Emergence Of New Women In The Novels Of Shashi Deshpande And Anita Desai

The Anthology Reveals Deshpande`S Ability To Articulate The Feelings Of The Contemporary, Urban, Educated, Upper Middle-Class Woman Caught In The Transitional Period Between Tradition And Modernity.

Shashi Deshpande, b. 1938, Indian English novelist.

Though not an avowed feminist, Shashi Deshpande occupies a significant place among the contemporary women novelists who concern themselves with the problems of women and their quest for identity. Her creative talent and accomplishment have established her credentials as a worthy successor and contemporary to the Indian English writers such as Desai, Shobha De, Ruth Prawer Jhabvala, Bharati Mukherjee etc. In this book, two novels by Shashi Deshpande – 1. The Dark Holds No Terrors. 2. That Long Silence are studied in detail for the sake to find image of woman in both the novels. Shashi Deshpande's novel "The Dark Holds No Terrors", seeks to discuss the male ego which refuses to accept a secondary position in marriage. The novel narrated the harrowing experiences of the protagonist 'Sarita', who enjoys a greater economic and social status than her husband Manohar. Deshpande also makes the readers aware of society's reaction to the superior status of the wife in a marriage, which leads the husband to develop an inferiority complex. The novel also seeks to discuss the blatant gender discrimination which is shown even by parents towards their daughters. Deshpande effectively conveys the craving by parents for a male child and the disastrous effect it can have on a sensitive going girl. Denied of parental love and victim of her husband's frustrations, 'Sarita' undergoes an arduous journey into herself and liberates herself from guilt, shame and humiliation to emerge in full control over her life. Shashi Deshpande's novel, "That Long Silence", brought her into limelight as it was rewarded by the prestigious "Sahitya Academy Award". The novel deals with the protagonist Jaya's passage through a mare of self doubts and fears towards the affirmation of herself. A crisis in the middle-class family of the protagonist triggers off a chain of events which compel her to view her life in retrospection. What follows is an honest and frank account of Jaya's life. In her anxiety to play the role of wife and mother to perfection. Jaya realizes that she does not do justice to her talents as a writer. Her constant fear of displeasing her husband and inviting the censure of society, not only make her give up writing but also discourage her from acknowledging her friendship with a man who is not her husband, brother or father. The novel focuses Jaya as a representative of the modern young woman - educated and aware - nevertheless unable to break free from the strangle - hold of tradition. In the process of telling her story, she offers us a glimpse into the lives of ostensibly content housewives who are nevertheless suppressed under the weight of male dominance. Thus this book helps to find out image of woman in these novels. I record my gratefulness to the principal of J.E.S. College, Jalna- Dr. R. S. Agrawal, Head of the Department of English- M.A. Sami Siddiqui for support and encouragement at every stage of my work. I also offer my sincere thanks to the senior teachers of my Department for their valuable suggestions. I feel deeply to put into words my sense of thankfulness to my family.

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. While Choosing The Critical Essays, The Broad-Based Study On The Author Has Been Given Due Significance In This Volume. This Book May Also Provide A Useful Insight To The Foreign Readers As The Essays Are Written By The Indian Experts Who Understand And Live Within The Socio-Cultural Context Of India. However, The Feelings As Portrayed By The Novelist Is Universal, Placed In The Situation, The Same Would Be The Predicament Whether Male Or Female As The Writer Universalizes Certain Basic Emotions Irrespective Of National Character. It Is Fervently Hoped That This Book Would Stimulate Further Research Into The Domain Of Indian Women Writers Works To Focus Certain Aspects Hitherto Unexplored.

Today Anita Desai Is Recognised For Her Originality, Versatility And The Indigenous Flavour Of Her Character-Portrayal That She Brings To Her Work. Her Women Characters Are Real Flesh And Blood Protagonists Who Make You Look At Them With Awe And With Their Relationships To Their Surroundings, Their Society, Their Men, Their Children, Their Families, Their Mental And Psychological Make-Ups And Themselves. The Present Book Purports To Be A Pioneering Attempt To Evaluate Desai S Fiction And Fictional Art From Various Points Of View And Assesses Her Contribution To The Indian-English Fiction. What Is Unique About This Book Is The Attempt To Include Desai S Complete Fictional Oeuvre From Her Maiden Attempt Cry, The Peacock (1963) Till Her Latest Published Work The Zigzag Way (2004). Her Novels Of Four Decades Have Been Divided Into Different Sections For A Focused Study.The Present Critical Anthology Of Dr. Neeru Tandon On Anita Desai Is An Admirable Effort On The Presentation Of A Coherent And Comprehensive Assessment Of Anita Desai As A Powerful Indian English Fiction Writer. In Her Collection She Has Included Certain Burning Topics Of The Day Such As Male-Female Dichotomy, Existentialist Vision, Religion And Culture, Concept Of Marriage And Narrative Technique In The Fiction Of Anita Desai. The Uncomplicated Language And The Natural Flow Of Words Make For Easy Reading. Since Dasai Is Prescribed In The Syllabus In Most Of The Universities Of India, Both The Teachers And The Students Will Find This Book Extremely Useful, And The Research Scholars Will Also Find It Very Interesting And Purposeful.

The Book Is A Pioneering Study Of Its Kind, Chronologically Examining The Novels Of Anita Desai Mostly From A Female Point Of View. The Book Excels In Formally Analysing The Character And Situation Relationship In The Overall Context Of The Feminine Phyche Which It Thoroughly Examines. The Value Of The Book Is Immensely Enhanced By A Consideration Of Anita Desai S Fictional Technique. Dr. Gopal S Formal Method Is Not A Closed Universe But Cross Refers To The Social Structure Within Which The Situations Manipulate Characters And Their Destinies.