R.K. Narayan is not a feminist even then he has shown his sympathy for the exploited and oppressed class of women in Indian society. The helplessness and miserable condition of a Hindu housewife is brought to the forefront in Narayan’s The Dark Room. In an interview Narayan explained, “In The Dark Room I was concerned with showing the utter dependence of women on man in society. I suppose I have moved along with the times.”1 By survival, Narayan does not mean continuity of mere physical existence, but a striving for dignity in the battle with society and circumstances. His protagonist Savitri is a victim of either man, or of authority, or of a particular social set-up. Today, a women’s goals are expressively defined, first her indignation …show more content…
Narayan’s The Dark Room shows us a more somber atmosphere. The novelist draws here the poignant picture of a South Indian middle class family, in which the wife’s life becomes much of a hell, because of the frequent fits of resentment and annoyance of her capricious and refractory husband, Ramani. In The Dark Room, the happiness or unhappiness, and quiet and disquiet of the household depend mainly on the mood and temper of the husband, Ramani. In the house, the servants, Children and even the wife are certainly in a state of extreme fear due to the domineering and cynical nature of Mr. Ramani. The appointment of Shanta Bai in Ramani’s office produces more misfortune to the wife, Savitri. Unable to endure any more, Savitri, in a fit of disappointment and rage leaves the house of her husband one midnight to drown herself into the river, …show more content…
Narayan shows us as to how the husband is like God in the Indian household and women have to accept whatever fate has done to them. This is the cause that the priest, in charge of the temple, gives the advice, “If she won’t let rest, thrash her that is the way to keep women safe. In these days you fellows are mugs, and let your women ride you about” (p.100). Thus, Savitri feels nothing is her own and even her children are her husband’s absolutely, “You paid the midwife and the nurse. You pay for their clothes and teachers. You are right. Don’t I say that a woman owns nothing” (p. 77)? Savitri, in an effort to assert to her individuality, revolts and leaves home only to retreat and compromise with the situation. Here the novelist has tried to infuse confidence and seed of rebellion in Savitri. Savitri represents thousands of other Indian housewives who are depressed and helpless creatures in the hands of their husbands. When Savitri prohibits her son to school due to illness, she is humiliated by her husband, “Mind your own business, do you hear…” (p. 5). Savitri miserable thinks over the problem of her existence: “How important at home and that after fifteen years of married life” (p. 8). This is not only the case of Savitri but also the case of other housewives who lead their life under the complete hegemony of their husbands. The social status of an Indian housewife is evaluated at the end of the novel. The condition of women is reflected from Savitri’s voice,
as both parties took any chance they got in order to demote the other party
In the Second Sex written by Simone De Beauvoir, women are treated as second class citizens. Women are taught to think, act, and be a certain way. There is little opportunity for growth and development outside of these strict gender roles. The same principal is also reflected in Uma Narayan’s Mind of their own. Through these works it is clear that women are viewed as inessential.
Mr. Argyle focuses on various themes and comparisons presented in Nectar in a Sieve and juxtaposed them to the ones in Thomas Mann’s poems. By doing so, he elucidates that there is another way to perceive life and not to mundane idea that the destiny of a man is determined by the politics around him. Based on the depth of the analysis he makes, the author’s intended audience would include scholars, and people who are familiar with Indian culture and the distinct association of poverty with social classes. Additionally, he does assume that his audience is familiar with the religious aspects on Indian life. He presents a critical view on how fate and time play crucial roles in this ever-changing life Rukmani and her husband, Nathan experience.
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is often renowned as his best work. The novel tells about the rigid ideas of 19th century Puritan New England through the story of Hester Prynne, Minister Dimmesdale, and Pearl. Hawthorne points out that the Puritans are often more ready to judge, punish, and damn someone than to forgive them. He is very critical of this idea, and goes against it by ending the novel with Hester Prynne becoming a respected individual that other women often look to for advice, and by changing the perception many people have of the Scarlet Letter from, “Adultery” to “Able”. Throughout the novel Hawthorne refutes the harsh ideals of the Puritans through the
The purpose of the research paper is to examine the role of women in Hinduism and how it impact their lives .This paper will look at how narratives from sacred texts influences women’s role in society in the past and in the present. The role of women in Hinduism is often disputed, and positions range from equal status with men to restrictive. Hinduism is based on numerous texts, some of which date back to 2000 BCE or earlier. They are varied in authority, authenticity, content and theme, with the most authoritative being the Vedas. The position of women in Hinduism is widely dependent on the specific text and the context. Positive references are made to the ideal woman in texts such as the Ramayana and the
Thus, to give voice to the suffocated psyche and suppressed desire of woman and lay bare ambitions and frustrations and soothe the aches and pains has been primary focus in Deshpande’s writing. Her works show that compromise is what characterizes the life of the common run of the middle-class women in India. Unable to defy social conventions or traditional morality,
When one reads Ruth Prawer Jhabvala’s “The Interview”, it is very clear how gender roles are predominate within the family that is portrayed. Using this family as an extension to represent all of India, Jhabvala gives us some insight into the daily lives led over there. The story is told through the eyes of an upper-class man who is completely dependent upon his family, specifically his brother and the women in the house. This essay will examine the male and female roles that are presented in this short story, how they parallel each other, and the deeper meanings hidden within the text.
Many women face discrimination throughout all stages of their life, beginning at (or even before) birth continuing as an infant, child, adolescent, and adult. While in the educated, urban middle class women’s rights continue to improve, there remains a strong bias against gender equality in those societal parts of India, where patriarchal traditions prevail; her self-image was torn into shreds by the patriarchal family which denied her basic freedom. Indian womanhood was mercilessly locked in the echo
The novelist pointed out an ignored truth of wife’s expectation of a very soothing relationship, a life flooded with love, care and understanding. But at the same time she also gives a hidden message about the condition of Mohan. He left her silently in Dadar flat when he realized she is not understanding him, he had done everything to keep his family available with all sorts of comfort.
Criminals should be rehabilitated not punished. Punishment doesn’t help the prisoner at all, it only teaches them that they shouldn’t get caught next time. This forces them to get more creative at the crime they commit. Whereas, rehabilitation is about preparing a person for a productive life after prison. Prisoners get the option to further their education, learn a trade, and even seek help for an addiction they might have. Rehabilitation is more cost effective, and better at lowering the rate of reincarceration in comparison with punishment. When comparing the two it’s not hard to see why prisoners should avoid being punished, and instead be focused on being rehabilitated.
Traditionally, an Indian woman had only four roles and those were; Her role as a daughter, wife, sister, and lastly, a mother. The women in today’s time however are experiencing far reaching changes and are entering into new fields that were unknown to them. They are actively participating in social, economic and political activities. Unlike the older times, women today have received higher education.
Her character typifies the rise of individualism and the liberation of the Indian women from the yoke of age-old submissiveness and self-annihilation. In this character we find an early statement about the helplessness and claustrophobia of women in incompatible marriages that was going to be a recurrent concern of Indian fiction for many years to come. Mantagini was only a forerunner of many more women characters of great, independent and revolutionary spirit to follow in the novels of his successors. The creation of a character like Mantagini in the first Indian Novel in English was certainly a good beginning for that class of writing to be followed in India.
His decision was of utmost importance and the same could generally be rebutted by only other male members of the Hindu family. The role in the decision making of the women members was kept at the minimal. The role of the women was apparently confined to household/ domestic chores. This system has prevailed for a very long time in India. It cannot be said that the said system is per-se ineffective or per-se bad. However, wanton use of this system has indeed apparently contributed somewhat to the weaker status of the Indian women. The biased use of the said system by some section of Indian men has further led to the subjugation of the Indian women. In the male-dominated society, women suffered to extreme levels of exploitation. Some factors- like death of bread winner, sudden fall in family income or inadequate family income – forced women to seek employment in informal sector (small trader, artisan or field labourer on a family farm) but yet, that did not result in women empowerment (Dr. K. Sundar & Ashok Kumar, 2012). A woman, in India, has always been seen as only a home-maker, or as a wife, or as a mother. The women psychology has been adversely affected by this.
The central theme in most of Narayan’s novels are the protagonists’ quest for identity but they are all of an average stature and incapable of bringing their quest to a fruition. Savithri in the Dark Room protests against the patriarchal rudeness of her husband and steps out of her house. She soon realises that her lack of proper education renders her fit only for a degenerate life, so she returns to her husband’s house, where at least she can discharge her maternal duties to her children.
Abstract: The paper examines the patriarchal bent of society in which Jaya lives and how this male oriented system creates ideological beliefs whereby, women are flung to marginalized positions of those social structures whose centers are constituted by males. The paper brings to the surface the inner dissatisfaction and maladjustment that Jaya suffers but about which she remains silent. Jaya as a subordinate character, a subject, seems to have internalized the code of conduct which the society has framed for her, considering it to be a natural order for most of her life, thereby, imparting on her a kind of perpetual silence about her desires, needs and ideas. . Deshpande has tried to define this silence as a full-fledged character who accompanies