Forms of Political Resistance: Analyzing Literature and Art

Emil Tom Manuel
Student, Nirmala Training College, Ernakulam.
Email: emiltompoppy@gmail.com

Abstract
Resistance is an inherent quality in mankind, a quality shared by most civilizations. Human beings have perpetually resisted throughout history, especially when they were subjected to all forms of hegemony. Resistance is predominantly the thought of not giving into the unjust, impartial and immoral. The notion of resistance isn’t something that is built in a single day, it is a process that begins with an even simple grain of thought like, ‘this is not right’; which is formulated over time to larger and interconnected movements. Resistance is also something that isn’t backed by any fixed ideas as it is a dynamic force which is subjected to change across time and adapts according to the needs of the victims. However, the one thing common about all kinds of resistance throughout history is that it brings a group of people together and sets a path for them to reach; achieved as a collective. While some acts of resistance etch themselves in history, others are erased. When the individual will to resist meets the collective will, that’s where political resistance takes place. Resistance takes many forms; from an idea to meetings to rallies to protests and finally to crossing the threshold. This simple idea of resistance as a thought is further developed by emotional aspects and as it reaches the masses, the idea of resistance, sympathy and empathy is evoked. This emotional aspect, among artists, is further propagated by their art forms. This paper intends to study such texts challenging social and political hierarchies through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This paper analyses how these art forms challenge unjust systems using Critical Discourse Analysis to indicate how language and visual imagery can act as forms of political resistance.

Keywords:Resistance, Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), Political resistance, Art forms, Social and political hierarchies.