CHANGING IMAGE OF WOMEN IN SELECTED INDIAN ENGLISH NOVELS CHAPTER NO: 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Transcription

1 CHANGING IMAGE OF WOMEN IN SELECTED INDIAN ENGLISH NOVELS CHAPTER NO: 2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE CONTENTS 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Contribution of Indian English Women Novelists 2.3 Review of Literature on Anita Desai 2.4 Review of Literature on Shashi Deshpande 2.5 Review of Literature on Manju Kapur 2.6 Review of Literature of other Indian Novelist 2.6 Conclusion

2 2.1 INTRODUCTION India is a male dominated country. Women have a second place in the society and at home. The women who are supposed to the instrument in the hands of male, the conditions are changing rapidly. The role of Indian woman has changed like their country. The Country has passed from glorious past to degeneration and from captivity to independence. Women are not Devdasi but a deity, they are not Abala but Shakti, and they are not home bound creature but a professional. The work of Indian women writers has been undervalued. Literature in India has flourished after independence. Women novelists have transmitted their experiences through their writing. It has given new dimensions to the Indian literature. Indian literature gifted several talented women novelists who presented the Indian version of such a books and that too within the limits of dignity and decency. Women writers comprise sizeable segment Indo- English writers. Most of the women writers belong to the high class society. Chaman Nahal writes: Both the awareness of woman s position in society as one of disadvantage or in generality compared with that of man and also a desire to remove those is advantages. 1 Indian woman writers had started questioning against the prominent domination. Now they are not the puppet of man s hand. Women writers depict the suffering of frustrated women. They give the voice to the voiceless women and their issues. Patricia Meyer comments, There seems to be something that we call a women s point of view on outlook sufficiently distinct to be recognizable through the countries. 2 The women writers deal with the women s issues. They give the voice to the voiceless woman through her novels. Their work presents the struggle, suffering, identity crisis, rebellion and protest, man-woman, relationship child marriage, alienation and loneliness. Kamala Markandya depicted Rukmini in The Nector in the Seive, as a picture of suffering and sacrifice, steeped in love and faith in the background of rural India. Attia Hussain s Sunlight on Broken Column (1961) is a story of Laila, a young growing up girl against the background of

3 disintegrating family of political upheaval of pre- partition days. Anita Desais Cry, the Peacock (1963) presents the disintegration of Maya under variety of pressures. Nayantara Sahgal in her novel This Time of Morning explores the traditional narrow- minded Indian society which imposes arranged marriages. The women novelists in 1970 s present a new dynamic Indian woman. Ruth Prawar Jhabvala s Heat and Dust (1975) was awarded the Booker prize. Kamala Markandya s Two Virgins (1973) is good example female protagonist s struggle for control over their lives. Rama Mehta s Inside the Haveli (1977) and Geeta Hariharan s The Thousand Faces of Night won the Commonwealth Writers Prize for best first novel. Her novels highlight an educated woman s quest for root. The 1980 s saw a maturity in the use of language, style and technique. Women novelists of the 80 s and 90 s portray women characters in search of self-fulfillment. Shashi Deshpande and Anita Desai both write about middle class family. Anita Desai projects the alienation and identity crisis of male dominated female character. Nanda Kaul is the best example of alienated woman from Anita Desai s Fire on the Mountain. The 1990 s women novelists present today are women of Modern India and leaves it to gauge whether the status of woman has undergone any change for the better of for the worse. These writers do not carry colonial baggage with them but show refreshing and different face of contemporary India. The 1990 s novels centered on female and their awareness of what it entails to be a woman in a male centered traditional society. Manju Kapurs Difficult Daughters (1998) follow the journey of Ida who traces the life of her mother Virmati and grandmother Kusturi. Shashi Deshpande presents an educated woman in her A Matter of Time. The recent 2000 s novels are about representations of middle class women who have a career and a development of feminine sensibility beyond being feminist. While concluding one can say that there is a change in the condition of female status in the course of time. Women s didn t talk about their suffering and bear silently their suffering without complaining. But in the course of time the situations have compelled women come out of the house, start doing job and revolt against male dominated society. Women writer gives the effective response to the voice of women.

4 2.2 CONTRIBUTION OF INDIAN ENGLISH WOMEN NOVELISTS Fiction by women writers provides insights and understanding. There has been a growing interest on women s issue and women writer focus on those issues. There is a great change in the image of women presented in literature in general and fiction in particular in the last four decades. From sacrificing women to their search of identity is a great move of the women writers. Women writers have moved from traditional portrayal of enduring selfsacrificing women, towards conflicts, female characters searching for identity: no longer characterized and defined simply in terms of their victim status. Women novelists have developed their own style which expresses famine sensibility. Each one of them has her own world experiences, her own way of looking at things and her own way of character portrayal. One point is common in them. They show keen sense of the awareness of social change. Indian writing has been broadly divided in to two categories- the Pre Independence and Post Independence groups of writing. The women writers in Pre Independence era, Toru Datt, Sarogini Naidu were the pathfinder and made way and inspired the new generation of men and women writers. There is galaxy of women writers who had contributed to the development of literature from Post Independence era. List of women novelists comprises Kamala Markandaya, Ruth P. Jabvala, Attia Hossain, Anita Desai, Nayantara Saghal, Kamla Das, Shashi deshpande, Bharati Mukherjee, Prema Nandkumar, Shobha De, Arundhati Roy, Kiran Desai, Gauri Deshpoande, Namita Gokhle, Indira Goswami, Nargis Dalal and many other female novelist have left their imprint on the readers. Indian writing in English especially Indian English poetry started with authors like Sarojini Naidu. She charmed the readers with her writing. Kamala Das, Anita Desai, Kamala Markandaya and many other female novelists use feminism as the theme of their writing. These writers captured the spirit of Indian culture and its traditional values. During the 1990 s India become popular literary nation and many women authors made their contribution in this era. Most of the women writers are known for their realistic and bold views. Women writers Kamala

5 Markandaya, Shashi Deshpande, Anita Desai deals with the problems and issues faced by the women in their book. Kamala Markandaya, a prolific and talented novelist. She was born in She draws her canvas on changing socio- economic scene. Markandaya s novel presents women from the first to last who proves them, to be as resistant and resourceful. One of the features of her novel is the positive attitude of female character. She has handled different themes in her novels. Her Nector in A Seive (1954) on the theme of hunger, A Silence of Desire (1960) on love and class conflict, A Handful of Rice (1966) on love and poverty in poor segments in Calcutta society, The coffer Dams (1969) on the predicament of migrants caused by dam construction, The Nowhere man (1972) an immigrant Asian; two virgin of conflict between parents and children and The Golden Honey Comb (1977) on East- West dichotomy. She is the novelists of social and cultural. Another women writer Ruth P. Jhabvala, a German architect, occupies a unique position in Indian English novel. Her six novels deal with the middle class family of Delhi. She is mainly concerned with the family life, the personal relationship and the social problems. Political issues come up only when her characters and their turmoil have any relation to it. She has written about personal relationship and domestic life in her novels- To Whom She Will (1955), The Nature of Passion (1956), Esmond in India (1958), The House Holder (1960), Get Ready for Battle ((1962), A Backward Place (1965), A New Dominion (1972), Heat and Dust (1975), and My Nine Lives: Chapter on A Possible Past (2004) and several collections of short stories- An experience of India (1967), Like Birds, Like Fishes (1963) and A Stronger Climate(1963). She takes an amused look at arranged marriages. She observes the metro politician variegated life in Delhi in her novels, To Whom She Will and The Nature of Passion with an objectivity which made K.R. Iyengar rightly remarks her novels, Exquisite comedies of urban middle class life in the nineteen- fifties and sixties 3 She is a keen and minute observer of Indian scene and character. She exposes the foibles and eccentricities of her characters in a humorous and ironic manner. Endowed with a

6 feeling for compassion she humanizes even the most ironic situations or the most satiric portraits. Attia Hossain s Sunlight on A Broken Column (1960) is a novel which deals with a young woman s personal crisis. It is set against the larger historical background of the independence movement in India. It is a story of Laila s revolt against the joint family system. Anita Desai is one of the celebrated Indian fiction writers. For three times she was shortlisted for the Booker prize. She holds unique place among novelists of India. She is the recorder of dilemma faced by a person in Indian urban setup. In her career as a novelist she has published ten novels and other literary work. In her novels female character play important role. Her female characters are rebellious and rebel against the traditions. Her female characters are sensitive and as a consequence, they are unwilling to adjust with the reality. Anita Desai is not believer of feminist movements. She makes it clear that her interest is with individual man and woman, only the individual, the solitary being, is of true interest. One must be alone, silent, in order to think or contemplate or write. She introduces a new age of psychological realism in her novel Cry, the Peacock (1963). Anita Desai like Kamala Markandaya has made human relationship as a central of her fictional subject. She is mainly concerned with the journey within her characters, the main protagonist being a female character. Anita Desai s novels present the agony of existence in a male dominated society. In her novel the struggle of the protagonist, as heroic attempt finally brings glory to the individual and add dignity to the spirit of freedom. K.R.S. Iyengar has described it,.the exploration of sensibility the particular kind of Indian sensibility that is ill at ease among barbarians and the philistines, the anarchists and the moralists. 4 Her most notable novels are- Cry, the Peacock (1963), Voices in the City (1963), Bye-Bye Blackbard (1971), Where shall We Go This Summer (1975), Fire on the Mountain (1977), Clear Light of Day (1980), The Village by the Sea (1982), and the Zigzag Way (2004). Iyengar calls her,

7 An original talent that has the courage to go its own way 5 As a novelist she is an innovator. She is more concerned in depicting the mental rather than the physical experience of her characters, mental anguish rather than pang of hunger. Another well known novelist belonging to the same category is Nayantara Sehgal who wrote novels mostly concerned with the political affairs and its impact on human existence, rampant corruption and values in the state of political chaos in her novel. Her novels take a stand against the vital relationship like marriage going sterile. She was the first female Indo-Asian writer who receives wide recognition. Her major works are-a Time to be Happy (1957), The Time of Morning (1965), Storm in Chandigrah (1969), The Day in Shadow (1971), A New Situation in New Delhi (1977) and Rich like Us (1985) and Non-Fiction Prison and Chocolate Cake and From Fear Set Free. Her feelings for politics and her command over English are rather more impressive than her art as a novelist. Nayantara Sehgal and Ruth Prawar Jhanwala both have explored different dimensions of marriage in India. Sehgal strikes a strong key-note in showing her female characters breaking away from unhappy marriages. She takes a look at arranged marriage in India. Her female characters opt out of it and find fulfillment in extra marital relationship. Sehgal s novels make a strong plea for women to have an equal opportunities to find fulfillment. Though contemporary, Anita Desai and Sehal are virtual contrasts on the portrayal of female character and their attitude of marriage. Anita Desai s female characters desperately struggle to make their marriages a success; however unfulfilling they may be Sehgal s heroines opt out of it. Another female writer in Indian English literature is Santha Rama Rau, a widely travelled writer has written two novels. Remember the House (1956), and The Adventures (1970) and some travelogues- Home to India, My Russian Journey, and Gifts of Passages. Her knowledge of men, manners and human nature is superb. She also indulges in self-exploration. Her travelogue and novels are autobiographical. Her command over English is immaculate. Her writing has an ease and urbanity appropriate to the theme. Another prominent women writer in English literature is Kamala Das. She is a poet, novelists and prose writer. Kamala Das, the controversial writer who had her feet firmly on the

8 ground and could get to the brass tacks in no time at all. She has written her autobiography entitled My Story (1976) and two novels Alphabet of Lust (1980) and Doll for the Child Prostitute. Like her autobiography My Story, the theme of these novels is her heroic struggle for liberation and search for identity. Mansi and Rukamini, the protagonist in her two novels respectively, discard all barriers, inhabitations, moral and social codes, which hinder their quest for rebellion and search for identity. She was conferred Kent Award for Asian English writing, Vayalar Awards for literature and Ezthuthachan Award for her outstanding contribution to literature and language. Another most important woman novelist is Shashi Deshpande. She started writing for national such as Femina and Eve s and then works for more serious literature oriented magazines such as The Illustrated Weekly of India, The Junior Statesman and so on. She thinks that for her writing is a gift, sometimes like a fountain. According to her, writing is more like a patchwork quilt. She has written numbers of novels. Her first novel The Dark Holds No Terrors (1980) presents an upsurge of feminine rebellion against social conventions and parental authority through the character of Sarita. Her novel Roots and Shadow (1983) won the Thirumathi Rangmal Awards. That Long Silence (1988) brought her into limelight. The quest for identity is the theme of this novel. She has awarded the Sahitya Academy Award for this novel. Her other novels The Binding Vine (1992), A Matter of Time (1998), Small Remedies (2000) have been highly admired and reviewed by the reader. Her latest novel Moving On (2004) is a novel on Indian life. Bharathi Mukherjee s work focuses on the issue of migration, immigrants and feeling of alienation experienced by expectation as well as Indian women and their struggle. Bharthi Mukherjee, a celebrated novelist, has written The Tigers Daughter (1971). It is a story about a young girl named Tara. She ventures back to India. Her other novels Wife (1975), Darkness (1985) is a collection of short stories, the middleman and other stories (1988), Jasmine (1989), The Holder of the World (1993), Leave It To Me (1997), and Kautilaya s Concept of Diplomacy (1976).

9 Her novels and short stories reveal her experiences as an expatriate. They reflect the trauma of an uprooted identity. As Mukherjee grows mature she shows a distinct shift towards assimilation and acceptance. She is a writer of consummate skill. Another writer in Indian English literature Shobha De, a staunch exponent of women empowerment, recognizes the displacement and marginalization of women in India. Shobha De, al writer, a model and a columnist. She is a very successful novelist. In her novels- Socialite Evening (1989), Starry Nights (1991), Sisters (1992) Strange Obsession (1992), Sultry Boys (1994), and Snapshots (1995) she attempts to shatter patriarchal hegemony. She has feeling of empathy for the women who have forsaken domesticity and marriage to assert their identity. She is a modern novelist who emerges as the spokesman of the urban in her novels. Sudha Murthy is a novelist who has shouldered many responsibilities. She is the heads Infosys Foundation. She is also an engineer, a teacher, writer, mother and wife. She is an idol for the female to come in the field of writing. Arundhati Roy, the other famous and renowned writer, essayist, activist. She is the author of the famous novel The God of Small Things (1997). She won a Man Booker Prize 1997 and Sydney Peace Prize Roy is the first Indian author and the first Indian woman to have own Man Booker prize. Earlier Roy worked for television and movies. She wrote for movies and for screen plays. After the success of her novel Roy has written television serials, the Banyan Tree. She has also written essays. Manju Kapur is another notable novelist. She is a professor of English at Miranda House in Delhi. She speaks for middle class. Difficult Daughters is her first novel appeared in The novel received the common wealth prize. Her second novel A Married Woman is her second novel. It is a seductive story of a love at a time of political and religious upheaval. It is told with sympathy and intelligence. It is the story of an artist whose canvas challenges the constraints of middle class existence. Manju Kapur describes through her protagonist.

10 A woman should be aware of self-controlled, strong willed, self-reliant and rational, having faith in the inner strength of womanhood A meaningful change can be brought only from within by being free in the deeper psychic sense. 6 Inter caste marriage, family bond; male-female bond and co-existence of past and present are some of the important issues handled by Manju Kapur in her novels. She has narrated her women protagonist as a victim of biology, gender, domestic violence and circumstances. She has written only five novels. Difficult Daughters (1998), A Married Women (2003), The Immigrant (2008), Home (2006) and Custody (2011). Kapur thinks that, there is a man within every woman and a woman in every man. When, manhood is questioned womanhood is fragmented. The latest modern novelist of Indian English literature is Kiran Desai. She is a daughter of well known writer Anita Desai. She is a citizen of India. She has her permanent resident of the USA. Her first novel, Hullaabaloo (1998) is a remarkable novel. It received accolades from such notable figures as Salman Rushdie. Her second novel is Inheritance of Loss (2006). It won the Booker Prize and National Book Critic Circle fiction Award. Kiran Desai is a modern writer and has handled several major issues of modern civilization. While talking about The Inheritance of Loss Dr. Shubha Mukherjee remarks, Kiran Deasi s The Inheritance of Loss presents the picture of globalised India the characters like Jamubhaipatel, Mrs and Mr Mistry, Sai, Biju Nonita and Lolota are affected by globalization. As intelligent writer and careful observer of human behavior, Kiran Deasi fulfils the responsibility of writing about current sensational issues. 7 Salman Rushdie has called about her,

11 Hybridity, impurity, inter mingling, the transformation that comes of new and unexpected combination of human beings, cultures, ideas, politics, movies and songs. 8 Instead of those all important writers there are also another few writers in Indian English literature. Prema Nandkumar s Atom and Serpent (1982) is a novel as a campus life in India. Namita Gokhale s Paro: Dream of Passions is an autobiographical novel in which novelist identify herself with Paro and Priya Sharma. Bapsi Sidhwa, who grew up in pre-partition Lahore is a Pubjabi- Parsi-Pakistani writer of eminence. Her famous novel The Ice Candy Man is a fine novel. Rama Mehta is also a notable novelist. Her Inside the Haveli is women centered novel. The above study shows the richness of Indian women writers. They are not less important than male writers. They have handled different subjects in their writing. No doubt they have struggled more to achieve their goal. They have given up from difficult to tribal and rural areas too, but all of them have expressed their concern for women and their problem. Authors like Anita Desai, Kamala Markandaya, Shashi Deshpande, Manju Kapur have chosen the problems and issues faced by women in today s male dominated world as the main theme of their books. The women novelists try to create awareness that this is the time to proclaim with definite precision. In India, the women writers are doing very well and their contribution is immense. Majority of the Indian readers comprising both male and female read the novels of the Indian women authors with certain expectation.

12 2.3 REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON ANITA DESAI S WORK Anita Muzumdar Desai is a daughter of German mother and Bengali Businessman grew up during world War second. Desai is a novelist, short story writer and also wrote for children. She starts writing earlier in her life and published her first book at the age of nine. Her literary career is very vast. She has written number of novels. Cry, the Peacock her first novel was published in Clear Light of the Day (1980) is autobiographical work. For three times she was short listed for Booker prize. Fire on the Mountain won the Sahitya Akademi Award. She is a feminist writer. She gives a voice to the silence of women through her novels. Her most protagonists are alienated from the human world. She presents the fine portrayal of feminine sensibility. The motivations, the consciousness and feminine psyche are Desai s main themes. She is a versatile writer. She got a literary invironment in the house only. Feministic approch pof her writing is a concern of her towards the female in India. Though she is a daughter of german mother she most of the novel are about Indian culture. She becomes the voice of suppressed and oppressed women in India. This is the short review of her literary work. Babita, (2012), the article, Sociological Critique in Anita Desai s Novel Cry, the Peacock, thinks that the novel is sociological novel. The writer rightly comments that Desai s novels are sensitive portrayal of inner life of women. Desai tries to express middle class women s condition in patriarchal Indian society. How women are marginalised due to lack of understanding and false profacy. Impact of false profacy we see all over the novel. It explores tension between members of family and lonely middle class Indian women. Love and understanding is important between husband and wife to make life happy. This novel focuses on the man woman relationship. 9 Roy, (1995), in the article Sense and Sensibility of Women Characters in the novels of Anita Desai focuses on the female characters. Anita Desai is safely conscious of her role as a woman writer and has tried best too maintaining the tradition for women writers. The writer thinks that Anita Desai is primarily a novelist of inner weather as she has the capacity to present the ability to evolve the changing moods, the ebb and flow of emotion, the flux of thought and

13 mysterious working of the human mind, perceiving and responding to reality. She has a rare sensitivity that enables her to explore the consciousness of her characters. 10 Shresh, (2011), in his research article, Various Types of Narrator in the Selected Novels of Anita Desai presents how a writer s choice of narrator is crucial for the way a fiction work is predicted by the reader. Critics have for a long distinguished between author and the narrator. It is also noticed that the narrator does not always address the reader but may address person or persons in the novel itself. The present article tries to focus on the fact that in the writings of Anita Desai, there is a combination of all three types of narration. And to justify this point, the article discusses the different methods of narration in the selected works of Anita Desai. At the same time, we have also explored various types of narrators and their implications in various types of literary works. 11 Shresth, (2011), in the article, Packaging the story: A study of Anita Desai s Cry, the Peacock and Fire on the Mountain, discusses a ways that help to the novelist and reader to explain their story. The article focuses on how Anita Desai enriches the novels and lifts it above the mere narration of a story. The aspects of theme and technique used in her novels are not isolated elements. But by thought she expresses isolated women s suffering in her novels. She uses characters, dialogues and other elements to convey the plot. 12 Padmavati, (2014), in the article, Voice of the Silence in the Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai, deals with the story of Nanda Kaul protagonist of novel. Anita Desai s many characters live in silence due to marital disharmony, is her favorite premise to voice for the womanhood. Anita Desai describes an isolated women s suffering because of her unfaithful husband and uncaring children in Fire on the Mountain. She has preseented the voice of silence in her novels. Nanda, Baka, Ill Das are the silent sufferer in this novel. Nanda is unhappy because of unfaithfulness of her husband and her aliented childrens. Raka is unhappy because of problem within their parents. Ill is unhappy because she is jobless and she has a responsibility of her parents. 13 Reddy and Rath, (2013), in the article, Existentialism in the Women Characters of Anita Desai s Fire on the Mountain focus on the isolated woman s worst suffering. This novel brings out the existential angst and the utter fatalism as reflected in challenged life of the protagonist

14 Nanda Kaul. This wonderful novel describes the tale of tragic dilemma, of the sensitive portrayal of the personal struggles of middle class woman in the contemporary India. This novel creates a question of existentialism of women in our society. Woman can t think her life without husband and children but those dear peoples makes her condition critical. Woman worships her husband as a god but for husband she is mere footwear for him. Man made her condition like a fish in a water, she has to live in a family but she has to need of husband to take a breath and if she is throughen out of water she can t remain alive. Sharma, (2013), in the article, Anita Desai s Cry, the Peacock: A Manifesto of Female Predicament, is about the problem faced by women in the male dominated Indian society. Anita Desai s novel manifestoes on female predicament. The protagonist of the novel leads her life unhappy without expressing her wishes. She expreees her feelings to her pet but didn t her husband. She goes under nurotic condition and become a murderer of her husband and meets her death. This article focuses on the realistic condition of women in Indian society. She presents the suffering class of women at the hands of men. 15 Thakur, (2012), in the article, The Concept of Man Woman Relationship in Cry, the Peacock, deals with the issue of Man-Woman relationship presented in her novel. She describes the plight of woman in the existing traditional society. This article specially focuses on man woman relation between Maya and Gautama in Cry, the peacock. Maya is a sensitive woman. She is childless mother and motherless child also. When she was small her mother died. Her father keep her like a prince but marriage with double aged person and lack of fullfillment of her emotional and sexual desires, drove her towards her death. Maya and Gautama both are contrast in nature. Maya is highly emotional and Gautama totally contrasts to her. Article concludes on the point that Anita Desai deals with complexity of human relationship. 16 Sharma, in the article, (2013), Marital Discard in Anita Desai s Novel, comment on the theme of marital discard presented by Desai. She says that Desai revails women psyche in most of her novels. In Indian society women mostly suffer due to the marital disharmony and mentality of men. Feminist writer Desai in her first novel cry, the Peacock discloses Maya s suffering because of lack of understanding. Depression, lack of worth while time, isolation, lack of communication, domestic violence etc are the some points which creat a discord in married 14

15 life. Sita in Where Shall We Go This Summer living together for twenty years and having four children spend very little time together. The protagonist Maya, Sita, Sarita, Monisha, each yearn for love and understanding but tragedy is that all four are unlucky. The article concludes by giving the key for successful marriage. 17 Rana and Beniwal, (2012), in the article, Contemporary Women Writers and the Problematic of the Nation rightly comment that the intellectual tranjectory of female aesthetics has taken a turn, from a concentration on women s literary subordination and exclusion to women s separate literary tradition. The condition of Nation during the time of dependence and condition of woman in society is not different than each other. The writers think that a closer look is required at the negotiations of women writers with bigger subjects like nation and its politics in the creative and critical field of English writing in India. 18 Singh and Singh,(2012), in their article, Feminism Voice in Anita Desai and Other Indian Writers says that Anita Desai does not deal with such a problem which totally the preview of a feminist thinker. There lies a deeper distinction between feminine sensibility does not hesitate to pin point the equal responsibility of female character. While a feminist tries to see only the suppression, oppression cruelties and injustices did to the woman kind in the past and he links these phenomena with the present. Desai does not follow this kind of ideology in her fictional word. Through novels, Anita Desai and other Indian women writers try to depict feminine sensibility in their writing. 19 Dhaliwal, (2012), in the article, Feminism in Anita Desai s Cry, the Peacock talk about Desai s feminism. Maya the central character is the victim of lack of understanding by her husband and her termoile is expressed by Anita Desai. Man- woman relationship depends upon matual understanding. Cry, the Peacock is a unique example of the feminist point of view. With the help of man woman relationship Deshpande reveals the inner suffering of Maya. Maya is the representaive of female in male dominated society. The writer concludes the articles with the point that an understanding of the male-dominated world its discourse, institutions and practices and culture is a precondition of women s libration. 20 Anand and Prasad, (2009), in the article, The Feminine Anguish in Cry, the Peacock is about the Anita Desai s genuine feminine anguish in, Cry, the Peacock. Writer tries to focus on

16 the Maya s inner suffering due to lack of understanding of her husband. The nurotic condition of Maya leads her towards death. Maya is turn between her love for life and fear of death. She can t sleep at night. Matual understanding is most important in the life of couple. Maya wants love, a sexual love emotionations but she can t express verbally and whenever she tries to indicate he can t understand. She remains unhappy till death. The article concludes at the point that key to understanding Maya s understanding lies in comprehending her divided self. 21 Chitra, (2010), The Enigmatic Maya in Anita Desai s Cry, the Peacock, tries to focus on a different angel of Cry, the Peacock. Writer also discusses on dimentions of Anita Desai s writing, her femine sensiblilty, psychological exploratio of women characters. It also deals with the inner srtuggle of Maya because of perdictions of Albino Astrologer. It is Maya, who brought prophecy in truth. Effect of prophecy was seen deeply on the life of maya throughout the novel. She is under the pressure of that and that s why she sees shadows on the window panes. One more issue disscussed in this article is that communication gap between husband and wife and father daughter relationship. 22 Chatttergy and etal. (2013), in the article, Against the Current: Ila Das as a new woman in Anita Desai s Fire on the Mountain presents the face of new woman in modern India. We had seen the contrast image in the same novel. Nanda Kaul was a bearable woman who remained under the torture of her husband but at the same time Ila Das was a new who questioned to the patriarchal norms. Fought for financial, social, educational and for sexual right also. The period where the changes started to take place are realistically presented by Desai in her novel fire on the mountain. There is hope foe women. The writer gives different examples all over the world. Anita Desai s first novel Cry the Peacock presents the neurotic woman who become the killer of her husband and commit suicide. Anita Desai feministic writer realistically become the innovetor of the Indian middle class women. 23

17 2.4. REVIEW ON SHASHI DESHPANDE S WORK Shashi Deshpande is another important Indian English novelist. She has emerged as a strong new voice in the field of fiction by women writer. She has started her career with publication of short stories. She gives importance to human relationships. Shashi Deshpande is humanist rather than to be called a feminist has manifested her ideology of a librated woman in English literature through her characters in the novels Roots and Shadow, Binding Wine, The Dark Holds No Terrors, That Long Silence, A Matter of Time, Small Remedies, Moving On and in The Country of Deceit. Her depictio of woman is free from taboos, and they are strong, worthy, educated than any other society. Let s have a look at the review of literature. Singh and Yadhav, (2013), in their study, Shashi Deshpande s The Dark Holds No Terrors: Study of the Voice in the Voiceless Gender, presents the issue handled in the novel by Shashi Deshpande. The writer says that Shashi Deshpande presents the humiliation of Saru from her husband. When Saru is mere student relationship between them are intact but when she is recognized as a doctor and she become economically independent he change like a metamorphosis. She is a caring and loving husband in day and a terrible animal on the bed. The writer says that like other protagonist Saru also goes to three phases at the beginning she is an angry young woman, questioning, protesting and defying any form of domination, after marriage she become timid and following the rules of society and lastly she can attain a kind of selfhood that leads her to a more squire and independent life. The writer concludes their article by saying that the novel is not a story of mere of an oppressed woman or abusive marriage or monstrous men. 24 Singh, (2013), in the article, The Cry of Woman in Shashi Deshpande s Novels: A Voice from the Margins, focus on the agony in the mind of women protagonist in her novels. The writer focuses on her growth as a writer and her issues handled in her novels. Her novels try to show difference done in society in the male and female with reference to Saru s mother does difference in Saru and Dhurva. Another point notable in her novels are male ego, Manu and Sarita are happy still Manu was breadwinner but when Saru starts practice and recognized as a

18 doctor Manu s ego hurts and problems starts in their life. While concluding the article he says that Shashi Deshpande has given the picture of the society and not biased one. 25 Kaur, (2013), in the study, The Holds No Terrors: The Female Quest for Identity, the author depicts that Shashi Deshpande is the only writer who has written about middle class educated woman; their problems, melodies with which they suffer, in order to create their identity in the society which is governed by male. Writer focuses on the female protagonist, Saru, who become successful in creating her own identity. The novel deals with the problem faced by a career woman. This novel also deals with Saru s relationship with her parents, husband and her agonizing search. Writer focus on Saru s imaginary speech, it shows a hidden sorrow in her mind and soul. 26 Thakar, (2012), in the article, Woman Empowerment in The Dark Holds No Terrors, comments on the crucial point which supports to the protagonist, Sarita. According to writer empowerment means the manifestation of redistribution of power that challenges patriarchal ideology and the male domination. According to write a freedom given to choose life partner to woman leads towards the women empowerment. In the point of view of author that Shashi Deshpande s novels doesn t escape from reality but they fight against the social injustice done by them. Saru, who struggles with her emotion and anxiety as she had overcome her husband in always? Shashi Deshpande s protagonists didn t remain a puppet in the hands of male. 27 Mulimani, (2014), in the article, Women, Nation and Identity in Shashi Deshpande s short stories, gives the brief introduction about Shashi Deshpande s short stories. Shashi Deshpande, a daughter of Adya Rangachar Sriranga, a Burnard Shaw of the Kannada Theatre. She has started her literary carrier by short stories. Writer has given the introduction of her literary carrier. The writer says that her short stories are about women and their identity. Writer concludes on the point that, the author seeks to explore women ideology in society. 28 Vimla, (2012), in the article, The Female Protagonist of Shashi Deshpande s Novels, deals with the various female characters in the novels of Shashi Deshpande. Writer highlights that Shashi Deshpade s female protagonists are independent. She presents the suffering of woman through the protagonists. Saru Sum, are the victims of male dominated society. While summing up the writer says that Shashi Deshpande is a feminist and humanistic. 29

19 Saluja, (2012), in the article, Shashi Deshpande s A Matter of Time A Saga of Silent Suffering women presents the life of three generations women and their suffering. In this novel mother and daughter Kalyani and Sumi deserted by their husband suffers silently. Kalyani remains silent and lives with her husband still death but her daughter removes her husband free and becomes independent. Manorama, Kalyani and sumi are the silent sufferers in this novel and sumi s daughter being a representative of young generation reacts to different situations in their life. Writer point out the most notable silent6 suffer in the novel is Kalyani. She spends 35 years of her life in silence. Concluding the article writer gives the hopes in a matter of time the world would change and women would find a space for themselves in the society. 30 Kaur, (2013), in the article, Feminine Consciousness: The Image of Women in shashi Deshpande s A Matter of Time, presents the realistic image in the society through protagonists of her novels. Shashi Deshpande is an acknowledged master at expressing the anguish and frustration of women. The image of Maorama emerges as a cruel, insecure and selfish who is responsible for ruining of her daughter Kalyani s future. Kalyani emerges out of her victimization as whole and intact. Sumi becomes aware of her strength being left by her husband and becomes independent. And the representative of fourth generation Aru revolt against patriarchal society. Writer aptly concludes through the process of self evaluation, courage and determination that one can change the situation from despair to hope. 31 Gupta, (2012), in the article, A Matter of Time: The Quest for Female Identity, comments on the theme discussed in a novel, A Matter of Time by Shashi Deshpande. Most important discussed issue is the quest for female identity. Writer highlights Shashi Deshpande s writing in the point of view of feministic writer. She is a feminist and takes for the study the issue and problems of contemporary middle class woman. In A Matter of Time, she has presented a protagonist Sumi and her quest for identity. Being a deserted she can t become frustrated but she becomes independent. She started doing job and improves her writing skill. Instead of cursing, she made herself independent. Kalyani, Sumi, Aru are the women who seeks for identity. Writer is quite right Shashi Deshpande s characters struggle to redefine their role and identity in light of feminist theories. 32 Ramnavmiwale, (2009), in the article, Identity Crisis in The Dark Holds No Terrors, describes the problems of Saru. Saru go through four phases in her life. She faces so many

20 hurdles in her smooth path. The first person narration of the story helps her to give the authentic record of the injustice done to Saru. She faces problem physically as well as mentally. The writer tries to disclose the problems faced by Sarita. Shashi Deshpande tries to focus the men s mentality towards their wives. In patriarchal society man can t bear the success of his wife, it hurts his ego and creates problems in married life like Manohar. 33 Gandhi, (2011), in the article, The Role of Women in Shashi Deshpande s The Dark Holds No Terrors, is about the agony of Saru who feels like a trapped animal by her own guilty feelings. She feels guilty for her brother s death, her husband s sadism and mother s early death. The writer shows different qualities within Saru. Saru being a doctor, she is also a good mother, wife and daughter also. She suffers lot in her relationship of as a daughter and a wife but she supposes guilty herself. She tries to search solution on her problems. Finally she realizes that solution is within problems. Instead of going away from problems she decides to tackle by her own. The writer aptly says that, the image of woman in Indio- English novels is based on the traditional ancient literature of India, which showed woman as a devoted wife or a devoted mother. 34 Dr. Kayva, B. (2012), in her book, Search for Identity in Shashi Deshpande s That Long Silence, The Dark Holds No Terrors, and Roots and Shadows tries to examine self identity in the novels written by Shashi Deshpande. Women in the 1980 are become aware about their suffering and leads toward the change. They know that the road they choosen is not easy but they accept it fight for their right. Saru becomes a successful doctor but she has to face so many problems. The writer rightly thinks that Shashi Deshpande is light of female assertion. 35 Bachchan,(2013), in the article, Man-Woman Relationship in Shashi Deshpande s Novel comment on man woman relationship. He criticizes on the marital relation between husband and wife. The writer gives the examples of Sarita, Indu, Jaya, Urmila, Sumi and Madhu all these are the female protagonists which are humiliated from the male in the different novels of Shashi Deshpande. Focusing on the marital relations she seeks to explore the tradition in which woman is supposed to play her role as a subservient in the family. They suppose women as a sex object rather than a human being. 36

21 Dr. Rathee, (2012), in the article, Image of Woman in Media and Literature examines the image of woman in Kapur s Difficult Daughters and Mukherjee s Desirable Daughters and also the role of media and brings the reader into contact with a very wide and divergent spectrum of a new women emerging in the midst of complexities and contradiction of neo liberalization era. In Difficult Daughter and Desirable Daughters, the reader is able to analyze and interpret the respective journey of women characters in the context of broader colonial, patriarchal and neo imperialistic oppression and suppression. 37 Devi, and Mahalakshmi, (2012), in the article, Depiction of Women in Shashi Deshpande and Shobha De s Works: A Contrastive Study, says that, Shashi Deshpande depicts her woman of the modern industrial age, who wants to achieve individuation and authentic selfidentity without changing the culture and tradition of society. Shobha De has successfully depicted her woman characters as an individual with freedom of choices. She has projected the urges and desires of the upper class house wives who refuse to be suffocated by their environments. This paper has made an attempt to depict how the attitudes and behavior of women differs according to the society; she belongs to; by highlighting the work of Shashi Deshpande and Shobha De. Women writers in English present an insight and understand the dilemma which modern women are facing in a traditional society, where dual morality is accepted norm. 38 Usha, (2013), in her article, The of Hope and Development in Shashi Deshpande s A Matter of Time, show that how marriage is the major theme of this novel. In this novel, Deshpande depicts the subtle process of oppression at work in marriage. The protagonists of her earlier novels cannot think of themselves outside marriage. Sumi, the protagonist of the present novel, finds her unperturbed in such a crisis. She manages herself admirably and becomes selfdependent. A penetrative study of the novel reveals that it raises many issues pertaining to marriage. The theme of the marriage is explored in its different forms and complexities along with the changes which are coming in this institution with the changing socio-cultural milieu. One important aspect dealt in the novel is the exploration of male psyche. 39 Jadhav and Deshmukh, (2013), in the article, Element of Modernity in Shashi Deshpande s The Dark Holds No Terrors say that Shashi Deshpande holds great worth as an

22 Indian English Woman Novelist and the only Indian author to have made bold attempts at giving at a voice to the disappointment and frustration of women. Most important element of modernity is education and Saru has accepted it and leads towards the goal. She breaks all man made boundries. She has done a iter caste marriage, becomes a successful doctor. 40 Varthini, (2013), in the article, Family, A Manacle of Female: An Appraisal aims at bringing self-determination to female from the accountabilities given to them or forced on them even by women. Shashi deshpande, an evident novelist to deal with familial life and women s predicament is taken for this assessment. The novels of Shashi Deshpande illuminate disharmony in man-woman relationship. Indian woman carried the burden of family, without minding whether the family is extended or nuclear. Shashi Deshpandes chosen novel for this evaluation is A Matter of Time, a three generation story in which Kalyani is one of the most important characters in her novels. In this paper feministic approach is applied to bring out female s pathetic condition in the particular society. Even in though in this twenty first century it seems that female are given freedom to acquire more space in all the fields like astronaut, politics and so on, they are not considered human beings. 41 Khan, (2013), in the article, In Search of True Self: a Feminist Reading of Shashi Deshpade s the Dark Holds No Terrors studies the novel in the feministic point of view. The feministic writer struggles restless to establish the self rule of women in male centric world. This novel shows how Sarita seeks a deeper understanding of her and ultimately succeds in asserting her individuality and self recognitionin a patriarchal society. How the protagonist Sarita travels through the different barricades. 42 Pawar, (2013), An Inevitable Emergence of Women Writers in Indian Writing in English comment on the contribution of women writers in India. The fiction of modern era was firstly concerned with the external aspects of society like natural and man made calamities. Male writer like Salman Rushdie, Mulk Raj Anand, Khushwant Singh all brought fabric of human relatioship. They have raised their hands for social issues. Throughing man made boundries some women writer came out and become popular by their work. They had shown they are not the instrument in the hands of man. There novelists fight for female issues. Their writing becomes a feministic study. 43

23 Pathan, Ferzana. (2014), Reverse Feminism in A Matter of Time and Ladies Coupe Literary Endeavour is a comparative study of two novels. Feminist writes about the women their issues, problems and fight for them. They are with these women who are Vitim of male mentality. But the first time the author comment on the concept of reverse feminism. Reverse feminism means behave agaist the feminism. Sumi in A Matter of Time instead of curseing choosees her own way and becomes an independent. Manorama-Vithalrao, Kalyani-Shripati and Gopal-Sumi these are the three couples in this story. Kalyani instead of talking for 35 years lives with her husband. Sumi without any fault her husband leaves her and she chooses her own way for her daughter. In Ladies Coupe Akhila leaves house to search a answer caught in her mind is Can a woman live alone in this world? This tells the torture of male on the female with the help of six female characters. 44 Irshad Md. (2012), in the article Agony of Silence: A study of Shashi Deshpande s A Matter of Time presents the silent suffering of the protagonist Sumi in a novel A Matter of Time. Shashi Deshpande has a concern about women s condition within the families in India. Gender discrimination in our patriarchal families is highlighted in this novel by Deshpande very realistically. Sumi abendened by her husband after twenty years of their marriage with three mature daughters and her inner feelings are expressed by the author. This novel explores the condition of alone women socially and economically. Deshpande comments on the mentality of people in the society towards the women. For Indian women her kumkum should be intact wheather their relationship is good or bad, he may live with her or not. She suffers lot in her life but didn t think to leave her husband. Kalyani lives for 35 years without speaking a word. Sumi has advised to go back to her husband. Deshpande s protagonists show strength and maturity in difficult situation in their life. 45