FEMINIST MOVEMENT IN THE NOVELS OF NAYANTARA SAHGAL

One of the best Indian novelists in English is Nayantara Sahgal. In the novels of Nayantara Sahgal, the renowned Indian English writer, the main emphasis is on the plight and problems of educated women, often from an urban background. In several of the characters of her books, Nayantara depicts the full right of equality for women. She talks about the problem of a new woman from India. Nayantara Sahgal is a descendant of the belief in which force itself is deified as the ‘sakthi’ deity, a female symbol. Government officials, corporate tycoons, foreign advisers, upper class citizens, writers and highly trained individuals such as ambassadors and ministers populate her fictitious universe. A political theme is also paired with the theme. Of the relationship between man and woman, their marriage issues, their volatile incompatibility, the problems that result from their tameness, and eventually a woman’s place in society. An effort has been made in this paper to discuss the topic of suffering in the post-independence period and maladjustment in the social setup of an English lady. Sahgal also portrays how, facing many barriers, women rise in strength and how women make many sacrifices and concessions, and how tolerantly they bravely face the hardships of life. Nayantara Sahgal is one of the great Indian novelists in English. The main focus in the novels of Nayantara Sahgal, the celebrated Indian English novelist, is on the plight and problems of educated women, mostly with an urban base. Nayantara portrays the complete right of freedom for women in many of the characters in her novels. She speaks about the dilemma of new Indian woman. Nayantara Sahgal is a progeny of the belief wherein power itself is deified as goddess ‘sakthi’, a female symbol. Her fictional world is occupied by political leaders, business tycoons, foreign advisors, upper class people, journalists and highly qualified persons like ambassadors and ministers. A political theme is often combined to the theme of man-woman relationship, their marital problems, their unpredictable incompatibility, the problems arising out of their tameness and finally the place of a woman in society. In this paper, an attempt has been made to explore the theme of sufferings in post-independence era and maladjustment of an English lady in the social setup. Sahgal also depicts how women grow in power in spite of many hurdles and how women make many sacrifices and compromises, and how they bravely face the challenges of life with tolerance.