Mohan’s thoughts and ideas about women are based on his observation on his mother’s behavior. For him, anger makes a women “Unwomanly”. Mohan had grown up in a strongly traditional background seeing his mother silently surrendering herself before his father. Keeping the same figure of women in his mind he enters into matrimony with Jaya, whereas Jaya was brought up in a different background adored by her father and brothers. Her …show more content…
“I’m not afraid any more. The panic has gone, I’m Mohan’s wife, I had thought, and cut off the bits of me that had refused to be Mohan’s wife. Now I know that kind of a fragmentation is not possible” (TLS 191).
The presentation of different characters of her novel by analyzing the institution of marriage is often uses as a mark of reference by many writers. For the women characters marriage is a form of slavery and a means of pain and suffering. Despande clearly gives the message that the women themselves are responsible for their own condition and they should struggle to get their own independent identity. She also shared her views on family and independent identity in an interview:
“Liberation never means doing without family. No, no, no. To me liberation does not mean leaving your marriage. We are human beings. Human beings are social animals and we need all these ties.....” Liberation means you refuse to be oppressed and refuse to give up your individuality.” …show more content…
She gets possessed of new and better understanding. She knows that she has to break her silence which however does not mean that she raises a voice of revolt though she seems to raise a voice against Mohan but in a more subtle way she comes to know she has to share a life of mutual responsibility and live as partners.
She understood the fact that “Husband and wife care for each other, marriage never ends, they cannot- they are a state of being”(TLS 127)
She decides to find means to live life afresh. She is ready to start a life anew with Mohan when he returns. She decides to speak out and to listen, to erase the silence between her and Mohan, between her and their children. She, armed with new outlook, vigor and enthusiasm, decides to face her marriage.
References:
1. Family and Intimate Relationships: A Review of the Sociological Research by Val Gillies, Families & Social Capital ESRC Research Group South Bank University, Page-02
2. Family Relationships in the novels of Jane Austane, by Bennett Paula, 1980
3. Overview of Literature on Human Relationship, Page-09
4. Man-Woman Relationship in Indian Fiction, by Seema Suneel, Prestige Books: New Delhi, 1995,