Published Paper Details:

Very few instances of women characters disclosing their intimate and untold experiences are upholded in history who struggle to break through the stereotypical construct of being tolerant care givers. This was merely because being set in the patriarchal set up there had always been the fear of being rejected, mocked , humiliated or ostracized. Autobiography writing by women, a literature of self-revelation which forms its existence in India since the early 19th century enables the woman author to express how she endures an invasion of self, the intrusion of inner space, or a violation of her sexual and physical autonomy. In contrast to other genres, this form unravels the innermost feelings of a writer and her self-exploration with a tone of truth. In the later part of the twentieth century, there are autobiographers like Amrita Pritam, Kamala Das, Shobha De, Tasleema Nasrin etc who have boldly expressed their innermost emotions and the socio-cultural impositions laid down by the society on women in particular. Their mode of self expression seem to construct a distinct form of agency that not only share their experiences but also impact on the psyche of all women. The present study takes into account the autobiographies of Amrita Pritam, Kamala Das and Dr. Indira Goswami who have boldly expressed their views on the socio-cultural realities during the late twentieth century. The study will also attempt to affirm the female voice as redeemers of their own "self" as well as the community of women at large who navigate through an oppressive structure encountering trauma but emerge out of it and rebuilds life. Despite their diverse geographical and socio-political affiliations their representations share commonalities that highlight a distinct woman voice. The poignant yet challenging expressions of various kinds of discriminations and conflicts that they have been exposed to in their public and private life triggered their bold stances in the prevailing social order, that not only uphold their voice against patriarchy but also provide an alternative yet exigent source of history .