A Suitable Boy”
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Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 Conflict between Love Marriage and Arranged Marriage in Vikram Seth’s “A Suitable Boy” J. Ambika PhD Research Scholar and Guest Lecturer, Department of English, NKR. Govt. Arts College (W),Namakkal. Dr. J. Dharageswari, Research Supervisor and Assistant Professor of English, Department of English, Kandasamy Kandar’s College, P. Velur. Abstract Marriage and family are view as stable elements of social life. The nature of this foundation has changed gradually with time and circumstances. The eastern and the western societies have a intricate marriage and family setup of its own. In human history, the tradition of marriage has been strongly springs to society which always aims at society and order. The status of woman is still low and a great emphasis is laid on marriage. The organization of marriage is oppressive economic arrangement which makes women to regard themselves subordinate to men. The novel present entirely different social setting but women are faced with the same troubles. A Suitable Boy addresses the issue of marriage. Lata, the protagonist and her sister come across with the same situation. Indian society of post-colonial time is very much oppressive for females. In both societies the patriarchal ideology is in full working that restricts female freedom. This oppressive ideology does not let them to decide about their future course on their own. Theme of the novels has focused on the strained relationships and the loss of faith in the human life. The domestic life which is the nucleus of the Indian political and social life had shrunk both structurally and functionally and it is losing its primary characteristics. Seth has portrayed the picture of the 21st century modern Indian society and its effect on the life of the individual. The novel brings the serious attention of the Volume XII, Issue IV, April/2020 Page No:413 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 society and mutual understanding in life. Key words: family, marriage, society, culture, love, matrimonial, relationship. INTRODUCTION Marriage and family are viewed as stable elements of social life. The nature of this institution has changed steadily with time and circumstances. The eastern and the western societies have a intricate marriage and family setup of its own. In human history, the institution of marriage has been strongly bound to society which always aims at association and order. In A Suitable Boy, the women are face with the same situation. The position of woman is still low and a great emphasis is laid on marriage. The tradition of marriage is oppressive economic arrangement which makes women to regard themselves subordinate to men. This Novel present entirely different social setting but women are faced with the same plight. A Suitable Boy addresses the topic of marriage. Lata, the protagonist and her sister come across with the same situation. Lata’s mother, Mrs. Mehra’s chief concern is to find a suitable boy for her daughter. The major theme of A Suitable Boy is Mrs. Mehra’s search for a suitable match for her daughter. Lata seems to be totally indifferent with this chief distress of her mother. She regards her mother a bit obsession because she is passionate about Lata’s marriage. Therefore, Indian society of post-colonial era is very much domineering for females. In both societies the patriarchal ideology is in full workings that restrict female freedom. This tyrannical ideology does not let them to decide about their future course on their own. In patriarchal societies, female power is closely related to courtship. Regarding the issue of marriage Duplessis (1985) comments that as a gendered subject in the nineteenth century, the heroine has barely any realistic options in work or vocation, so her heroism lies in Volume XII, Issue IV, April/2020 Page No:414 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 self-mastery, necessary herself as a free agent, freely choosing the romance that nonetheless, in one type or another, is her fate. In A Suitable Boy, Mrs. Rupa Mehra initiates the search. She performs the role of a traditional match maker, which is nowadays being gradually more played by matrimonial columns of national newspapers among the English educated Indian upper middle class people. In The Golden Gate, Janet sends the advertisement on John’s behalf. In her draft, a question is used as an invitation to begin a conversation between potential partners. It suggests direct contact between two individuals. There is also a eagerness to mention negative personal attributes, which is totally avoided not seen in the Indian matrimonial advertisements. In Indian advertisements, the positive personal attributes are exaggerated and this exaggeration is so common to the Indian consciousness that in the long run, it loses its importance. It is an Indian way of life taken for granted by all and by all means. THE ROLE FAMILY TOWARDS INDIVIDUAL LIFE Family is very important role in the life of individuals but sometimes it can deeply overpowering and full of human errors: possessiveness, unkindness, hard heartedness, the list is endless. Vikram Seth seems to be suspicious about romanticism and is surprisingly blind as far as his idea of family is evaluated in this novel. The result is that he is sentimental and represents a less than truthful relation of the complexities of human society, i.e. family. The novel opens with a wedding ceremony which brings the said four families together and the novelist places his main characters straights away on his canvas. Mrs. Rupa Mehra’s elder daughter Savita is getting married to Pran, a university lecturer in English and the son of the State Revenue Minister Mahesh Kapoor. Among the invitees are the anglicized Chatterjee residing at Calcutta, and the Khan family of the Nawab of Baitor, one of the largest land owners of the state. However his twin sons, Firoz and Imtaz are a lawyer and doctor respectively. But they do not fit into the popular mould of the idle sons of the feudal Volume XII, Issue IV, April/2020 Page No:415 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 aristocracy. Apart from the Khans, the other three families – the Mehras the Kapoors and the Chatarjees are interlocked through marriage. In addition to the various characters emerging out of the relationship amongst these three families, Seth introduces a large number of other Characters drawn from across religions, languages, class and caste. In A Suitable Boy, Mrs. Rupa Mehra informing her younger daughter, Lata, as she too will marry a boy of her choice, likes her elder sister Savita. Lata’s reaction to this maternal significant is typical of any other young Indian girl’s reactions because we find only indifference on her part and no reaction. She has no attraction towards arranged marriages, but she knows very well that she must have to accept it because she can’t hurt her family members, especially her mother. Generally, Indian women, before marriage are brought up in such a protective and comfortable atmosphere that it requires enormous courage and strength of mind to break away from the strong family bond. And if one breaks free, it is almost impossible to get back into the family. Even today it is true. Whereas in the 1950s the period when Seth’s story in enact, it was almost fantastic. Mrs. Rupa Mehra’s character is really a remarkable as well as memorable one, she is vividly drawn and her description and dialogues are filled with energy, liveliness and wit. She is a representative of Indian mother who is eager to see her children settled well in life as early as possible. Though the mother-daughter relationship seems to be lively with a positive tone, the feeling of discontent at the limitations of an economic and social world is found in it. The Indian women sketch by the novelist is totally insecure in the economic and social world as they are fully reliant on either father or husband. Life of women becomes more critical when one proves unsuccessful in her hunt. Hence, their aptitude and individuality fatal defects in a woman as her values are always being assessed in the marriage advertise. Volume XII, Issue IV, April/2020 Page No:416 Journal of Interdisciplinary Cycle Research ISSN NO: 0022-1945 The first statement of the novel “you too will marry a boy I choose” foretells all the events which Lata, the female protagonist is made to experience throughout. Secondly, Mrs. Rupa Mehra, referring to the newlywed couple Savita and Pran, states with confidence that “they will be happy,” which in the course of time becomes a fact. Vikram Seth portrays Pran and Savita as an ideal couple, throughout the novel. Their love and affection blossom after the marriage and they overcome the entire hurdle in their life with their mutual understanding and faith towards each other. Seth makes Lata review her actions regarding her matrimonial circumstances from the ideal level of Savita and Pran Kapoor’s domestic life- “a gradual, stable attraction such as Savita's for Pran was this not the best thing for her, and for the family, and for any children that she might have?” The Third statement is too deals with Lata. Mrs. Rupa, in a moment annoyance and exasperation thinks “her younger daughter was going to prove more difficult than her elder.” while making her statement she doesn’t know how true it is going to be. She doesn’t have any difficulties with Savita but the problems with Lata are going to be forever in her lifetime. The fourth and final statement by Mrs.