Problems and Struggle of Indian Women in the Novels of Shashi Deshpande

Authors

  • Kumari Rupa Research Scholar, University Department of English, L. N. Mithila University, Darbhanga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n03.017

Keywords:

Oppression, Conflicts, Traditional moral, Modernity, Protagonists

Abstract

This paper is the display of oppression and conflicts of women protagonist of Shashi Deshpande’s novels, in the name of traditions and modernity as well as the paper discusses about response of the protagonist to emergence of all the obstacles she faces in the modern Indian society. Also the paper discusses about their intellect and patience of the characters to deal with the problems that somehow reflects positive vibes for the women in contemporary Indian middle class society. For this article, I have taken three important novels The Dark Holds No Terrors, Roots and Shadows and That Long Silence in particular but discussed almost all the works in general.

 If I were a man and cared to know the world I lived in, I almost think it would make me a shade uneasy–the weight of that long silence of one-half of the world.”- Elizabeth Robin

 Shashi Deshpande has one of the unique ability to portray different characters from the modern urban families and she displays these characters in a very realistic manner to connect directly with the readers. Her novels firstly explore the tension, sorrow, pain, agony, struggle and deceit of the protagonist in Indian society who always oscillates between traditional moral and modernity, freedom and restrictions, freedom of sex and prestige of the society, desire and despair, orthodoxy social practices and expectations etc. But somehow the protagonists struggle and focus to get place as a good daughter, wife, and mother.

References

S.K. Gosh, Women in a Changing Society (New Delhi: Ashish Publishing House, 1984), p.30.

Shashi Deshpande, The Dilemma of a Woman Writer ed. R. K. Dhawan Set III, Vol. IV, pp. 9-11.

Shashi Deshpande, ‘Writing from the Margin and Other Essays’, New Delhi Penguin, 2003, p. 90.

Premila Paul, ‘The Dark Holds No Terror: A Woman’s search for refuge’, Indian woman novelist. Set 1. Vol. V. ed. R. K. Dhawan, New Delhi, Prestige, 1991, p. 67.

P. Spratt, Hindu Culture and Personality: A Psychoanalytic Study (Bombay: Mankatalas, 1996). P.193.

Shashi Deshpande, ‘The Dark Holds No Terror’, New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers & Distributors, 2003. P. 32.

Deshpande, Shashi, ‘That Long Silence’, New Delhi: Penguin, 1989. p.185.

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Published

14-03-2023

How to Cite

Kumari Rupa. (2023). Problems and Struggle of Indian Women in the Novels of Shashi Deshpande. RESEARCH REVIEW International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 8(3), 150–154. https://doi.org/10.31305/rrijm.2023.v08.n03.017