Representation and Resistance: Discourse on Love, Marriage and Marital Violence in the Fiction of Shashi Deshpande

Abstract

Shashi Deshpande is one of the most influential female writers of India who is popular for his novels and short stories which are noted for the pangs and plethora of problems of educated and independent married women in the patriarchially orchestrated society. All her writings are centred on the themes of love, marriage and marital rape in the marital orbit where educated male tries to dominate the space and assert his redundant patriarchal beliefs, and in this plight suffocation, subjugation and slavery of women become social reality. When the female characters become vocal and voice their rights, it hurts and humiliates the male ego and finally it leads to separation and divorce which has become a common phenomenon in this post modern society. The paper delves deep into the above mentioned issues which are the major causes of broken relationship and ‘half-way house'. The present paper tries to seek how the themes of love, marriage and marital rape have been portrayed in the select novels of Shashi Deshpande. It also explores and examines the views and perspectives of the writer and how she tries to resolve such burning issues. The paper examines the novels from feminist lens and tries to suggest the ways and means so that institution of marriage and family may become stronger and stable for a better society and golden future of the coming generation.