LIFE STORY OF SANTU: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY

  • Man Bahadur Khatri
Keywords: Narrative inquiry, experience, metaphor and paradox, mirror, reality

Abstract

Narrative is the means through which we integrate experience to explain how we have remained the same
or changed throughout our life (Trahar & Yu, 2015). It means it is used to capture the personal and human
dimensions of experience over time. Human subjects have lots of incidents and experiences through
which they have come to the present and set their future from generation to generation. With lots of ups
and downs in search of passion of life a person faces sweet and bitter experiences amid of several
fluctuations; that is the actual meaning life. This life story can be valuable and meaningful for some
readers/listeners. So, a narrative inquirer should search and explore such experiences and present in a
beautiful language without killing the spirit of the narration and feeling of the informants.
In search of the condition and expectation of the elderly people towards their children, I met Santu in
Kathmandu. While taking a phenomenological data about her life condition, expectation and desires
towards her children in her old age, she became excited to explore her life story. My meeting,
communication skill and passion to listen her story encouraged her to explore more about herself.
Believing Santu a representative elderly character of our society, I felt, the parts of the stories are worthy
to unlock to the readers/listeners through journal article. So, I started preparing her life story through
narrative inquiry under phenomenological approach.
Santu’s life story is metaphorically compared to the mirror and mirror image; we see ourselves but what
we see is not exactly our reality. Mirror can be cracked even with a small pushes and pulls, and so is the
life of women/girls. Mirror gets hanged wherever a man likes same is the life of women/girls. It is never
free and independent. Moreover, their desires and willingness are never welcomed and respected in
patriarchal society. Therefore the metaphorical use of glass has covered lots of things of Santu’s life in the
story.
The waves and storms of Santu’s life are explored in detail. While taking data about elderly period;
expectations and desires, her childhood, youths and adulthood are also examined critically. Her love,
tragedy, experience of life, children and grandchildren are also served in a fascinating way in a faithful
Narrative is the means through which we integrate experience to explain how we have remained the same
or changed throughout our life (Trahar & Yu, 2015). It means it is used to capture the personal and human
dimensions of experience over time. Human subjects have lots of incidents and experiences through
which they have come to the present and set their future from generation to generation. With lots of ups
and downs in search of passion of life a person faces sweet and bitter experiences amid of several
fluctuations; that is the actual meaning life. This life story can be valuable and meaningful for some
readers/listeners. So, a narrative inquirer should search and explore such experiences and present in a
beautiful language without killing the spirit of the narration and feeling of the informants.
In search of the condition and expectation of the elderly people towards their children, I met Santu in
Kathmandu. While taking a phenomenological data about her life condition, expectation and desires
towards her children in her old age, she became excited to explore her life story. My meeting,
communication skill and passion to listen her story encouraged her to explore more about herself.
Believing Santu a representative elderly character of our society, I felt, the parts of the stories are worthy
to unlock to the readers/listeners through journal article. So, I started preparing her life story through
narrative inquiry under phenomenological approach.
Santu’s life story is metaphorically compared to the mirror and mirror image; we see ourselves but what
we see is not exactly our reality. Mirror can be cracked even with a small pushes and pulls, and so is the
life of women/girls. Mirror gets hanged wherever a man likes same is the life of women/girls. It is never
free and independent. Moreover, their desires and willingness are never welcomed and respected in
patriarchal society. Therefore the metaphorical use of glass has covered lots of things of Santu’s life in the
story.
The waves and storms of Santu’s life are explored in detail. While taking data about elderly period;
expectations and desires, her childhood, youths and adulthood are also examined critically. Her love,
tragedy, experience of life, children and grandchildren are also served in a fascinating way in a faithful
Narrative is the means through which we integrate experience to explain how we have remained the same
or changed throughout our life (Trahar & Yu, 2015). It means it is used to capture the personal and human
dimensions of experience over time. Human subjects have lots of incidents and experiences through
which they have come to the present and set their future from generation to generation. With lots of ups
and downs in search of passion of life a person faces sweet and bitter experiences amid of several
fluctuations; that is the actual meaning life. This life story can be valuable and meaningful for some
readers/listeners. So, a narrative inquirer should search and explore such experiences and present in a
beautiful language without killing the spirit of the narration and feeling of the informants.
In search of the condition and expectation of the elderly people towards their children, I met Santu in
Kathmandu. While taking a phenomenological data about her life condition, expectation and desires
towards her children in her old age, she became excited to explore her life story. My meeting,
communication skill and passion to listen her story encouraged her to explore more about herself.
Believing Santu a representative elderly character of our society, I felt, the parts of the stories are worthy
to unlock to the readers/listeners through journal article. So, I started preparing her life story through
narrative inquiry under phenomenological approach.
Santu’s life story is metaphorically compared to the mirror and mirror image; we see ourselves but what
we see is not exactly our reality. Mirror can be cracked even with a small pushes and pulls, and so is the
life of women/girls. Mirror gets hanged wherever a man likes same is the life of women/girls. It is never
free and independent. Moreover, their desires and willingness are never welcomed and respected in
patriarchal society. Therefore the metaphorical use of glass has covered lots of things of Santu’s life in the
story.
The waves and storms of Santu’s life are explored in detail. While taking data about elderly period;
expectations and desires, her childhood, youths and adulthood are also examined critically. Her love,
tragedy, experience of life, children and grandchildren are also served in a fascinating way in a faithful
order. Finally her experience of life as a female is presented emphatically in a poetic language in the
concluding section.

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Author Biography

Man Bahadur Khatri

Faculty Member of English Education Department, Tribhuvan University, Sanothimi
Campus, Bhaktapur, Nepal

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Published
2015-08-31
How to Cite
Khatri, M. B. (2015). LIFE STORY OF SANTU: A NARRATIVE INQUIRY. IJRDO-Journal of Applied Science, 1(3), 01-11. https://doi.org/10.53555/as.v1i3.2312