Reconceptualizing the Archetype of Dragon in Hansda Souvendra Shekhar’s Jwala Kumar and the Gift of Fire: Adventures in Champakbag

Abstract

The myth of the dragon has a long history in literature. It is sometimes presented as a fearsome, destructive creature as in Western literature; sometimes, it is an Apollonian figure to serve the community. Hansda Souvendra Shekhar’s Jwala Kumar and the Gift of Fire: Adventures in Champakbag follows the latter tradition. As a tribal writer, Shekhar knows how to use a dragon as a symbol to express the ethos of tribal life. Through the dragon story, the novelist aptly portrays the neglected yet unified life of the Adivasi people living in an isolated village, deprived of primary needs like electricity, conveyance, and economic strength.