WOMEN RENAISSANCE IN INDO-ANGLIAN LITERATURE: A STEP TOWARDS WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Abstract

Literature in all languages is an art, expressing and conveying the essence of life it plays a major role in crusading against the evil forces that try to disturb the harmony and balance of society by violating the human rights of liberty equality and fraternity. Post-independence it has emerged as a protest literature or commitment literature with marginalized communities as its core theme. These communities introduced themselves in an outburst of suppressed emotions and passions transforming reactive minds into creative geniuses. Feminist literature is also a part of that reactive literature which expresses in a volcanic vent, women’s anger and anguish over the existing faulty socio-political system wheeling on gender discrimination. It articulates relentlessly its demands of an identity and an equal position not a subservient one for women in this male dominated society. ‘Right to live with dignity’ this is the core of their demands. A host of post-colonial women writers like Arundhati Roy, Anita Nair, Anita Desai, Jhumpa Lahiri, Shashi Deshpande, Nayantara Segal, Rama Mehta, Kamala Das etc. have been using English as a medium to express women’s perspectives and discussions, their silent sufferings, gender, inequality and issues related with violation of women’s rights in this insensitive indifferent, chauvinistic and patriarchal society since long. Their writings reveal repressive forces faced by women like patriarchal mindset, sexual politics in marital relationship, and effacement of their identities, second rate position in society and family and their revolt against these forces.