Unraveling the Elusiveness of Maya

Women's writing in India

Essay , 2011 , 15 Pages

English Language and Literature Studies - Literature

When a girl auspicates into the world of books and reading, she usually begins with a fairy tale. A Cinderella or a Beauty and the Beast allures and touches a sympathetic chord. These stories usually have a happy ending which ensures that the young minds will not go to bed with a heavy heart. A close examination of these tales, however, reveals that the treatment of girls and women in fairy tales play a major role in forming the sexual role concept of children. The good women, the heroines, are invariably beautiful, passive and powerless while female characters who are powerful are also evil and often very ugly and ill-tempered. Being powerful is mainly associated with being unwomanly. The man in a fairy tale, who sets out to seek his fortune is a stock figure and provided he has a kind heart, is sure to attain success. What is praiseworthy in males, however, is rejected in females. The counterpart of the energetic, aspiring boy is the scheming, shrewd, ambitious women. Women are excluded from holding power. Their power can only be a reflection of that of a husband or a father.
Fairy tales leave an indelible impression on the minds of the young readers. When these readers sit down to spin tales and fables, it consciously encodes a patriarchal ideology. When they portray a woman – she is either good or bad. Female characters have no complexity, no subtlety, and no ‘real’ presence.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• The Elusive Identity of Maya: An Exploration of the Female Narrative
• • The Elusive Identity of Maya
  • The Power of Words and the Encoding of Patriarchy
  • The Feminist Consciousness of Anita Desai
  • The Language of the Interior

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This text delves into the portrayal of women in literature, specifically focusing on the work of Anita Desai. It examines how traditional narratives, including fairy tales and Indian epics, perpetuate patriarchal ideologies and limit female characters to passive roles. The text analyzes Desai's novels, exploring how she challenges these conventions and portrays the complex experiences of female characters in modern Indian society.

• The representation of women in traditional narratives and its impact on societal perceptions
• The influence of patriarchal ideologies on the portrayal of female characters in literature
• Anita Desai's exploration of feminist consciousness and the search for identity in her novels
• The use of interior monologue and the language of the interior to depict the emotional and psychological experiences of female characters
• The themes of alienation, loneliness, and the struggle for freedom within patriarchal societies

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The Elusive Identity of Maya: This chapter begins by examining the portrayal of women in fairy tales and Indian epics, highlighting the prevalence of patriarchal ideologies that restrict female characters to passive roles.
• The Power of Words and the Encoding of Patriarchy: This chapter analyzes the role of literature in perpetuating these ideologies, drawing on examples from Indian literature and highlighting the impact on young readers.
• The Feminist Consciousness of Anita Desai: This chapter focuses on Anita Desai's work, exploring how she challenges traditional narratives and portrays the complex experiences of female characters in modern Indian society. It examines her novels, highlighting the emergence of feminist consciousness and the characters' struggle for identity and agency.
• The Language of the Interior: This chapter explores Desai's use of interior monologue and the language of the interior to capture the emotional and psychological experiences of her characters. It analyzes her portrayal of alienation, loneliness, and the struggle for freedom within patriarchal societies.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This text focuses on the themes of gender, identity, patriarchy, feminist consciousness, and the portrayal of women in literature, particularly exploring the work of Anita Desai. It examines the use of interior monologue, the language of the interior, and the emotional and psychological experiences of female characters in a patriarchal society. Key terms include: fairy tales, Indian epics, female characters, patriarchal ideologies, feminist consciousness, Anita Desai, interior monologue, and alienation.

• College: Ranchi University
• Author: Pragya Shukla (Author)
• Publication Year: 2011
• Pages: 15
• Catalog Number: V179784
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656031499
• ISBN (Book): 9783656031727
• Language: English
• Tags: unraveling, elusiveness, maya, women, india