The present book seeks to study the feminist perspective in shashi deshpande s novels. Violence against women, whether physical, mental or emotional, is an issue that crosses all borders and all classes of women. Smart moves journal ijellh has been granted new online issn. In shashi deshpande s novels, the protagonist s growth towards an honest acknowledgement of responsibility for her own repressed state is shown in her earlier novels as well as her later novels. A matter of time reveals the hidden springs of character while painting a nuanced portrait of the difficulties and choices facing womenespecially educated, independent womenin india today. Shashi deshpandes novels contain the seed of definite quest for a true and authentic self. A study on feminism in the novels of shashi deshpande. A feminist dilemma in shashi deshpandes the dark holds no. Chapter ii life, works and shashi deshpande as a novelist. Shashi deshpandes novels to show how it allows deshpande to discover an agency. Feministic facets and quest for identity in shashi deshpande s select novels.
The protagonists quest for identity gets largely accentuated due to their frustrating experiences in the indian patriarchal society. Shashi deshpandes fiction especially from the feminist perspective. According to suman bala, shashi deshpandes novels depict the anguish, agony, and conflict of the modern, educated indian women caught between patriarchy and tradition on the one hand and selfexpression, individuality and independence on the other. Shashi deshpande s novels discuss various traditions, customs, rituals and social organizations that join hands to dominate women at various levels in our society. Books by shashi deshpande author of that long silence. By making her heroines undergo stages of self introspection and self reflection deshpande makes them evolve themselves into more liberated individuals that what their gender of culture have sanctioned.
Her novels urge us to explore and examine areas of women experience in our society, which were not. Shashi deshpande gives minute details of development of girlchild in her novels. It reveals deshpande s sincerity and ability in voicing the concerns of the urban educated middleclass woman. These novels document protagonists genuine search for love and identity as well as their need for creative expression and freedom to assert their femininity in and outside.
Pdf feminist perspective in shashi deshpandes that long. Themes in the recent novels of shashi deshpande with. The relationships, love and affection, sharing and caring, pain and suffering, everything is learnt in the family. Feminism in search of identity deshpandes candidness in expressing her feeling through her characters about the sexual relations of men and women are shockingly true and verve.
This awakening of the womans consciousness as portrayed by shashi deshpande in her novels deserves the extent of articulation of a womans point of view which needs to be assessed from a new perspective. Trapped between tradition and modernity, her sensitive heroines are fully conscious of being victims of gross gender discrimination prevalent in a. The study is based on the hypothesis that shashi despandes novel effectively depicts the class structures and communities of modern india. Reading shashi deshpandes a matter of time for the first time a few years ago, i felt the urge to read deshpandes other novels and the affair took off with such intensity that i was tempted to read all her novels that were available and her short story volumes besides the fiction written for children. Violence against women, whether physical, mental or emotional, is an issue that. Shashi deshpandes novels are an attempt to analyze the indian womens journey towards selfhood. Singh1 mata sundri college, university of delhi, india born in 1938, shashi deshpande is an indian writer, who writes primarily of man woman relationship, with a focus on shifting female responses through changing personal and. Novelist and short story writer, shashi deshpande began her career with short stories and has by now authored nine short story collections, twelve novels and four books for children. The present paper titled marital rape in shashi deshpandes fiction tries to explore the issues like rape in marriage in the novels of shashi deshpande.
The feminine consciousness is felt in all her novels. Focusing on marital relationships, she seeks to expose the tradition by which a woman is trained to play her dumb role in the family. Deshpande has written four childrens books, a number of short stories, and nine novels, besides several perceptive essays, available in a volume entitled writing from the margin and other essays. The aim of this article is to evaluate the novels of shashi deshpande from a feminist. She was educated in bombay now mumbai and bangalore. Resonance of the silence in shashi deshpandes that long silence. While choosing the critical essays, the broadbased study on the author has been given due significance in this volume. A reading of shashi deshpandes novels has attempted to demonstrate the variety of indian positions representations in the intersection of gender. In this era shashi deshpande has emerged as one of the more sensitive and versatile indian woman writers with her novels the dark holds no terror, that long silence, the binding vine and. Shashi deshpandes novels reveal a world of complex human relations that weave together in an inextricable familial bond. Shashi deshpandes persistent realism has gone largely unmarked in the.
Accordingly, sashi deshpandes novels reflecting their high critical mind of womens identity seem to reveal the essential and typical theme of feminist literature. Generally the heroine in the novels of shashi deshpande is the narrator while the author employs a sort of streamofconsciousness technique making the. The novelist believes that selfhood or autonomy is not fixity rather it is a process leading towards the realization of ones own identity, though the process is quite tiresome in itself because the pressures of their surroundings and the pulls of tradition are so heavily put upon. These writers had started a new consciousness raising movement. Shashi deshpandes novels are concerned with a womans quest for self. Roy, a 1999 patterns of feminist consciousness in indian women writers.
Shashi deshpandes first book was the legacy, a collection of short stories, and since then she has published dozens of stories. Marriage as an institution and novels of shashi deshpande. She was born in dharwad, karnataka, the second daughter of the kannada dramatist and writer sriranga. Shashi deshpandes both novels as mentioned dwells with the theme of quest for self and a new identity. Authentic female characters in the novels of shashi deshpande international journal on studies in english language and literature ijsell page 15 6. Reading shashi deshpandes a matter of time for the first time a few years ago, i felt the urge to read deshpandes other novels and the affair took off with such intensity that i was tempted to read all her novels that were available and her short story volumes besides the. Shashi deshpande offers us a glimpse into the lives of ostensibly content housewives who are nevertheless suppressed under the weight of male. There is nothing sensational or exotic about her india no maharajahs or snake charmers. Centre of both the novels are female and feminine consciousness. Shashi deshpandes most popular book is just so stories. Marital rape in shashi deshpandes fiction open access. Works of shashi deshpande shashi deshpandes works have always emphasized this country in such a way where the lives of the people are presented as it is and not as it should be. After she got married, she pursued a course in journalism from a college in mumbai and went on to work for the onlooker magazine as. Intricate domestic ties in shashi deshpande s novels.
A close study of shashi deshpandes novels reveals her deep. Shashi deshpandes novels are generally dealt with female protagonists who strive to find out their own selves throughout the novels. A technique is the means by which the novelist chooses to tell his or her story. Sociological aspect of body in shashi deshpandes novel in. Postmodern feminist writers a study of the selected works of shashi deshpande and githa hariharan 207 w. Shashi deshpandes the stone women nirmala prakash 6.
Shashi deshpande, an eminent novelist has emerged a writer possessing deep insight into the female psyche, focusing on the marital relation. Her novels reveal the manmade patriarchal tradition and. Born in the year 1938 in dharwad, karnataka, shashi desphande is the second daughter of the renowned kannada dramatist and sanskrit scholar, shriranga. Shashi deshpande as an indian english novelist stands apart, for she writes about certain specific concern in her own manner. There are three major themes present in shashi deshpandes novel the binding vine. Feminist perspective in shashi deshpandes novels international. Shashi deshpande derives the title of her novel that long silence from the classic understatement by elizabeth robins made in speech to a world body. The female self in shashi deshpandes a matter of time gur pyari jandial 8. Socialisation and gender construction in shashi deshpandes novels n. Shashi deshpande sincerely broods over the fate and future of modern women particularly in malechauvinistic society and her annihilation at the altar of marriage. Resonance of the silence in shashi deshpandes that long. The present book is a thorough critical analysis of shashi deshpande s works and has been prepared keeping in mind the requirements of students in indian universities and colleges. At the age of 15, she graduated in economics from mumbai and then moved to bengaluru to complete her law degree. The theme of marriage holds a great fascination for shashi deshpande.
Shashi deshpandes persistent realism has gone largely unmarked in the scholarship on her work and yet provides an important example of the ways in which the indian novel in english has continued to rewrite, rework, and yet ultimately keep up a dominant realist capacity. The authentic recreation of india, the outstanding feature of her stories, is a distinct feature of her novels also. She has displayed a series of girlchildren, where each girl faces a different problem within the family. The close study offers a fresh perspective for critical analysis, linking literature with real life situations. Feminist consciousness in shashi deshpandes the stone women 199 satyendra kumar 16. Hence for a close study is needed to understand the novels of shashi deshpande.
The modernism of shashi deshpande core scholar wright. Shashi deshpandes fiction explores the search of the woman to fulfil herself basically as a human being, independent of her various traditional roles as daughter, wife, mother and so on. Shashi deshpandes novels progresses in the same manner as her female protagonists in her novels. Consciousnessraising was as carefully structured a political exercise as the speaking bitterness campaigns. A reading of shashi deshpandes novels has attempted to demonstrate the variety of indian positions representations in the intersection of gender and postcolonial readings, in the context. Shashi deshpande is very popular for her wide use of stream of consciousness. Sashi deshpandes novels show how the feminine mystique deceives women, and that the persona, a wise mother and good wife, is no more womens desirable identity. Singh1 mata sundri college, university of delhi, india born in 1938, shashi deshpande is an indian writer, who writes primarily of man woman relationship, with a focus on shifting female responses through changing personal and social variables. Shashi deshpande is regarded as one of the most accomplished contemporary indian women writers in english. Download citation feminine consciousness in the novels of shashi deshpande indian women novelists in english have been presenting. There are three major themes present in shashi deshpande s novel the binding vine. There is an ernest voice, very serious about the story being told and its manner.
Shashi deshpande, masculinities, gender home and the nation in anglophone fiction the indian english novels unique preoccupation with the nation visavis its vernacular. It grows, leaves its impact on us and inspires the readers to ponder over it. Though shashi deshpande has emerged as a leading woman novelist on the indian. Anuradha roy, patterns of feminist consciousness in indian women writersnew delhi. Deshpandes novels are about women in self quest to posit the view at women in th these novels have established themselves as autonomous beings, free from restrictions imposed by societal cultures, from their own fears and guilt that womenhave reached a stage of understanding the fundamental truth. Shashi deshpandes craft as a novelist a study with. Compromise as a strategy in shashi deshpandes novels with special reference to the dark holds no terrors, that long silence and the binding vine pandurang shitole. Womans struggle to find and preserve her identity as wife, mother and the most important of all as the human being forms the major concern of shashi deshpandes novels. Resonance of the silence in shashi deshpandes that long silence 267 shashi deshpande, has emerged as a writer possessing deep insight into the female psyche. Shashi deshpande uses first person narrative to register womens protest. As the novel unfolds, all her female protagonists indu roots and shadows, saru the dark holds no terror, jaya that long silence, urmila the binding vine, sumi a. Male class hold a central place in shashi deshpandes novel. Marital rape in shashi deshpandes fiction open access library.
That long silence comes relatively close to real life experience. Shashi deshpandes novels depict the anguish, agony, and conflict of the modern, educated indian women caught between patriarchy. On 9 october 2015, she resigned from her position on the sahitya akademi s general council and returned her sahitya akademi award. Feministic facets and quest for identity in shashi deshpandes select novels. Conclusion the brief interpretation of the novels of shashi deshpande reveals the fact that she upgrades the position of women. A close study of shashi deshpandes novels reveals her deep insight into the plight of indian women, who feel smothered and fettered, in a traditionbound, maledominated society. She delineates her women characters in the light of their hopes, fears, aspirations and frustrations, who are aware of their strengths and limitations, but find. Her fiction with rare insights and finesse, bonds the authors relation with her work. Shashi deshpande has 29 books on goodreads with 8459 ratings.
When a novelist imagines a story and works out its plot and. Parent child relationship in shashi deshpandes novels. Some of the issues evoked by the western women were bound to be taken up by their indian counterparts. The novelist projects modern indian womans search for self and role in the society and family because her relation with others is central to living. Shashi deshpandes major concern is to depict the anguish and conflict of the. Indian women and their feminine consciousness shashi. If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article. Her novels urge us to explore and examine areas of women experience in our society, which were not previously discussed elaborately and with such minute details.
Shashi deshpande is the author of seven novels, including the binding vine, forthcoming from the feminist press and is one of indias most celebrated. She seeks to expose the tradition by which a woman is trained to play her subservient role in the family. It is significant that it is not solely a search for identity crises that engages women writers in general, but rather an exploration and articulation of the process leading to a purposeful awakening of the female protagonist. Trapped between tradition and modernity, her sensitive heroines are fully conscious of being victims of gross gender discrimination prevalent in a conservative maledominated society. The article explores the representation of women in novels and short stories written by indian english author shashi deshpande. Download now the present book is a thorough critical analysis of shashi deshpande s works and has been prepared keeping in mind the requirements of students in indian universities and colleges.