Manju Kapur Sparknotes

Lal’s observation is important to focus on Indian social matrix where women discriminations still exists. Though Indians are westernized externally, they are very Indian by psychology. They cannot consider women as separate and central part of humanity. The woman’s existence beyond man is still denied in Indian patriarchy. Manju Kapur has aptly caught the thread through the novel. She has depicted the woman’s yearning for self-autonomy and individual identity on the canvas of male dominated society. She has aptly depicted Virmati’s conflict, her dilemma whether to choose the psychological or sociological existence. Virmati combusts on each level of life, gains little, and lose much in journey. She struggles for education, love, individual space

The novel depicts the triumph of the women’s spirit, her longing to beat the odds, to conquer weaknesses and to move forward. (Agarwal 245-246).

Manju Kapur has portrayed Virmati's life as an example of the quest for psychological fulfilment than physical freedom. She was looking for love in the institution of marriage that is mandatory for long lasting man-woman relationship in Indian society. Her journey of endeavors against social odds remained endless. In “Women’s Odyssey of Liberation in Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters” Sangeeta Mehta appropriately remarks:

Like Anita Desai, Manju Kapur’s main foothold is the exploration of the deep recesses of human psyche, going beyond the skin into the constant struggles raging the soul of human beings at the conscious level and describing the atmosphere of the mind. She is the pointer of moods and wills of desires and dreams of conflicting choices and inner experiences. She believes that woman needs something more than just food, clothes and accommodation. (Mehta