Children’s Chimera: Ethics, History and Science as Tools in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni’s The Brotherhood of Conch Trilogy

Abstract

In recent times, children are not aware of Indian history. They do not know about the relationship between Indian history and Indian myth. But the author makes the readers to be familiar with that relationship in a precise way through her novels. Chitra Divakaruni in this series illustrates much about Indian culture, myth and history to the foreign readers and Indian readers as well. Among the different attributes of culture, food has been given much importance by Chitra Divakaruni. Namita Bhandare admits that, “where the book comes alive is in its description of Calcutta and its food; Divakaruni clearly is a mistress of spices as she moves and shakes when she remembers the flavours and smells of her childhood. Even a simple khichuri dish fills the senses with its redolent spices and the wholesome goodness of its basic ingredients” (Bhandare 186).