The Ethics and Aesthetics of Love and Marriage in Chetan Bhagat’s 2 States

Abstract

Chetan Bhagat writes novels for the youth. His works target the problems, confusions, and lack of guidance which exists in the Indian society. As a writer and as a person he believes that the youth of the nation must be aware of what they want in life. He wants to show that life is a series of struggles and hence one has to conquer it to win over. Bhagat has a strong conviction that life is not a bed of roses and hence he wishes to create in the minds of his readers, more humorously that they need to sweat it out to achieve something in their lives. The novel, Two States : The Story of My Marriage is itself self explanatory and enlivening. When a lay reader gets to browse the title, one is reminded of the variant cultures which India has been carrying over under the tag of unity and diversity. When it comes to marriage, in a country like India, it is always a big fat wedding. The paper looks at the facets of love and marriage in the eyes of culture and acceptance. Although the country boasts of modernity and development in all the spheres of life, there is still a lack and a pitfall when it comes to marriage. Caste and family still play a very prominent role in deciding the fate of marriages.