Balancing Perspective of the Woman Protagonist Between Traditional Approach and Economic Independence in Manju Kapur’s Novel: Home

Abstract

The place of women in her household and within her society has always been persisted a matter of conflict not only in Indian environment but throughout the world civilization since the very primitive times of human enlightenment. The spiritual ideologies of every religion and the constitution of India inspired by the different religions generally advocates that every person must have the equality in every sphere of life and some essential rights of their own to live their respective lives with self-respect and self-reputation, being a member of his/her corresponding community. But the social construct of every civilization has ever been dominated by the customary rituals of every socio-cultural phenomenon as well as the mind set-up of people belonged to every conventional society. These socio-cultural constructs may vary from one community to the another. With the impact of education, advancement and modernization prevailed in most of the societies, the outlook of the community has been changed for the reputation and place of the women resulted to their growth in every domain of life but some orthodox communities are still there and these do not want to confer the freedom and equal rights to women of their community for which they actually deserve. These women of the said communities have been victimized to their exploitation and in their miserable predicament. They are not only harassed in the previous past historical context of the society but are being dominated and prosecuted in the present civilization also. These women are still expected to lead their lives as slaves to their traditional households and to work or to dance like the puppets according to the directions of their male-counterparts of orthodox patriarchal system of the civilization being continued as the custom of the conventional society. Even though, these women of the society might be well-educated, might be employed in different professions, such as; successful teachers, administrators and business-women etc., who are showing their dexterity in every walk of life as no any field has been left behind where they have not shown and proved their effective contribution to society for its growth, development and welfare etc. But still, they are lacking to establish their own independent identity within their household and their distinctive communities. They are educated enough, who have been come out of the thick darkness of their illiteracy, stupefaction and ignorance by piercing the rays of hope through education and economic growth towards their upliftment. These women have made their sincere endeavours towards their well-being but unfortunately, they are still a failure category to secure for themselves a respectable and reputable place within the male members of their own households. There they are still considered as an essential usable asset to run the households skillfully without raising their voice even a little. In short, they have been freed from illiteracy but they are still in the bound of the traditional patriarchal; system of the society. These women have become an earning member for their families, who are working inside and outside of their homes to serve and feed their families but still they are the part of their humiliation, exploitation and oppression under the mental set-up of the traditional patriarchal system of society. Hence, there is no any other way by which they may escape themselves from the clutch of traditional bounds over them. Subsequently, they have to make balance between their little economic independence with the traditional outlook of the society and of their familial households.