She is oldfashioned and believes that married women ought to circumbulate the tulsi, stand devotedly in front of it with folded hands and closed eyes and pray for safety and long life of their husbands. Feminist perspective in shashi deshpandes novels international. She was educated in bombay now mumbai and bangalore. The aim of this article is to evaluate the novels of shashi deshpande from a feminist. Associate professor, tuljaram chaturchand college, baramati,dist. The close study offers a fresh perspective for critical analysis, linking literature with real life situations. She was born in dharwad, karnataka, the second daughter of the kannada dramatist and writer sriranga. The protagonists quest for identity gets largely accentuated due to their frustrating experiences in the indian patriarchal society. She pursued her education in dharwad, bombay and bangalore. One of the most praised novels by shashi deshpande, the book that long silence won the sahitya academy award in 1990 and the padma shri in 2014. Themes in the recent novels of shashi deshpande with. She is regarded as a feminist writer and frequently writes about women belonging to the indian middle class, who are brought up in a traditional, environment and are struggling to liberate themselves and seek their selfidentity and independence. The women writers advocate for the sociocultural freedom as deshpande demands the same by sketching the character of indu. Chhotelal khatri, indian novels in english, book enclave publishers, 2004, p.
Vinay kumar pandey, sufferings and suppressed desires of women in shashi deshpandes that long silence, in critical responses to feminism edited by binod mishra, 2006, p. Shashi deshpande s novels discuss various traditions, customs, rituals and social organizations that join hands to dominate women at various levels in our society. 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. Marriage as an institution and novels of shashi deshpande. Not many readers of shashi deshpande may be aware that her first experiments in writing fiction started with the short story. Shashi deshpande is the author of seven novels, including the binding vine, forthcoming from the feminist press and is one of indias most celebrated. Pdf the theme of silence in shashi deshpandes that long. Smart moves journal ijellh has been granted new online issn. Role of mothers in shaping their daughters lives in shashi deshpandes the dark holds no terrors and roots and shadows. This paper reads two early novels of shashi deshpande and maps the ways in which traditional and new alternative masculinities find juxtaposition in the chosen texts. She speaks truth gently but firmly, her words lingering, long after her exit. Over the years, she has published about a hundred stories in literary journals, magazines and newspapers, in between writing her immensely popular novels which are now read all over the world, and taught in universities wherever indian. Two of her other novels, the dark holds no terrors and roots and shadows have also.
Her novel that long silence received the sahitya akademi award. There is nothing sensational or exotic about her india no maharajahs or snake charmers. Role of mothers in shaping their daughters lives in. 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.
It reveals deshpandes sincerity and ability in voicing the concerns of the urban educated middleclass woman. Trapped between tradition and modernity, her sensitive heroines are fully conscious of being victims of gross gender discrimination prevalent in a conservative male. The reading of deshpandes novels imply the immediacy to put an end to this tradition and enable women to evaluate themselves from their own perspective and not how the society would like them to be. This article deals with one of deshpandes most significant novels, that long silence. Manoranjan behura abstract feminism is one of the important issues in india now.
In her writings she has tried to depict the condition and problems of the women of her society. Shashi deshpande is a writer who is considered as a representative of women of her country. Gendered home in the short stories of shashi deshpande. In shashi deshpandes novels, the protagonists growth towards an honest acknowledgement of responsibility for her own repressed state is shown in her earlier novels as well as her later novels. The pathetic conditions of women are discussed and the solutions are provided through the lives of the protagonists in deshpandes novels. Shashi deshpande is a prolific writer reflecting the role played by the middleclass educated women in the hegemonic hindu society in majority of her novels. Aparna mukherjee is a research scholar in english, pursuing her ph. Shashi deshpande is a well known name in the field of indian literature.
The present book seeks to study the feminist perspective in shashi deshpandes novels. 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 shashi deshpande is one of the most accomplished contemporary indian women writers in english. Home is a geographical space a site where we live but it is also an ideal and an imaginary that is imbued with feelings1. The study wishes to find out if compromise is the key word in shashi deshpandes heroines vocabulary. 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. Hence for a close study is needed to understand the novels of shashi deshpande. 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. 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 book is a trustworthy guide for students and scholars of. An additional to shashi deshpandes novel roots and shadows,which explore and expose the struggle of the protagonist, indu, an educated middleclass woman, in a maledominated tradition bound society. Unusually in deshpandes fiction the focus is on the impact of the actions of a male character, gopal, who leaves his family. Humanities theme of feminism in shashi deshpande s. Widows shashi deshpandes novels water on her, n fatigue and sad experiences cause headache to her at timess but do not blur her vision. Focusing on marital relationships, she seeks to expose the tradition by which. This was the first novel of shashi where the themes of alienation and isolation, with that urge to revolt to break apart from that long silence is stated. Shashi deshpande is one of the novelists whom you can read with seriousness. Shashi deshpande is a winner of the sahitya akademi award for that long silence. Her novels bud natural and effortless throwing light. Download the paper in pdf introduction to the author.
Shashi deshpandes novels present a social world of many complex relationships. A feminist dilemma in shashi deshpandes the dark holds no. Shashi deshpande sincerely broods over the fate and future of modern women particularly in malechauvinistic society and her annihilation at the altar of marriage. Authentic female characters in the novels of shashi deshpande. Feminism in shashi deshpandes novel that long silence. Shashi deshpandes both novels as mentioned dwells with the theme of quest for self and a new identity. Gendered home in the short stories of shashi deshpande jayanta rana asst.
Centre of both the novels are female and feminine consciousness. In this paper an attempt is, therefore, made to study shashi deshpandes women protagonists, as portrayed by her in her novels, with a view to. Shashi deshpandes fiction especially from the feminist perspective. Shashi deshpande, nee en 1938, est une romanciere indienne, ecrivant en langue anglaise. 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. 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 marriage. The authentic recreation of india, the outstanding feature of her stories, is a distinct feature of her novels also. Sashi deshpande and her women protagonists an analysis.
Shashi deshpande is rather seen as a writer who belongs to the rich tradition of socially committed writing in indian english fiction. This relationship is the dominant theme of the fiction of. Shashi deshpandes persistent realism has gone largely unmarked in the. Shashi deshpandes novels primarily present a social world of many complex relationships. Shashi deshpande as an indian english novelist stands apart, for she writes about certain specific concern in her own manner. Feminist literary criticism, its history and shashi deshpande. Roots and shadows as the title suggests, is a symbolic representation of the dialectical nature of man and woman set against each other in material terms for power struggle. Resonance of the silence in shashi deshpandes that long. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of shashi deshpande. Ever since the dawn of civilization, there has been a struggle to emancipate women from male oppression. For the purpose of this study, six of her novels have been considered, but the thrust of this research is on three of her major novels viz. The article explores the representation of women in novels and short stories written by indian english author shashi deshpande. The theme of marriage holds a great fascination for shashi deshpande. Pdf feminist perspective in shashi deshpandes that long.
Shashi deshpandes novels reveal a world of complex human relations that weave together in an inextricable familial bond. Shashi deshpandes novels progresses in the same manner as her female protagonists in her novels. Roots and shadows, published in 1983, is one of shashi deshpandes early novels. The present novel, roots and shadows, is a pathbreaking novel, articulating the experiences of woman in marriage. Daughter of the renowned kannada dramatist and sanskrit scholar, sriranga, she. 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. It reveals deshpande s sincerity and ability in voicing the concerns of the urban educated middleclass woman. Shashi deshpande, in her novel the binding wine presents the feminist streak to her narrative which revolves around the life of urmila and the three women she meets in the purview of different time, situations and strata in the society.
The major themes that are woven in the novel are institution of marriage, rape and woman emancipation. Chapter ii life, works and shashi deshpande as a novelist. Pune shashi deshpande, a wellknown indian woman novelist in english, has eleven novels and four childrens books to her credit. Trapped between tradition and modernity, her sensitive heroines are fully conscious of being victims of gross gender discrimination prevalent in a. 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. 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. The womans increasing involvement rather than detachment in her predicament as expressed in her novels reveals the positive, humanistic side of deshpandes feminism. Shashi deshpandes first book was the legacy, a collection of short stories, and since then she has published dozens of stories. Pdf conflict between tradition and modernity in shashi. An image of solidarity and determination tukaram s. Familial relationships in shashi deshpandes roots and shadows and a matter of time 105 herself alone at every turn of life. Various issues related to women and deshpandes position in human society. Gender and disharmony in shashi desphandes that long silence.
Familial relationships in shashi deshpandes roots and. She seeks to expose the tradition by which a woman is trained to play her subservient role in the family. At intellectual discussions, she champions the cause of english as an india language, and fights for the recognition of woman as individual. Both in her short stories and in the novels, she reflects a realistic picture of. She was born in dharwad in karnataka as the daughter of the renowned kannada dramatist as well as a great sanskrit scholar sriranga.
Her novels reveal the manmade patriarchal tradition and. V eda s journal of english language and lit erature joell, 24, 112 116. 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. Although shashi deshpande is regularly posited as an author of progressive feminist politics, whose fictions present a subjugated femininity under. 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 deshpande, an eminent novelist has emerged a writer possessing deep insight into the female psyche, focusing on the marital relation. That long silence comes relatively close to real life experience. Indu symbolizes the new women, who is educated and who lives in close association with society brushing aside all its narrow conventions. In studying the novel from a feminist point of view, an effort has been made to study deshpandes psychological insights into the indian womans. The theme of marital discord in shashi deshpandes novels reveals her consummate craftsmanship. Her characters seem natural,and so come as typical stereotypes of the modern generation. A matter of time is a 1996 novel by shashi deshpande. As a writer, shashi deshpande got recognition after the publication of her later novel, that long silence. These three novels have won awards and have been translated into a number of foreign languages. The present book seeks to study the feminist perspective in shashi deshpande s novels. There is an ernest voice, very serious about the story being told and its manner.
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