A Study of Female Characters in Nalini Sharma's the Strange

JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 A Study of Female Characters in Nalini Sharma’s The Strange Equations Dr. S. Barathi Assistant Professor Department of English Srinivasa Ramanujan Centre SASTRA Deemed to be University Kumbakonam-612001. [email protected] Abstract: Women are portrayed from various perspectives in literature since time immemorial. Generally, in the past few centuries, the Indian writers have portrayed women as stereotypical characters. But this trend has slowly withered and there emerged modern and Post-modern writers who had created female characters as multifaceted women. There is a difference between a male writer‟s perspective and a female writer‟s perspective of a woman character in their work. Thus, it is quite interesting to note that the female characters created by female writers stand apart as mouth pieces of the society, as well as a model or ideal woman from the view of a female writer. The present paper is an attempt to bring out the significance of the portrayal of female characters by Nalini Sharma in her novel The Strange Equations. The novel deals with the lives of two main characters Anu and Priya, through which the writer tries to represent the trials and tribulations undergone by women at present. Key Words: Female empowerment, Gender mainstreaming, Female-incompatibility, Female Psyche Introduction: From the past to the present, Indian Writing in English has varied themes ranging from romantic to confessional writing. Among these, women‟s writing is just a drop in the ocean as there were only fewer women writers. In a patriarchal society like India, women writers did not gain prominence in the past, and most of them were mere imitators of their male counterparts. But in the present situation, things have changed for better and women writers have began to discuss women‟s issues through their works, which were considered a taboo in the past. Thus, this study tries to highlight the portrayal of female characters from the perspective of a female writer. The research provides a deep insight into the female characters as presented by the writer. Further, it Volume XIII Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No: 259 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 delves in gender inequality, gender sensitivity, Female-incompatibility and also analyses the psyche of the major female characters in the novel. Literature Review: Women have always suffered under the confinement of four walls, or in the society which is often overlooked or ignored. The major reason is, it occurs in the daily lives that it often goes unnoticed. It is worthwhile to note that the outlook of feminism at present is defined in the following passage: “The mere fact of expecting that the women would clean and cook irrespective of, if she is a professional or not, is in itself a point of concern of everyday feminism” (“feminisminindia”). Jasbir Jain in her Introduction to Women‟s writing Text and Context opines that “It is obvious that women‟s writing has mistakenly been confined to victimization narratives” (xvii) demonstrates that women‟s writing has been streamlined as essentially as marginalized and feminist literature. Jasbir Jain notes that critics like Jaidev (1992) and Dipankar Gupta (1995) consider women‟s writing as “Problematizing feminism” and “Feminification of theory” (xix). All these essentially prove that women‟s writings were not given their due importance and it was rather streamlined as feminist writings. There are many feminist organizations that voice for the upliftment of women. Majority of the activists, critics, researchers first theorize and later put it into action. But, there are a few feminists like Martha Farrell, who acted first and later theorized it. Martha Farrell Foundation is an organization, originally found after the death of Martha Farrell, a feminist worker and “it continues Farrell‟s pioneering work in gender mainstreaming and education, inching its way towards achieving her lifelong purpose of a gender-just society” and she was also adorned with a “Lifetime Achievement Award” a posthumous honour by the Indian Social Work Congress for her ground- breaking work in women empowerment and gender justice in India. Farrell‟s work serves as a basis for analyzing the various issues faced by women at work place as well as gender mainstreaming in the present scenario. Thus, it is found that there is still a gap that needs to be bridged between theory and practice. This could be made possible by the application of Farrell‟s ideology to the selected novel which could bring out the issues faced by female characters. Volume XIII Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No: 260 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 In the 21st Century, Indian feminism engaged a variety of issues ranging from domestic violence to rape and victimization of women. Indira Jaisingh‟s tireless work was instrumental in the framing of the Domestic Violence Act (2005) and Meenakshi Arora, a senior advocate in the Supreme court of India, is seminal in framing the Vishakha Guidelines, which later ended in the legislation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act (2013) (“thebetterindia”). Thus, feminism in the present-day India has been showing some encouraging trends. It is interesting to observe the facts that in the first place, increasing economic liberty allows women to fight stereotyping. Second, what women want has been shifting – from economic rights to social and sexual rights. Moreover, women are not vacating their spaces – they are negotiating harder to expand them. Further, there is genuine partnership and collaboration among men and women, particularly youngsters, to embrace meaningful gender equality. Finally, the internet and information revolution is helping women form communities and networks, giving them a bigger voice and tools to organize themselves, forge partnerships and demand their rights (“thebetterindia”). Analysis of the Novel: Nalini Sharma‟s The Strange Equations is a 21st Century novel that challenges the stereotypical characters portrayed in Indian English fiction. The works of women writers were always underestimated due to patriarchal nature of the society and women writers were always in the background and the work of the women writers were not given its due significance in the past, due to male chauvinism. The subject matter of women writers were autobiographical, expressing their emotion, turmoil they faced, etc (Roshini Khazmi, 433). Also, a reviewer remarks: “When Nalini Sharma talks of human relations in The Strange Equations . she excites and captivates. Its massiveness startles and demands patience. One notices that she maintains the interest and the excitement integral without unwanted interruptions” (PCK Prem, 12). This is clearly an indication that women writers are slowly gaining momentum at present. The novel spins around two major characters Anu Kumar and Priya. The twists and turns faced by these two women in their professional and personal lives forms the crux of the novel. Volume XIII Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No: 261 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 Anu is a middle aged working mother, who has lost her husband years ago in an accident. She single handedly brings up her daughter and son. On the other hand, her close friend Priya was married to a rich doctor on the insistence of her parents. But, to her shock she finds out that her husband was already a married man. So, she had to leave him to live her life as a single woman. Though Anu and Priya are financially independent, for moral support Anu clung to her children and Priya depended on her friend Anu. Thus, life went without much contradiction till Anu was cornered by her own daughter-in-law and her mother. Nalini Sharma has portrayed the female protagonists as strong feminists. In the novel, both Anu and Priya have equal importance and their stories run parallel in the narrative. About the portrayal of the characters, a critic comments that: “In portrayal of characters and unfolding of incidents in relations to human nature particularly women, she takes us back to the writings of Meredith, George Eliot and Jane Austen, and nearer home to Anita Desai … delineation of women characters appeals as he unveils women‟s hearts sensitively” (PCK Prem, 19). The silence of women symbolizes helplessness. But men take it as a symbol of woman‟s contentment. The insensitivity of a son is also exhibited in this act that instead of condemning his father for his ruthless act towards his mother (Roshni Kazmi, 433), dominate the world of men, who they encounter and work hard to create identity in contemporary times of changing moral codes (PCK Prem, 19). Women in the novel thus have crucial roles either in changing their own life style or of their men. Female Characters in the novel: Anu and Priya are the two female protagonists of the novel. Apart from these two, there are many other female characters with their fine distinctive patterns of behavior, who appear in various parts of the novel. Ruchir, Anu‟s daughter is a highly gullible character. She married Dr. Sinha, who is almost the age of her father, much against the wish of her mother. When her torture becomes limitless, Dr. Sinha advices her: “ „Cure yourself first. Be unprejudiced, tolerant and develop an open minded, healthy approach‟ ” (13). This advice is suitable not only for Ruchir, but also for many quick reacting women without reasoning skill. Some of the other women in the novel are: Simi, “a seductive woman who often lured men with unhappy results” (23) and she is responsible for the disaster in Akshay‟s life. Though she understood that it is Anu‟s husband, Akshay, thought to be dead long back had returned, she deliberately hid the truth Volume XIII Issue II FEBRUARY 2020 Page No: 262 JAC : A Journal Of Composition Theory ISSN : 0731-6755 that she is his daughter-in-law and also, Anu is living in the college quarters.

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