Rewriting Draupadi: A Postcolonial Feminist and Psychoanalytic Study of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Palace of Illusions with Intertextual Insights from Mahasweta Devi’s Draupadi

Abstract

The paper offers in-depth examination of Draupadi's representation in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions, exploring how the novel reimagines the epic heroine in postcolonial feminist and psychoanalytic lenses. Though the popularity of the novel is admitted, scholarly discussion on the feminist reimaginings of myths and mental aspects remains limited. The present study intends to answer crucial questions: How does Divakaruni's Draupadi challenge patriarchal definitions of femininity? What are the emotional wounds and inner conflicts that inform her choices and agency? Through close textual study, this research explores how trauma, repression, and memory remake Draupadi's self far from the conventional epic representation. The study also briefly allows for comparison with Mahasweta Devi's Draupadi based on the principle of intertextuality as an examination of how both texts shed light on the dynamics of female victimhood, violence, and protest in diverse socio-cultural narratives. Though eco-feminist readings have recognition, this study mainly highlights psychological and feminist frameworks in order to bring analytical precision. Situating Draupadi's text in the context of contemporary feminist discourse, the study contributes toward a deeper understanding of the possibility of how myth can be recuperated in order to examine the dynamics of power, trauma, and the survival of women's voices in texts.