Silence as a Representation of Screams: The Emotional Price of Marginalisation

Abstract

This article examines the relationship between marginality and mental health, highlighting the significant emotional and psychological difficulties that people who are marginalised because of their gender, caste, class, or economic standing face. The study examines Draupadi by Mahasweta Devi and Coolie by Mulk Raj Anand to demonstrate how different forms of marginalisation affect people's mental health.Dopdi Mejhen, a tribal woman in Draupadi, is the target of state violence. Despite abuse, she didn't weep or feel bad about herself. Her boldness and calmness joined together to create a strong and deep form of resistance. Poverty, class disparity, and ongoing exploitation are the main causes of Munoo's suffering in Coolie. The trauma and powerlessness experienced by those at the bottom of society are reflected in his journey. Both texts demonstrate how patriarchal environments suppress women's voices and desires, resulting in social exclusion, emotional repression, and mental health issues.These characters suffer from a society that does not treat them with dignity in addition to their own personal suffering. These texts support the claim that social exclusion, oppression, and injustice are not only medical problems but also factors that lead to mental health problems. Thus, literature becomes a powerful medium for conveying the emotional struggles of the impoverished that are often unsaid.