Feministic Undertones and Overtones in Anand's Novels
Bishun Kumar
- Pages
- pp. 112-118
- Published
- October 1, 2011
Bishun Kumar (2011). Feministic Undertones and Overtones in Anand's Novels. Labyrinth, 2(4), 112-118.
Abstract
Mulk Raj Anand is a ruthless social critic and pioneering humanist rather than a gynocritic. Since women are complementary part of human society therefore, he can not ignore the suppression and oppression of women, sexist remark on them, biased treatment with them, and male's perception of women as a commodity for men's physical pleasure. Feministic undertones of Anand begin with his very first novel Untouchable and continue in all his early novels. His undertones turn into overtones in his later novels. Physical exploitation of Sohini in Untouchable, Leila in Two Leaves and a Bud and Lakshmi in Private Life of an Indian Prince are evidence of his feministic concerns. Suppression and distortion of Parvati into Paro, oppression and physical exploitation of Mumtaz in Morning Face raise feminist issues. Biased treatment of Maya in The Village and of Gauri in The Old Woman and the Cow and their transformation into revolutionary 'new women' is an evidence of his feministic overtones that paves the path for a 'newly born woman' Ganga Dasi in Private Life of an Indian Prince
Keywords:gynocriticFeministic undertones and overtonesoppressionsuppressionnew womandistortionexploitation


