Her works include 36 novels, 48 short novels, 150 short stories, 15 travelogues, 7 collections of articles, one talking book, 4 volumes of literary research books, 2 volumes of anthologies, and biographies of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Sri. G.D. Naidu. Her stories and articles have been published in prominent Tamil periodicals and many have been translated into English, Japanese, Ukranian and other Indian languages.
Sivasankari’s novels include Ethaṟkkāka, Ēṉ, Naṇḍu, Mella Mella, Ammā, Enakkāka, Vaḷarththa Kaḍā, Oru Maṉiḍhaṉiṉ Kaḍhay, Pōgap Pōga, Dhavam, Mālaiyil Pūkkum Malargaḷ, Pālaṅgaḷ, Poy, Karuṉai Kolai, Athuu Cari Appuram?, Ammā Piḷḷai, Vērillādha Maraṅgaḷ, Āṟṟil Oru Kāl Cēṟṟil Oru Kāl, Cutta Maṇ, Ini, Shyāmā, Nadhiyin Vēgaththōṭu, 47 Nāṭkaḷ,
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Pubertal rituals are viewed as a private affair and widowhood ceremonies are gradually stopped. The individual desires, feelings and wishes of the protagonists Mythili and Padmini are given some priority. However, conflicts of values are shown between the older and younger generations. Anandam’s ideals are objected by her granddaughter Mythili, and Mangalam’s by Padmini. Anandam and Mangalam criticise their daughters-in-law and granddaughters. Sivasankari has traced the rebellion and retaliation of adolescent girls Mythili and Padmini which is the prime reason for the gradual changes in the life of women. The desires and ambitions of Padmini are cherished by Padmini’s parents Venkat and Mythili which is a remarkable change in the Indian …show more content…
The first half of the novel depicts the nuptial bliss enjoyed by Giridhar and Dhurga who are the prototypes of a typical upper middle class family. The later half narrates the change in the behaviour of Giri after his visit to England for a six month training Programme arranged by his company before his promotion. Dhurga loses her equilibrium when she receives no communication from him. She struggles to answer the questions of her sons. When the company manager of Giri conveys the information about Giri’s resignation, Dhurga’s hope shatters. She is handicapped after receiving his divorce notice. She is shocked to read his letter which states that he led a life of illusion with Dhurga and his quest for complacency is fulfilled after meeting a rich widow Linda. Dhurga understands his greediness and meets him to show the real nature of Giri to her sons. The novel portrays Dhurga’s pragmatism and empowerment as a mother and
It is through this process that demonstrated the power relations within gender, cast and class. The ideologies and believes of the people in Mangaldihi came from the religion it self in which, through the nature of creation Brahman was considerate to be the high cast as they are the followers of Lord Brahma, who created the four varnas. This ideology of creation has not only dictated the norms of cast division, which separates the pure and impure, but also has played its roles on gender roles. Women were always seen to be lower than men, since they were considerate to be a part of the male bodies. This is shown in the notion of men encompassing the women body. Encompassment is also seen in the construction of family norms as children’s are considerate to be part of the their parents bodies. Therefore they must respect and take care of their parents when old, as they are considerate to be in a higher position. Looking at the everyday practices it could also be said that there is hegemony, as the ruling class manipulated and dictated the cultural, values, ideals, beliefs and perceptions. Within this power relation, women were subject to be part of a subaltern culture. Since they had no voice in a society and were often excluded from political structures. Although, as the women age there status changes to be almost equally to men, they were never totally considerate to be
A traditional extended family living in Northern India can become acquainted through the viewing of Dadi’s family. Dadi, meaning grandmother in Hindu, lets us explore her family up close and personal as we follow the trials and tribulations the family encounters through a daily basis. The family deals with the span of three generations and their conflicting interpretations of the ideal family life. Dadi lets us look at the family as a whole, but the film opens our eyes particularly on the women and the problems they face. The film inspects the women’s battle to secure their status in their family through dealing with a patriarchal mentality. The women also are seen attempting to exert their power, and through it all we are familiarized to
Indian society was patriarchal, centered on villages and extended families dominated by males (Connections, Pg. 4). The villages, in which most people lived, were admini...
The short story ‘A Devoted Son’ by Anita Desai focuses on a father-son relationship in a traditional Indian family within a small, poverty-stricken village.With his parents sacrifices, Rakesh is able to pursue, and excel in his medical studies. The story follows Rakesh’s transition into the head of the household as his father, Varma , slips into illness. Gender roles and the power allocated to each role is a large part of Indian society, and illustrated by Desai, the male 's role within a family can lead to conflicts and power struggles.Using a sociocultural approach, Desai demonstrates the clashing of male status within a traditional Indian family through Rakesh’s character being that of an ideal son , Rakesh’s increase in maturity
A Comparison of Two Poems Presents from my Aunts in Pakistan by Moniza Alvi and Search for my Tongue by Sujata Bhatt
Redefining the concept of Third World Feminism, Nair emphasizes on the importance of the female voice. We encounter the bride, Aditi, for the first time, on the sets of Delhi.com as the camera zooms in to focus on an intimate kiss that she has with Vikram. A savvy woman of the city, she does not get sentimental about the possibility of Vikram divorcing his wife for she has read too many magazines to know that it might never happen. She enters into an arranged marriage with Hemant not out of any kind of parental pressure or hopelessness but out of the choice to settle down. She makes rational decisions but not at the cost of curbing her desire. Even as the family engages in the preparations for the wedding, she is found to be repeatedly making phone-calls to her ex-boyfriend. This stands in contrast to the western portrait of third world women, usually idealized as the subjugated subject. Even before the wedding, she sneaks out of the house at midnight to meet him. Through the scene of lovemaking, she emerges as a woman who has power over her body, one who can make her own sexual choices and can also, literally, drive away from the man who leaves her vulnerable among the police to face the consequences. As women who exercise their agency, the film portrays characters who take the risk of transgressing the normative order. Pimmi may transgress by smoking, though behind closed doors while Ayesha will make no mystery of her desire for Rahul. Sexual
Krishnaswamy, Shantha. The Woman in Indian Fiction in English 1950–1980.New Delhi : Ashish Publishing House, 1984.
The young Indian female experience in the modern age is characterized by a conflict between Indian tradition and contemporary global culture. Historically the archetype of the ideal Indian woman has been used to build national unity, identity, and pride. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, public imagination equated the ideal woman to ‘mother India.’ This idea was fueled by art, literature, and particularly film. Heroines were characterized as “passive, victimized, sacrificial, submissive, glorified, static, one-dimensional, and resilient” (Virdi, 60). The social expectation of women to exhibit these traits persists in the modern day. Women struggle to reconcile these qualities with contemporary values such as independence, freedom, and gender equality. Therefore young women are still subject to the desires of their fathers, and the unofficial caste system still limits their social mobility; yet simultaneously they dance at nightclubs, and wear short skirts. Conflict between tradition and modernity is exemplified by events like the beer bar girls ban, in which young women who made a living by dancing in bars were banned from their profession on the grounds
Ramamoorthy, P. “My Life is My Own: A Study of Shashi Deshpande’s Women” Feminism and Recent Fiction in English Ed. Sushila Singh. New Delhi: Prestige, 1991.
By now, R.K Narayan took a turn from his usual way of writing. Moving away from writing books, which were more or less auto-biographical, his exposure to foreign lands would have inspired him to move beyond his world and hone his creativity. Starting right from ‘Mr. Sampath’ (1948) to ‘The Vendor of Sweets’ (1967), this trend was seen in all books written in this period. ‘The Guide’ and ‘The Man-Eater of Malgudi’ is analyzed here, in this context.
She moved to Britain after India had got independence and now she is known for her writing about cultural clashes between urban India and Rural Indian Societis. Her first novel Nectar in a Sieve (1955) is a best seller and highly notable book by the American Library Association. This novel is evolved around a strong but suffering soul Rukmani who has lost her sons and her daughter turns into prostitution. The main character Rukmani suffers a lot, facing poverty, famine, and divorce of her barren daughter, death of her sons, her daughter’s prostitution and finally till the death of her
The novel depicts the life of Jaya at the level of the silent and the unconscious. A sensitive and realistic dramatization of the married life of Jaya and her husband Mohan, it portrays and inquisitive critical appraisal to which the institution of marriage has been subjected to in recent years. It centers round the inner perception of the protagonist, a woman who is subtly drawn from inside, a woman who finds her normal routine so disrupted that for the first time she can look at her life and attempt to decide who she really
Dhowli lives a life of hardships. To begin the story, Dhowli’s parents married her off at a very
The exposure of first book won her the companionship from the Virginia Centre for the Creative Arts. Anita Nair’s first novel Better Man in 2000 also published in Europe and United States. Her second novel Ladies Coupe in 2001 also brings her the great fame and name. It bought her the great success among the critics. In 2002 Ladies Coupe was elected as one among the best five novels in India and it was translated in twenty five languages around the world. She had published collection of poem Malabar Mind in 2002 and she also edited Where the Rain is Born – Writings about Kerala in 2003. She has written book for children on myths and legend titled The Puffin Book of Myths and Legends in
This piece’s literary merit is based partially on its historical significance. The novel had evidence of both selflessness and caring worldviews. this serves as one of the first examples of Shavani’s “care for others .” Any reader would find the language and plot challenging at times, but the representation of caring, judgment, and hardship are will always apply to the world, regardless of the time or place. In the beginning struggled with the language and the plot, but as the problems and rough patches appeared, so did my interest in the book. The ending was very shocking. Shavani’s daughter turns out pregnant from being a prostitute, and then she is forced to live with her parents in shame and disappointment.