Gender, Performance, and Domestic Tales for Children: Some Crow and Sparrow Tales from Punjab

As A.K. Ramanujan noted, “genders are genres,” and it is women who tell children stories within domestic spaces (akam tales) in most South Asian homes. This presentation will explore not just the “telling” of magical stories that mesmerize children, but the “performing” of them. While the presentation will explore the meanings, morals, messages and symbolism embedded in the popular “crow and sparrow stories” from Punjab (a genre of domestic tales that have traction in other parts of India as well), it will also underscore the performative aspect of these stories, in particular the “formula” stories and their inherent performativity. The presentation will thereby highlight the “everyday creativity” of Punjabi women as they put their verbal skills into action.