A Study on Suicidality in Select Indian Writings

Abstract

Experiencing suicidal ideation compels individuals to confront the obscurity that distorts the importance and purpose of life. Suicide is a rising societal issue that presents a significant threat to the human population. According to World Health Organisation (2023), globally every year, over seven million individuals take their own lives; in 2022, the numbers increased to 1,70,924 in India (NCRB, 2023). Despite the growing prevalence of suicide, there exists a restricted corpus of scholarly literature concerning this issue. How likely and to what extent may the problem be effectively addressed and resolved? The study investigates the extant literature in order to contribute to the research aims and gain a deeper understanding of the phenomena of suicidal ideation. A comprehensive literary inquiry is conducted to ascertain the portrayal of suicidality in select Indian works. David Klonsky and Alexis May s Three Step Theory (2015) states that pain, hopelessness, connectedness, and capability for suicide are the four factors influencing suicide and they serve as the unifying theme which create parallels across the six distinct tales. This thesis examines the elements of literary representations to identify the factors that contribute to suicidality in a selection of Indian writings: Sriram Ayer s The Story of a Suicide (2016) and S.L Bhyrappa s Brink (2020) comprehend the challenges that arise within familial units that contribute to suicidal ideation; Preeti Shenoy s Life is What You Make It (2011) and Wake Up, Life is Calling (2019), a duology, and Jerry Pinto s Em and the Big Hoom (2012) depict the dramatic mood swings experienced by those with mental illnesses; Sonora Jha s Foreign (2013) and Jaideep Hardikar s Ramrao: The Story of India s Farm Crisis (2021) reflect the experiences of farmers who strive to persevere in spite of the numerous challenges they encounter in their everyday lives. Societal and cultural factors inevitably and indirectly contribute to the development of suicidal ideation among the chos