Topic- Woman's character of novel

Name-  Mansi D Rajyaguru

Paper-  Indian Writing in English

Topic- Woman's character of novel

Class- M.A 2 (Sem 1)

Year-2012-13

Submitted to,

Heenaba Zala,

Dept of English,

M.K Bhavnagar University,

Bhavnagar.

Topic- Woman's character of novel

 *The traditional pariarchal framework expects a lot from a woman. "During the time of gender construction, the girl child acquires pre-knowledge of her rights and responsibilities and roles an relations to be observed at both the natal as well as in-law's homes and gets tuned in such a way that the girls themselves submit to the tradition in which they are born and brought up. The woman ideally fancies. Preferably, she should think and act from the other's perspective only." Ideally she is expected to remain devoted to the desires of her husband and her in-laws. Further, she is supposed to serve them for a fight against British and this  'freedom to fight' in a symbolic way does not represent the ideal role of woman in the patriarchal framework of the society.

*In the Hindu mythology especially in Puranas, there is a cult of worshiping female idols symbolising the Mother, consort of lord Siva. Mother or Sakthi is the symbol of power-the power to create and the power to destroyed. Women have enjoyed a significant place in the Hindu mythology. But Puranas, mythology and Epic are dominated by male gods. It is not a question of equality of rights and the privileges between men and women's awareness of self in relation to social and political set up in society.

*Raja Rao in Kanthapura has portrayed women as active participates or revolution against the social and political disturbances during the satyagraha movement in India. In the opening chapter of the novel there is a folk song which is an invocation to the godesses Kenchamma, whome the villagers belive to have killed a demon to save their young ones:

Kenchamma, Kenchamma,

Goddess benign and bounteous,

Mother of earth, blood of life,

Harvest-queen, rain-crowned,

Kenchamma, Kenchamma,

Goddess benign and bounteous

This is symbolic. The women folk in  the village drawn inspiration from the great goddess showing tremendous courage when they come in contact with the British soldiers.

*Epic dominates the folklore. Similarly the upper caste women are shown as revolutionary, unlike the lower caste women. No significant role has been given to Dalit women. They are shown only as obedient wives and as followers of Rangamma. But in women as a whole, there is a transformations and prove that they are equal to men though they are not given equal status in the freedom stuggle.

*According to Raja Rao Moorthy is to Gandhi as Hanuman is to Rama. The frequent references to gods and goddesses are only from upper caste. This shows the importance given to little traditions. But the British rule in India gave dalits and women an opportunity to display their anger and power which in a subtle way foretells that they are capable of fighting any type of oppression.