A feminist study on Shashi Deshpande’s novel “That Long Silence”.

Abstract

Abstract: The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the issues and hardship that middle-class women face in patriarchal society. Shashi Deshpande is a feminist author from India. She has revealed the ways in which dominant males in the home and society mistreated and abused women. The majority of her articles frequently address the obstacles and hardships that women encounter as a result of the laws and regulations that govern India’s patriarchal culture. In India, both the upper and lower classes of women are required to uphold family and social norms. The primary function in society is played by men. Deshpande’s work That Long Silence tackles the subject of women’s struggle and tolerance in the face of societal and familial situations. Deshpande presents Jaya as the main character of her novel That Long Silence who comes from a middle- class family and has a number of issues. Jaya is a writer who is inquisitive and full of questions. However, her grandmother disapproved of her progressive viewpoint. She used to urge her to be skilled at home tasks and to act well after marriage, and to keep quite if she didn’t agree. Jaya’s husband Mohan also doesn’t entirely support her goals and comes from a patriarchal background. Women are still trapped in antiquated superstitions. Women are not entitled in their own homes. Deshpande has attempted to convey the women’s efforts to break the silence and express their inner conflicts through Jaya’s character. This dissertation also attempts to illustrate the journey of Deshpande’s heroine Jaya, from hopelessness to optimism as well as the struggle that women face in gaining respect and a sense of self identity. Overall, this dissertation seeks to present a complete feminist study of “That Long Silence” focusing on the topics such as social status of women in the patriarchal society, struggle for self-identity, Jaya’s transition from silence to speech, empowerment through self-awareness and her path to self-discovery. Keyword: Women’s struggle, Silence, Self-identity, Patriarchal, Feminist.