Tracing Oppression and Marginality through Humanimal Tensions in Ivan Turgenev's Mumu and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Mahesh

The short stories Mumu and Mahesh deal with a unique humanimal relationship. They narrate the relationship between an oppressed human and a helpless animal. The protagonist in the Mumu, Gerasim is deaf and mute serf who has befriended and adopted a dog. A weak, malnourished working bull has been with Gafur and Amina for many years in the story Mahesh. Although concepts of marginality and oppression seem blurred in the two short stories, they are intricately rooted in the dynamics of power structure. The paper aims to showcase the treatment of animals in domestic and cultural spheres as a reflection of societal attitudes towards humanimals. In both stories, the protagonists Gerasim and Gafur are victims of Tsarist serfdom in Russia and socio-economic rifts in rural Bengal, respectively. Even though geographically distinctly located the stories are eloquent debates for understanding Judith Bulter’s notions of “normativity,” that explains certain lives are socially grief worthy and others are disposable. This paper proposes for ethical consideration of humanimal relationship, which for Kenneth Shapiro is “kinesthetic empathy.”