Perspectives

Literary perspective

“Through the Wardrobe” by Lucy Caldwell is a modernist short story that deals with a contemporary issue – a boy’s struggle to come to ter…

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Works with the same theme

It would be a good idea to read the memoir excerpt “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau, which also deals with the theme of identity. In the excerpt, two sisters – Santha and Premila – refuse to change who they are to fit in. When they are enrolled in an Anglo-Indian school, the girls’ names are changed and the headmistress attempts to change their identity. When you compare and contrast “Through the Wardrobe” with “By Any Other Name”, you can look at the characters’ attempts to detach themselves from the identities others impose on them. 

If you wish to read a story about a society with clearly defined gender roles, we recommend “Weekend” by Fay Weldon, which focuses on the position of women in the 1970s. “Weekend” introduces Martha, a woman whose husband’s attitude towards gender shows that he sees women only as mothers and housewives. You can compare “Weekend” with “Through the Wardrobe” and reflect on the gender roles presented in both stories. 

You could also watch the short film “Marriage of Inconvenience” directed by Jin Rho, which tells the story of a gay man named Paul planning to marry his boyfriend. The film mainly deals with a family’s way of reconciling their religious beliefs with the acceptance of their…