THE EMERGENCE OF A MODERN WOMAN IN MANJU KAPUR'S HOME

Ms.S. Jebisha , Ms. M.Aarthi

Feminism, Post-feminism, Patriarchy, Female identity, Domesticity, Women's empowerment,social conditioning.

Manju Kapur, a prominent contemporary Indian novelist, is widely recognized for her feminist narratives that explore the intricate layers of womanhood within the socio-cultural landscape of India. Kapur foregrounds the concerns of middle-class Indian women who strive to redefine their roles beyond patriarchal expectations. These texts become significant cultural documents that trace the transitions in the position of Indian women from the pre-Independence period to post-liberalization India. Kapur's fiction resonates with feminist theorists such as Shulamith Firestone, Kate Millett, and Betty Friedan, whose perspectives illuminate gendered oppression in domestic, social, and reproductive spheres. Firestone's critique of biological determinism and Millett's analysis of patriarchal conditioning find reflection in Kapur's depiction of women denied bodily autonomy, continuously pregnant, or burdened with childcare and household duties. Kapur critiques the romanticized ideals of motherhood, revealing its toll on women's bodies and identities, while simultaneously arguing for shared domestic responsibilities. Through characters like Hemant, who insists that childcare is solely a woman's role, Kapur highlights the superficiality of modernity in Indian households where women's employment is accepted but not supported.Kapur also acknowledges the role of progressive men in women's emancipation, contesting a rigid binary of male oppressor and female victim. Nevertheless, she emphasizes the continuing imbalance, where women who cross social thresholds face ostracism more severely than men.

Volume 13 Issue 11, November-2025

Pages : h434-h437