Despite significant advancements in science and technology, society continues to be confronted with deep-rooted social inequalities such as caste discrimination, gender oppression, class hierarchies, village surveillance, control, and systemic marginalization. These realities are powerfully portrayed by the eminent Tamil writer Imayam, who emerges as an authentic voice in contemporary literature through his commitment to social realism. This article examines Imayam’s Pethavan: The Begetter, translated into English by Gita Subramanian, from ecofeminist and subaltern perspectives. The text foregrounds social realism by presenting land as a contested feminist space, exposing caste surveillance, and portraying resistance as a mode of survival. Through his unflinching depiction of lived experiences and real characters, Imayam gives narrative dignity to the marginalized. Pethavan thus becomes a powerful articulation of subaltern resistance. This article argues that Imayam’s authentic narration creates a literary space that restores marginalized voices and reaffirms literature’s role as a medium of social critique and ethical engagement.
