Gender Nonconformity and Casting around Individuality, Free Will and Survival: Sharat Chandra’s Women in His Novel Srikanta
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/journal.v7i3.1340Keywords:
Gender Nonconformity, Individuality, Free Will, Sharat ChandraAbstract
The present paper is a sincere effort to explore the image of Indian women in the early 19th century social context as depicted in Sharat Chandra’s novel Srikanta. In this novel Sharat Chandra’s portrayal of women characters- Rajlaksmii, Annada, Abhaya , and Kamal Lata assert their individuality, self-worth and deliverances boldly in the then male-controlled and traditional society. These characters are unwavering and resolute enough to cast around an emancipated futuristic outlook. They are all precursors to the later day women characters depicted by the feminist writers. Sharat chandra is not a feminist in the traditional sense nor does he take the side of forceful assertion of women rights but he shows a significant understanding of woman psyche and to a great extent, protests against social and religious double standard that ultimately results in gender nonconformity. He values humanity more than chastity and raises his voice against traditional morality and religious dogmatism in depicting illicit love relationship and in disclosing the deceptions underlying the established marriage custom. To all female characters, Rajlaksmi, Annada,Kamal Lata, and Abhay, marriage fails to provide congenial atmosphere to love and value each other; rather to them, marriage is nothing but religious and social yolk that come up with patriarchal applaud but result in self-deception. This paper is an attempt to elucidate Sharat Chandra’s unconventional idea of chastity and reversed roles of women going deep into the female characters of this novel who fearlessly look down on the patriarchal impediments.
References
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