Critical Analysis Of Manju Kapur's A Married Women In India

The aim of this research project is to explore the unevenness of the postcolonial nation in India, primarily focusing on gender inequality and the indifference women suffer in comparison to men because of this. Sangeeta Ray states `we hear women demand recognition of their agency in the public sphere outside a conventional patriarchal framework with its rigid structures of gender identity’ and therefore I will study how this affects the texts that I have chosen to analyse. I will be investigating Manju Kapur’s A Married Women published in 2003, and I will also be considering Deepa Mehta’s feature length film Fire when examining this, which was released in 1996. In order to support my argument I will draw upon a range of theorists and relevant

This can be applied to the shattering of women’s identity not only physically, but psychologically prior independence. India broke out of British imperialism in 1947, however she failed to do so with the immoral ideas and outdated beliefs of the past to which `petrified customs still reared their heads and exercised an evil influence on Hindu society.’ A variation of political reformers like, Bhimrao Ambeakar, Baba Amie, and Vinoba Bhave endeavoured their best to overthrow some of the immoral ideas that were prevalent in Indian culture, such as, child marriage, untouchability and sati system. Their attempts, albeit important and practical they were at trying to end these for good, could not completely eliminate them. These immoral ideas and rituals still continued in independent India and occasionally came to the surface once more, thus destabilising representations of the independent Indian

Examines the development of The New Indian woman, defined as `urban, educated, middle class Indian woman,’ whose evolution has mirrored the similar growth of the middle class hierarchy in India. Lau continues to explore the `double-edged personality of women negotiating their societal roles and places, within and without the family and home,’ explaining how this captures cultural and societal changes which have been taking place in India as a ramification of `swift economic development and expansion.’ Astha is effectively Kapur’s “new woman” who is educated, mindful, introverted and to some extent, wants to carve a new life for herself outside the containments of marriage. Astha demonstrates this by violating orthodox social codes of the Indian woman with her own `personal vision of womanhood.’ Shortly after marriage, and Hemant’s return to work, Astha endures moments of yearning for more in her life. These modern, middle- class women that are represented through Astha construes married life to be ` a loss of integrity, loss of articulation, loss of personal ambition, loss of courage’ Moreover, if this is the only action women can take, or are forced to take, it therefore does not run the risk of the woman overpowering the male and curbs the notion of rebellion that is conclusively rewarded with `submission and duty’