Challenging Normativity in Malini Chib's One Little Finger (2011): A Discourse Analysis of Life Narrative

This theoretical article functions on discourse analysis of life narrative that challenges the normative discourses in Malini Chib’s One Little Finger( 2011). The normative ideas in language create a discourse of otherness for people with disability, resulting in marginalisation and exclusion. Disability is often addressed as deviant from the normative assumptions and, as a result, leads to objectification and a ‘normative gaze’ of disabled bodies. In addition, when disability has an intersection with Indian women, the result is threefold marginalisation. With the commencement of postmodernism, a continuous resurgence of discourses came from the margins against the binaries and dualistic dichotomies where the other identities that are supposed to be marginal are impugned. However, certain margins, such as disabled women in India, are less addressed and little represented in literature. Consequently, they have taken an ounce of self-representing in their life—narratives. Malini Chib’s life narrative challenges societal stereotypes and comes as a resistance to normative discourses that emphasise able-bodiedness, resulting in ableism. This research paper necessarily operates on critical discourse analysis of life narrative by relying on Davis’s disability discourse, Feminist Disability Study theories and Disability Study theories to address ableist and normative power dynamics. This discourse analysis will help to uproot the culture of normative endorsement and will ensure the authentic portrayal of disabled women’s experiences. Therefore, this work on disability discourse in Indian culture underscores the need for acceptance, destigmatisation and inclusion of women with and without disability.