Published Paper Details:

History bears proof to the fact that women have always been relegated to an inferior position in the society. Their representation in literature and other art forms, too, has been nothing short of being an enchantress, a wicked witch, or a devoted mother - merely mentioning their existence with relation to the protagonists. Take for an instance the famous mythical character of Menaka, an apsara in the court of Indra, who had to make certain life choices and give up her daughter in order to have a chance at a normal life, as suited to the patriarchy. Or, take clues from the characters of Sita and Ahalya, who had to provide proofs to their respective husbands as a measure of their faithfulness towards them, and undergo severe penance throughout their lives. History has been cruel to such women of much importance, but the recent developments in the genre of fiction have given a considerable space to such women whose voices have been suppressed for a very long time. Having been relegated to the side-lines for so long, these voices have now come up with thoughts and desires of their own, as a symbol of the 'second sex' finally being given a chance at representation in the contemporary society. This paper attempts to study the lives of two such women - Draupadi (from Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions) and Penelope (from Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad), their experiences in times of war, their suppressed voices, and finally their struggle to establish dominance in an overpowering patriarchal world. This paper also attempts to establish the relevance of studying such voices in the contemporary times, for these women are not just epitome of beauty and compassion, but they also serve as commendable examples of bravery, leadership, strategic competence and "survival of the fittest" instinct in the midst of severe hegemony.