Volume II Issue I, April 2014

ISSN 2321 - 7065

CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF PREETI SHENOYS

"LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT"
Dr. Rupakshi Bagga
Associate Prof. In English
D.A.V College, Hoshiarpur.

'Life is what you make it' is a fiction written by Preeti Shenoy a

blooming author. She has also written for different publications like 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 book Life is what you make it 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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'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.
This is frightening, this world without words, this world of darkness
and void. I don't want to be here anymore. I want to make it stop....... To be
trapped like this in ones own body is a fate worse than death. With death, at
least there is an end. Here, the suffering is 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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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.
"Life is a gift Ankita. We should not throw it away. You have no right to
kill others. Then how can you have a right to kill yourself'?"
After that Ankita did not succumb to her destiny she fought back.
"Life was indeed unpredictable and it was true that it could take a
sudden expected turn".
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 affected and societys behaviour towards them. These people are also
human beings; they also require love and compassion like any other individual.

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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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