Metaphors of Rejection and Reception in Arun Joshi’s The Strange Case of Billy Biswas

Abstract

Aim: The present paper, titled “Metaphors of Rejection and Reception in Arun Joshi’s The Strange Case of Billy Biswas,” aims to investigate the protagonist’s existential dilemma and his conscious rejection of the affluent, western-educated, urban middle-class postcolonial Indian society in favour of the tribal world of central India.

Approach and Methodology: The present paper adopts the qualitative method based on close textual analysis supported by relevant critical interpretations, the paper reveals how Billy’s disillusionment, alienation, and psychic disturbance lead him toward a redemptive embrace of the tribal ethos.

Outcome: The study identifies the central metaphors of rejection and reception as vehicles through which Joshi critiques the moral bankruptcy of modern life and reclaims the authenticity of primitive existence. The paper ranges from the protagonist’s movement from rejection to reception, symbolizing a metaphysical quest for self-realization and spiritual harmony.

Conclusion: Arun Joshi’s The Strange Case of Billy Biswas emerges as a profound metaphoric exploration of existence rather than a mere tale of escape. Billy’s rejection of the civilized world exposes its moral and spiritual hollowness, while his reception into the tribal realm signifies a return to authenticity and unity with nature. The metaphors of rejection and reception operate on psychological, cultural, and spiritual planes—rejection purifies, and reception redeems.