Empowerment through Resistance: Women in the Novels of Manju Kapur
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Date
2023-11
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Avinashilingam
Abstract
The literary endeavours of Indian women writers give voice to the anguish,
aspirations, and assertions of women. Indian women in the contemporary times are in a
conflicting state where they are trapped between the pressure of traditions and the
advancement of modernity. The fictional narratives of Manju Kapur propagate to redefine
the status of Indian women and liberate them from the conventional social structures of
the past which is the need of the hour. The ultimate goal of Manju Kapur’s writings is to
eliminate the destructive and claustrophobic socio-cultural restrictions that continue to
deny new opportunities for women. Manju Kapur emphasizes the need for emancipation
of women from man-made social and cultural principles to lay a strong foundation for a
healthy, peaceful, and prosperous world. She expects a transition in Indian society to
necessitate a better living environment where every individual enjoys equal respect
irrespective of their gender. The novelist, through the representation of her women
protagonists, take efforts to break the gender boundaries that cripple women’s
competency and potential in the familial, professional, and public spheres. She wants to
annihilate prejudiced parental upbringing, domestic violence, marital subjugation, and
workplace challenges to create a secured familial milieu and safe work environments to
preserve women’s eminence and integrity. She envisions that the ‘Women Power’ of
India has the ability and authority to adorn the nation with a prestigious status around the
globe. The literary contributions of Manju Kapur serve to acknowledge women’s
selfhood and honour the uniqueness of womanhood that contributes to the enrichment of
the country’s cultural heritage.
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English