Dismantling the Metanarrative of Motherhood : A Postmodern Reading of 'Em And the Big Hoom'

<p>The paper throws light on the concept of Metanarrative or Grand narrative and applies<br>the same to the idea of motherhood as portrayed in Jerry Pinto's 'Em and the Big<br>Hoom'. According to the French philosopher Jean-François Lyotard , complexity and<br>diversity of human experience and knowledge are not sufficiently captured by these<br>metanarratives. Rather, society has reached a point where metanarratives are no<br>longer credible, which is marked by skepticism and a rejection of explanations that<br>apply to everything.This paper associates the concept of grand narrative to the<br>idealized and glorified image of ''motherhood' in the Indian context. In India, the<br>cultural, social, and religious fabric are woven with a strong emphasis on the virtues<br>of motherhood. The objective of this paper is to present a postmodern reading of ‘Em<br>and the Big Hoom. Jerry Pinto's book "Em and the Big Hoom" was originally released<br>in 2012. Set in Mumbai, India. The story centers on Em, the protagonist whose real<br>name is Imelda. She is the spouse of the Big Hoom, the narrator's father. Em is shown<br>as a mysterious and complicated person who suffers from bipolar disorder, which has<br>a significant effect on her family.</p>