Identity through Violence: A Study of “An Introduction” by Kamala Das

Kamala Das’ “An Introduction” focuses on the dynamics of identity and violence in the formation of female identity in a male dominated world. In the poem, the interrelation of identity and violence has been brought to fore to deconstruct established roles, cultural practices, and ascribed identities only to formulate new ones through violent measures. This paper argues that the speaker’s quest paves the way to establish her own identity as an individual as she overcomes the violent suffering, deprivation and exploitation while disrupting the established social norms of a patriarchal society by identifying herself with the dominant male ‘I’. This unique perspective allows the readers to better understand the society, to locate issues of identity and its associated violence.