The Concept of New Women in the Short Stories of Odia Writer Binapani Mohanty

Abstract

I deliberate on examining few of the liberated women or the New Women presented in an Odia short story writer Binapani Mohanty’s stories. In her stories, the persona and disposition is finding a place for constructive thrive, but again those are not really allowed to flourish in a full fledged manner. With the change of time and different dynamics of the modern scenario, women have started to become aware of the happening surrounded by them. A liberated woman thinks on her own, can take decision, has the ability to accept or reject any idea. They hold their own opinion. But when patriarchy operates, to what extent they have been allowed for expression is the next thing to be examined. Talking about the New Women is more appropriate than New Woman. Every individual woman has a different circumstance to respond to. Her portrayal of new women is different from the idea of the Victorian New Woman. In the modern context, they have to endure lots of struggle and suffering. Mohanty’s characters are mostly the middle class women, who are affected by every small little change in the society. She has also drawn a parallel with the doubly disadvantageous lot of the society, the poor class women. In every situation the characters so dynamically adopt to every situation.