The Inevitable Hardship Journey of Women in Shashi Deshpande’s Small Remedies

Abstract

This article explores the poignant depiction of the hardships faced by women in Shashi Deshpande’s novel Small Remedies. Through an in-depth analysis of the characters, narrative, and plot, the researcher underscores how Deshpande skillfully exposes the societal structures that lead to gender inequality in Indian society. Each individual in the world has experienced some form of hardship. There are wounds which cannot be mended or forgotten. Majority of a girl’s life will be suffering, which will follow her around like a bad dream. When kids don’t get the love they need, they feel worthless and a lot of them end up drifting away from their families and becoming rebellious adults. In order to get what they want out of life, they need to be directed, motivated and encouraged both by family and society. Women learn to approach the world more cautiously as a result of their painful experiences. They crave for their parents’ attention and love while they are young. This study examines the impact of hardship and trauma on Savitribai and her daughter Munni in Shashi Deshpande’s Small Remedies. The degree to which the pain disrupts one’s life differs from person to person. The novelist consistently uses her characters to show the range of emotions that arise when living in a patriarchal society, including anguish, wrath, misery, disappointment and distress. Most of her protagonists are lonely introverts. This study emphasises the characters’ disappointments and the childhood trauma that has left an indelible mark on their adulthood. This paper ultimately sheds light on Deshpande’s narrative as a critique of patriarchal society, emphasizing the need for women’s emancipation and self-determination. It offers readers an interpretative lens to understand the novel's thematic richness, its representation of gender dynamics in a traditional Indian context, and its call for reformative societal change.