The despondency of women in patriarchal constellations as portrayed in "That Long Silence" by Shashi Deshpande

Inhaltsangabe oder Einleitung

Gender discrimination is a social stigma which has inflicted not only the Indian Society but social condition would once. Chauvinism is something which has affected the lives of every woman. Voices have been raised from time to time against it but have been curbed forcefully by the so-called contractors of the society, in the name of culture, religion, and community.
Establishing gender justice and gender are the key aspects of the feminist movement. Equal rights for both the genders are not only the biological concern but a social necessity. Shashi Deshpande's quest for identity and freedom has become a dominant theme in her works. She is one of the leading novelists of contemporary Indian Society and has a distinct place as she consistently addresses the question of selfhood with its many ramifications in her novels. She has sensitively treated typical Indian themes and has successfully depicted the intricate emotions, dilemmas, and conflicts of the contemporary Indian woman in her interactions with her male counterparts. Her concern is, in fact, for nothing less than the human predicament.
Keywords: Despondency, chauvinism, identity, dilemma, the human predicament.