Volume II Issue I, April 2014
ISSN 2321 - 7065
CRITI CRIT ICAL ANALYSIS ANALYSIS OF PREETI P REETI SHENOY’S SHENOY’S
Dr. Rupakshi Bagga Associate Prof. In English D.A.V College, Hoshiarpur Hoshiarpur.
'Life is what you make it' is a fiction written by Preeti Shenoy a blooming blooming author. author. She has also also wri written for different different publications publications like like Reader's Reader's Digest and The Times of India, as well as taught English and Math to children in India. Her first book was '34 Buffer guns and Candies' a creative notification that made it to the national-best seller list. The bo The book ok ‘Life ‘Life is is what you make it’ t’ is the story of Ankita Sharma a girl in her twenties. It focuses attention on a little known disease, bipolar disease. The plot is set in the 80s and moves across two cities. Being a bright student she got admitted into one of South India's best colleges. What follows is a series of events, love affairs, pranks and studies that are instrumental for every college going student. But Ankita's life soon turn-turvy when she is diagnosed with a mental illness. She develops Bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a serious brain disorder that causes dramatic shifts in moods, energy levels, attitudes and ability to carry out everyday tasks. It is very different from normal and mood changes that everybody goes through time to time. It develops typically in late adolescence or early adulthood. People with this disorder experience intense emotional states which alternate between a high episodes called manic episode and it is followed by a low episode called depressive episode. During a manic state, the person feels happy and is bursting with high energy levels. During the low period, there is an increasing feeling of worthlessness or emptiness. The person thinks of death and of suicide.
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Volume II Issue I, April 2014
ISSN 2321 - 7065
'Life is what you make it' is a story of will power and established that even destiny can be overcome by determination, love and hope. It is a story about a young female protagonist whose life gets shaken by her destiny in a highly unexpected manner. Set across two Indian Cities in 1989 the story begins when Ankita is shown to be reading letters that she exchanged with Vaibhav. And here onward, the reader is taken on a flashback story that relates the life of Ankita and how she ended up in a hospital. Ankita is in her twenties and belongs to a conservative middle class family. Her parents are so strict that they don't even like her being with guys. She is not even allowed to talk to any boy on the telephone. She talks to Vaibhav when her parents go for a morning walk. Ankita is smart, career-oriented, confident, young, attractive, sweet and happy go lucky girl. She has lots of friends and is wooed by many boys at her college. Abhi and Joseph both are her great admirers. Her college life is what every youngster dreams of but Ankita does not underestimate the importance of studies as well. She secures a seat in leading management school. She is one of the most happening girls in the college. She is a dancer, an orator, a fast runner, a poetess and a topper in academics. Life seems to be sailing smooth for Ankita until one day when she is admitted to a mental hospital. Life suddenly snatches everything that Ankita had in her world in a cruel twist of fate. How things changed badly. She could neither read nor write a single word. Her life became hell. Thi s i s fr i ghtenin g, thi s worl d wi thout w ords, thi s w orl d of dar kness and void. I don' t want to be here anymore. I wan t to mak e i t stop....... T o be
trapped like this in one’s own body is a fate worse than death. With death, at l east there is an end. H ere, the sufferi ng i s endless.
Ankita three times tried to commit suicide. Her condition became bad to worse. Then her father took her to Dr. Madhusudan, who was a doctor in one of
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Volume II Issue I, April 2014
ISSN 2321 - 7065
the best mental health care centres in India. There Ankita was told that she suffered from a psychological disorder known as bipolar disease. Dr. Madhusudan started her treatment and explained her, the value of life. " Li fe is a gif t An ki ta. We shoul d not throw i t away. You have no r ight to kil l others. T hen how can you have a ri ght to kill your sel f' ?"
After that Ankita did not succumb to her destiny she fought back. " Li fe w as indeed un pr edictabl e and it was tru e that i t coul d take a sudden expected tur n" .
With the help of Dr. Madhusudan & Dr. Namita, love, hope, faith and determination, she overpowered what destiny threw on her. Although she did not join M.B.A, curse again, yet she got six academic degrees. One of her degrees included Master in Art Therapy.. She got married to a kind, sensitive man. She has a four year old child who is also exhibiting artistic talent. She now lives in Bangalore and practices as an independent art therapist. The world is indeed a better place when there is love, friendship, acceptance and hope. Powered by these, you can indeed overcome anything including destiny. The writing style of Preeti Shenoy is simple yet thought provoking. All the characters in the novel are well portrayed, with none of them given more or less space than required. She has carefully portrayed the emotions of people who are mentally af fected and society’s behaviour towards them. These people are also human beings; they also require love and compassion like any other individual.
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Volume II Issue I, April 2014
ISSN 2321 - 7065
REFERENCES
Shenoy, Preeti . Life is what you Make It .Shristi Publishers. 2011.Print. . . .
Life is what you Make It . Book Review .Shristi Publishers. 2011.Print.
Bhoir, Jaymala . Life is what you Make It by Preeti Shenoy - by Pratibha Jain, Dec. 2013 3) Book Review: Life is what you Make It by Preeti Shenoy - by, Nov. 2013 4) Life is what you Make It by Abhilash Ruhela, 2012.
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