-

These are the elements of culture that is derived from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The term can be defined as –

“Frankenphemes demonstrate the extent of the novel’s presence in world cultures”

The retellings of a particular work of art, as well as the events from which adaptation is inspired, can be an example of Frankenphemes. 

Frankenpheme in contemporary Indian culture- 

Frankenpheme in can be observed in the case of Nanavati versus Maharashtra state, the case was like the commander Nanavati,  a Parsi shot the Ahuja for having affair with his wife, Sylvia. Various movies are inspired from this incident which tried to justify the event in different narratives. 

As "Frankenstein" is called "The Greatest Horror Story Ever Written", the Nanavati versus State was perhaps a sole case filed involving a Parsi. 

There are various movies and web series adapted from this case.

The case was- 

Kawas Manekshaw Nanavati (1925–2003), a Parsi, was a Commander with the Indian Navy and had settled down in Bombay with Sylvia, his English-born wife and their two sons and a daughter. With Nanavati frequently away on assignments for long periods of time, Sylvia fell in love with Prem Bhagwan Ahuja, a Sindhi friend of Nanavati's. In her testimony in court, Prem's sister Mamie Ahuja stated that Prem had agreed to marry Sylvia, provided she divorced her husband. However, this was contradicted by the letters written by Sylvia (admitted as Sylvia's testimony), where she expressed her desire to divorce Nanavati and marry Prem, but she doubted whether Prem had the same intentions. In a letter, she wrote "Last night when you spoke of your marrying me and the various other girls you might marry, something inside me snapped and I knew I could not bear the thought of your loving someone else. (Contributors)

• In and around this incident various films have been adapted, among which the first was “Yeh Rastey Hai Pyar Ke” who has Sunil Dutt, Leela Naidu, and Rehman as the three main characters who play the lead role in portraying the commander, his wife as well as the third man called Ahuja. This film was perhaps the first to bring to light about the incident to the public. 

• The second film which was inspired was “Achanak” directed by Gulzar, Oscar-winning film Indian director.  Major Ranjeet Khanna is in love with his wife Pushpa. Ranjeet is happy with his marriage until he finds out about his wife's affair with his best friend. He kills them both and turns himself into the police. Then, he escapes from the police to find the Ganges River, because he wanted to fulfill his wife's wish of dropping her wedding necklace (mangalsutra) into the river. However, the police shoot him first and he is hospitalized, where he becomes emotionally attached to the doctors and the nurse, who are also devastated when he is sentenced to hang to death.

• One novel was published by Anglo-Indian novelist Indra Sinha titled “Nanavati’s trail”. The major characters are the Mrs. S as Sylvia and Love as Prem Ahuja. The title ‘The Death of Mr. Love” basically recounts the whole incident with a detailed narrative. 

• Another film named “Rustom” is one of the major fictionalized cases of Nanavati directed by Tinu Suresh Desai. The film tried to make the audience sympathize with the character of Rustom Pavri (portrayal of Nanavati). The film contains a different poetic justice where Rustom (inspired by Nanavati) and Cynthia(inspired by Sylvia) walk out of the court with their heads held up high and then the film rolls into the credits, showing the couple settled in Canada. In the end, it is shown that after Rustom's trial, the jury system was abolished in India and Bakshi committed suicide by shooting himself on the INS Vikrant. Also, the news shows India being the fourth nation to acquire a navy carrier. 

• The Verdict - State vs Nanavati is an Indian Hindi drama mystery web series created and produced by Ekta Kapoor. The series revolves around the 1959 Indian judiciary case, K. M. Nanavati v. State of Maharashtra where an Indian Naval Command Officer, Kawas Nanavati is accused of the murder of Prem Ahuja. The series explores how when Nanavati returns home after a successful mission just to find out that his wife Slyvia Nanavati is having an extra-marital affair with Prem Ahuja just because he cannot fulfill her desires as he bound to stay on his duty. The series is an intriguing tale of jealousy, murder, mystery, political drama, and the Indian judiciary.

Popular artist/writer & his market

In recent years, the author of 'Fifty Shades' trilogy is said to have built a fantasy empire because of which more than 100 million copies have been sold of her work. This can be a matter of wonder how a first-time author can make the world read her story and that too which has nothing to do with the political arena of the time or with deep philosophy. 

One of the worth reading articles by Penguin Press titled 'Fifty Shades of Grey, the viral myth, and the truth about how things get popular' which is an excerpt from Hit Makers: The Science of Popularity in an Age of Distraction explores how fashionable ideas get spread like a disease. 

The idea worth pondering here is -The Fifty Shades story is a paradox. How could a book go viral in a world where “nothing really goes viral”?

It was nominated in the Best Romance category in November 2011.  This novel has become a great phenomenon in the 21st century in the popular literature world because of its content.

The popularity of the novel-

Trilogy of Fifty Shade has been translated into 52 languages as a new book in popular literature. That’s why Fifty Shades is categorized as popular

literature based on its selling number. Here is a brief analysis of assumptions with reference to the market of the writer- 

The trilogy of Fifty shades has changed people’s minds about the term sexuality. In the past, sexuality is taboo for discussing in the book or novel but today it is not taboo anymore. 

Youth centric-

E. L. James seems to tell her own story to the young generation of America and Australia. Her book in some ways works as a functional work rather than mere erotic fiction. 


Romance-

James's works carry romance fixed with frustration, aggression, and sexuality which perhaps can be a mirror of society reading her works. Perhaps, her works satisfy the pleasures of society. Feminist critics are unhappy with this kind of literal torture in the name of romance, the supression, and submission of a woman are superficially covered with Mr. Gray's intention in the novel 'Fifty shades Darker'. 

Trauma and Poor Parenting-

The author explores the issue of major American and European youths facing today is the poor parenting that results in the trauma and the children at a very younger age diverts in various subverted activities so easily. 

Pure Fantasy-

James writes in an erotic form where she does not include political concerns or any other social concerns. She can be assumed writing for the corporate world. Her works can be categorized into Fanfiction. 


Sexual Promiscuity-

The author's writing seems to directly reflect the society of today of European and American countries. The variety of brief and superficial relations, numerous affairs, and an indiscriminate selection of sexual partners and taking pride at discussing sexual conquests. 

Hence, it can be concluded that the market of James is very high and her works are very typical which perhaps makes the following statement true-

"Popularity is the product".

References-

• “E. L. James.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 30 Jan. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._L._James.

• “Fifty Shades (Film Series).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Feb. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifty_Shades_(film_series)

• “Hit Makers.” Google Books, Google, books.google.co.in/books?id=pgUvDQAAQBAJ&pg=PR22&lpg=PR22&dq=Fifty+Shades+of+Grey,+the+viral+myth,+and+the+truth+about+how+things+get+popular&source=bl&ots=yNw65pZdUT&sig=ACfU3U2YGoH86vPOjgwWTujctY0OQNz0-Q&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvj8DUvefnAhUA8HMBHaz2A9EQ6AEwAXoECA0QAQ#v=onepage&q=Fifty Shades of Grey, the viral myth, and the truth about how things get popular&f=false.

• Press, Penguin. “Fifty Shades of Grey, the Viral Myth, and the Truth about How Things Get Popular.” Medium, Medium, 24 Feb. 2017, medium.com/@penguinpress/ever-wonder-how-fifty-shades-of-grey-became-such-a-phenomenon-6aab6657b819.

Thank you.