The author of the best selling Difficult Daughters, Manju Kapur is a celebrated Indian Author. She’s taught English Literature at her alma mater, Miranda House, Delhi University, for the past 30 years. She currently lives in New Delhi with her husband. http://www.manjukapur.com/difficult-daughters/
Feminist Studies in Buchi Emechetas's 'The Joys of Motherhood'Pina Gondaliya
The document provides an analysis of feminist themes in Buchi Emecheta's novel "The Joys of Motherhood" from a student presentation. It summarizes that the novel explores the difficulties facing women in traditional African societies, highlighting issues like gender inequality, defined gender roles, men's dominance over women, lack of freedom and education for women, and the importance of motherhood. The analysis finds that the novel presents these "feminist ideological issues" through the story of the main character Nnu Ego and her experiences in the patriarchal Igbo society in Nigeria.
- The Waste Land is a modernist poem by T.S. Eliot considered one of the most important poems of the 20th century.
- It is composed of five sections that combine references from Western literature and culture with Buddhist and Hindu scripture.
- The poem depicts the spiritual and moral decay of post-WWI Europe through fragmented images and voices, with themes of sexual perversion, the breakdown of civilization, and the search for spiritual salvation.
study reading novel (woman at point zero)- structuralism approachmardiatun nisa
Structuralism argues that there must be an underlying structure or system of patterns in any text that helps experienced readers interpret it. The document analyzes the novel "Woman at Point Zero" using a structuralism approach. It summarizes the plot, which follows a poor village girl named Firdaus who is forced into prostitution. It outlines the major characters of Firdaus, her uncle, and Sharifa. The analysis identifies themes of surveillance, power, and respect, along with motifs of sexual pleasure, choice, and captivity. It also notes symbolic representations of money and books in the novel.
The New Criticism was a formalist style of literary criticism that emerged in the first half of the 20th century. It viewed texts as self-contained and focused on analyzing elements within the text like irony, ambiguity, and paradox to discover implied themes. Key figures in developing New Criticism included I.A. Richards, William Empson, and T.S. Eliot. The approach was popularized through works by Cleanth Brooks and others in the 1940s-1950s. New Criticism emphasized close reading of texts over historical context or authorial intent.
Bapsi Sidhwa is a renowned Pakistani writer who focuses on depicting women's experiences during the Partition of India. She explores the abuse suffered by women at this time that was justified by a patriarchal society, resulting in women being doubly victimized.
H.M. Naqvi is a British-Pakistani author who received awards for his novel "Home Boy". The novel centers on three Pakistani-American friends living in New York - Chuck, AC, and Jimbo. It explores their lives pre- and post-9/11, when they face increased scrutiny and racism. After 9/11, Chuck is interrogated by authorities and begins to reconsider his religious and cultural identity. The novel examines themes of cultural hybridity, subaltern status, and the effects of the post-9/11 "terrorist" discourse that stereotyped Muslims in America.
This document provides background information on the English poet John Keats and analyzes his famous ode "Ode to a Nightingale". It outlines details of Keats' life and career, defines what an ode is, summarizes the themes of the poem like mortality and man's relationship with nature, and asserts that the nightingale symbolizes joy, nature, or Keats himself. It concludes that the moral of the poem is the acceptance of human mortality despite finding temporary escape through appreciating beauty.
Feminist Studies in Buchi Emechetas's 'The Joys of Motherhood'Pina Gondaliya
The document provides an analysis of feminist themes in Buchi Emecheta's novel "The Joys of Motherhood" from a student presentation. It summarizes that the novel explores the difficulties facing women in traditional African societies, highlighting issues like gender inequality, defined gender roles, men's dominance over women, lack of freedom and education for women, and the importance of motherhood. The analysis finds that the novel presents these "feminist ideological issues" through the story of the main character Nnu Ego and her experiences in the patriarchal Igbo society in Nigeria.
- The Waste Land is a modernist poem by T.S. Eliot considered one of the most important poems of the 20th century.
- It is composed of five sections that combine references from Western literature and culture with Buddhist and Hindu scripture.
- The poem depicts the spiritual and moral decay of post-WWI Europe through fragmented images and voices, with themes of sexual perversion, the breakdown of civilization, and the search for spiritual salvation.
study reading novel (woman at point zero)- structuralism approachmardiatun nisa
Structuralism argues that there must be an underlying structure or system of patterns in any text that helps experienced readers interpret it. The document analyzes the novel "Woman at Point Zero" using a structuralism approach. It summarizes the plot, which follows a poor village girl named Firdaus who is forced into prostitution. It outlines the major characters of Firdaus, her uncle, and Sharifa. The analysis identifies themes of surveillance, power, and respect, along with motifs of sexual pleasure, choice, and captivity. It also notes symbolic representations of money and books in the novel.
The New Criticism was a formalist style of literary criticism that emerged in the first half of the 20th century. It viewed texts as self-contained and focused on analyzing elements within the text like irony, ambiguity, and paradox to discover implied themes. Key figures in developing New Criticism included I.A. Richards, William Empson, and T.S. Eliot. The approach was popularized through works by Cleanth Brooks and others in the 1940s-1950s. New Criticism emphasized close reading of texts over historical context or authorial intent.
Bapsi Sidhwa is a renowned Pakistani writer who focuses on depicting women's experiences during the Partition of India. She explores the abuse suffered by women at this time that was justified by a patriarchal society, resulting in women being doubly victimized.
H.M. Naqvi is a British-Pakistani author who received awards for his novel "Home Boy". The novel centers on three Pakistani-American friends living in New York - Chuck, AC, and Jimbo. It explores their lives pre- and post-9/11, when they face increased scrutiny and racism. After 9/11, Chuck is interrogated by authorities and begins to reconsider his religious and cultural identity. The novel examines themes of cultural hybridity, subaltern status, and the effects of the post-9/11 "terrorist" discourse that stereotyped Muslims in America.
This document provides background information on the English poet John Keats and analyzes his famous ode "Ode to a Nightingale". It outlines details of Keats' life and career, defines what an ode is, summarizes the themes of the poem like mortality and man's relationship with nature, and asserts that the nightingale symbolizes joy, nature, or Keats himself. It concludes that the moral of the poem is the acceptance of human mortality despite finding temporary escape through appreciating beauty.
The document summarizes V.S. Naipaul's novel "A House for Mr. Biswas". It follows the life of Mohun Biswas from birth in rural Trinidad to his desire to build a house of his own to gain independence from his overpowering in-laws. Key themes include family and the role of writing in Mr. Biswas' life. The narrative style incorporates the perspectives and dialects of characters in Trinidad in the early-to-mid 20th century.
The Tiger and the Deer by Aurobindo is an interesting poem by Sri Aurobindo.
The ppt serves to have some new ideas and helps for the betterment of understanding.
This document summarizes Kuntaka's theory of Vakrokti, or oblique expression, which he considers the hallmark of creative literature. Vakrokti involves expressing things in a striking way that goes beyond direct description. Kuntaka believes Vakrokti is the source of beauty in poetry. He discusses the origins and definitions of Vakrokti provided by other theorists like Bhamaha and Dandin. Kuntaka also compares his view of Vakrokti to Anandvardhana's theory of Dhvani and provides classifications of Vakrokti, including six types.
The document discusses the themes in W.H. Auden's poetry. It notes that his poetry covered themes of love, religion, politics and social concerns, citizenship, war, death, and modern horrors like totalitarianism. Auden's poetry expressed messages about the need for human connection and love in the face of these difficult themes and times. His work reflected the political turmoil of his era and events like the Spanish Civil War.
Significance of the title 'Things Fall Apart''Krupali Lewade
The protagonist of the novel starts as a rich and respectable person in a peaceful and organic Igbo society. However, by the end of the novel, the protagonist meets a tragic end and Igbo society falls apart as rituals and culture disappear.
The play The Road by Wole Soyinka follows the lives of various drivers and associates in a poor Nigerian neighborhood. One main character, Professor, owns a store on the road and seems obsessed with finding the ultimate "Word." He believes the road symbolizes the journey from life to death. Professor causes accidents and then profits by selling spare parts from the wrecked vehicles. He views the "Word" as a force that can destroy people and as the key to controlling the universe.
- Mahesh Dattani is an Indian playwright, screenwriter, and director who has written and produced several critically acclaimed plays and films.
- He was the first playwright in English to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honor, which he won in 1998 for his play Final Solutions.
- Final Solutions explores religious tensions and communal violence in India through the lens of characters who take refuge in a house during Hindu-Muslim riots following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. It examines themes of prejudice, minority struggles, and clashes between traditions and modern values.
Analysis of Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (General Prologue, The Knig...Kareen Jane Canillas
Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet and author born around 1343 in London. He is considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and is best known for his work The Canterbury Tales. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of over 20 stories told by a group of pilgrims as they travel from London to Canterbury Cathedral. The stories range in tone from pious to vulgar and include genres such as romance, fabliaux, saints' lives, animal fables, and allegories. Chaucer drew from a variety of sources such as Boccaccio's Decameron and helped establish English as a legitimate literary language.
This document discusses the history and development of Indian English literature. It begins by mentioning Salman Rushdie's quote about literature opening doors to imagination and understanding. It then discusses Sake Dean Mahomet, considered the first Indian to write a book in English in the 18th century. Indian English literature refers to works written in English by Indian authors, and also the Indian diaspora such as Salman Rushdie. Writers like Rabindranath Tagore inspired Indians and his translations helped popularize English. The document goes on to list many influential Indian English authors and their contributions to literature.
The first stanza of the poem describes Khan's pleasure dome built alongside a sacred river fed by a powerful fountain. The second stanza is the narrator's response to the power and effects of an Abyssinian maid's song, which enraptures him but leaves him unable to act on her inspiration unless he could hear her once again. Together, they form a comparison of creative power that does not work with nature and creative power that is harmonious with nature.
- Isabel Archer, an independent young American woman, travels to England with her wealthy Aunt Mrs. Touchett.
- At her aunt's estate, Gardencourt, Isabel meets Ralph Touchett, her cousin, and Lord Warburton, an English aristocrat who takes an interest in her.
- Lord Warburton professes his admiration for Isabel, but she remains unsure of her feelings for him and wants to maintain her independence.
T.S. Eliot was an American-British poet, playwright, and literary critic born in 1888 in Missouri. Some of his most influential works include The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, and Four Quartets. Eliot's poetry was characterized by disjointed images and allusions to express the disillusionment of the post-WWI period. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948 for works that helped shape modern literature.
This document provides an analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer's Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and how it represents 14th century English society. The summary discusses how Chaucer introduces 30 characters from different social classes that make up medieval English society, including the knight, squire, monk, and merchant. It also examines how Chaucer uses these characters to portray different aspects of 14th century life in England through vivid descriptions that give a precise portrait of the nation at that time.
The document discusses several key themes and symbols in E.M. Forster's novel A Passage to India. It describes how the echo in the Marabar Caves unnerves Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested by reducing all sounds and meanings to the same monotonous tone of "boum." This echo highlights the cultural clash between Western and Hindu beliefs. It also discusses the religious rivalry between Muslims and Hindus in the novel and how characters like Dr. Aziz and Dr. Panna Lal demonstrate this tension. Finally, it provides context on symbols like the Green Bird and motifs like Eastern and Western architecture in the novel.
Presentation on Novel - A Passage to India. AleeenaFarooq
A Passage to India: What exactly happens in the Marabar caves? Indicate the consequences of the visit. What are the effects of the visit upon Mrs. Moore and Ms. Adela?
This document provides a detailed analysis of the poem "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath. It begins with an introduction to the poem and its themes of suicide and Holocaust imagery. It then analyzes the text and imagery in detail. The analysis explores Plath's likely intentions in writing the poem as an expression of anger and frustration, as well as a representation of universal female protest. It examines the poem's style and its use of colloquial language to portray the speaker's pain and disintegration.
This document discusses Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus in the context of Renaissance elements. It provides background on Marlowe and defines key aspects of the Renaissance like the thirst for knowledge, rise of individualism, humanism, and revolt against the church. It then analyzes how Doctor Faustus embodies these Renaissance ideals through Faustus' pursuit of magical knowledge and rejection of traditional limits. However, it also notes some ways Faustus diverges from Renaissance norms through his actions after gaining power. Overall, the document argues that while Faustus embraces many Renaissance concepts, he is ultimately punished for overreaching and not using his abilities for good.
The document summarizes Henry David Thoreau's book Walden. It discusses how Thoreau lived in a home he built near Walden Pond in order to live simply and deliberately away from society. It describes Thoreau's critiques of modern society, including that people are too busy and tied down, don't truly live or think deeply, and worry too much about insignificant problems. The document emphasizes Thoreau's view that life should be lived with purpose and focus on essential truths rather than societal distractions.
This document provides an analysis of symbolism and themes in Henrik Ibsen's play "A Doll's House." It discusses various metaphors and symbols used in the play, including Nora being treated like a doll in a doll house by her father and husband. It also analyzes the symbolism of names Torvald calls Nora, as well as objects like her fancy dress, the Christmas tree, and doors opening and closing. The document concludes by arguing that "A Doll's House" can be considered a modern tragedy as it presents an ordinary woman's journey toward self-liberation in a patriarchal society through the use of deception.
This document provides an overview of Virginia Woolf's novels from a feminist perspective. It discusses how Woolf was influenced by the feminist movements of her time and sought to establish a female tradition of writing. Specifically, it analyzes how her novels To the Lighthouse, Orlando, and A Room of One's Own promoted feminist ideas. To the Lighthouse featured the independent character of Lily Briscoe who challenged gender roles. Orlando normalized androgyny by having the protagonist change sex. And Room of One's Own argued that women must have financial independence and education to achieve their full creative potential.
The document summarizes V.S. Naipaul's novel "A House for Mr. Biswas". It follows the life of Mohun Biswas from birth in rural Trinidad to his desire to build a house of his own to gain independence from his overpowering in-laws. Key themes include family and the role of writing in Mr. Biswas' life. The narrative style incorporates the perspectives and dialects of characters in Trinidad in the early-to-mid 20th century.
The Tiger and the Deer by Aurobindo is an interesting poem by Sri Aurobindo.
The ppt serves to have some new ideas and helps for the betterment of understanding.
This document summarizes Kuntaka's theory of Vakrokti, or oblique expression, which he considers the hallmark of creative literature. Vakrokti involves expressing things in a striking way that goes beyond direct description. Kuntaka believes Vakrokti is the source of beauty in poetry. He discusses the origins and definitions of Vakrokti provided by other theorists like Bhamaha and Dandin. Kuntaka also compares his view of Vakrokti to Anandvardhana's theory of Dhvani and provides classifications of Vakrokti, including six types.
The document discusses the themes in W.H. Auden's poetry. It notes that his poetry covered themes of love, religion, politics and social concerns, citizenship, war, death, and modern horrors like totalitarianism. Auden's poetry expressed messages about the need for human connection and love in the face of these difficult themes and times. His work reflected the political turmoil of his era and events like the Spanish Civil War.
Significance of the title 'Things Fall Apart''Krupali Lewade
The protagonist of the novel starts as a rich and respectable person in a peaceful and organic Igbo society. However, by the end of the novel, the protagonist meets a tragic end and Igbo society falls apart as rituals and culture disappear.
The play The Road by Wole Soyinka follows the lives of various drivers and associates in a poor Nigerian neighborhood. One main character, Professor, owns a store on the road and seems obsessed with finding the ultimate "Word." He believes the road symbolizes the journey from life to death. Professor causes accidents and then profits by selling spare parts from the wrecked vehicles. He views the "Word" as a force that can destroy people and as the key to controlling the universe.
- Mahesh Dattani is an Indian playwright, screenwriter, and director who has written and produced several critically acclaimed plays and films.
- He was the first playwright in English to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award, India's highest literary honor, which he won in 1998 for his play Final Solutions.
- Final Solutions explores religious tensions and communal violence in India through the lens of characters who take refuge in a house during Hindu-Muslim riots following the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992. It examines themes of prejudice, minority struggles, and clashes between traditions and modern values.
Analysis of Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer (General Prologue, The Knig...Kareen Jane Canillas
Geoffrey Chaucer was an English poet and author born around 1343 in London. He is considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and is best known for his work The Canterbury Tales. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of over 20 stories told by a group of pilgrims as they travel from London to Canterbury Cathedral. The stories range in tone from pious to vulgar and include genres such as romance, fabliaux, saints' lives, animal fables, and allegories. Chaucer drew from a variety of sources such as Boccaccio's Decameron and helped establish English as a legitimate literary language.
This document discusses the history and development of Indian English literature. It begins by mentioning Salman Rushdie's quote about literature opening doors to imagination and understanding. It then discusses Sake Dean Mahomet, considered the first Indian to write a book in English in the 18th century. Indian English literature refers to works written in English by Indian authors, and also the Indian diaspora such as Salman Rushdie. Writers like Rabindranath Tagore inspired Indians and his translations helped popularize English. The document goes on to list many influential Indian English authors and their contributions to literature.
The first stanza of the poem describes Khan's pleasure dome built alongside a sacred river fed by a powerful fountain. The second stanza is the narrator's response to the power and effects of an Abyssinian maid's song, which enraptures him but leaves him unable to act on her inspiration unless he could hear her once again. Together, they form a comparison of creative power that does not work with nature and creative power that is harmonious with nature.
- Isabel Archer, an independent young American woman, travels to England with her wealthy Aunt Mrs. Touchett.
- At her aunt's estate, Gardencourt, Isabel meets Ralph Touchett, her cousin, and Lord Warburton, an English aristocrat who takes an interest in her.
- Lord Warburton professes his admiration for Isabel, but she remains unsure of her feelings for him and wants to maintain her independence.
T.S. Eliot was an American-British poet, playwright, and literary critic born in 1888 in Missouri. Some of his most influential works include The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, The Waste Land, and Four Quartets. Eliot's poetry was characterized by disjointed images and allusions to express the disillusionment of the post-WWI period. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1948 for works that helped shape modern literature.
This document provides an analysis of Geoffrey Chaucer's Prologue to The Canterbury Tales and how it represents 14th century English society. The summary discusses how Chaucer introduces 30 characters from different social classes that make up medieval English society, including the knight, squire, monk, and merchant. It also examines how Chaucer uses these characters to portray different aspects of 14th century life in England through vivid descriptions that give a precise portrait of the nation at that time.
The document discusses several key themes and symbols in E.M. Forster's novel A Passage to India. It describes how the echo in the Marabar Caves unnerves Mrs. Moore and Adela Quested by reducing all sounds and meanings to the same monotonous tone of "boum." This echo highlights the cultural clash between Western and Hindu beliefs. It also discusses the religious rivalry between Muslims and Hindus in the novel and how characters like Dr. Aziz and Dr. Panna Lal demonstrate this tension. Finally, it provides context on symbols like the Green Bird and motifs like Eastern and Western architecture in the novel.
Presentation on Novel - A Passage to India. AleeenaFarooq
A Passage to India: What exactly happens in the Marabar caves? Indicate the consequences of the visit. What are the effects of the visit upon Mrs. Moore and Ms. Adela?
This document provides a detailed analysis of the poem "Lady Lazarus" by Sylvia Plath. It begins with an introduction to the poem and its themes of suicide and Holocaust imagery. It then analyzes the text and imagery in detail. The analysis explores Plath's likely intentions in writing the poem as an expression of anger and frustration, as well as a representation of universal female protest. It examines the poem's style and its use of colloquial language to portray the speaker's pain and disintegration.
This document discusses Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus in the context of Renaissance elements. It provides background on Marlowe and defines key aspects of the Renaissance like the thirst for knowledge, rise of individualism, humanism, and revolt against the church. It then analyzes how Doctor Faustus embodies these Renaissance ideals through Faustus' pursuit of magical knowledge and rejection of traditional limits. However, it also notes some ways Faustus diverges from Renaissance norms through his actions after gaining power. Overall, the document argues that while Faustus embraces many Renaissance concepts, he is ultimately punished for overreaching and not using his abilities for good.
The document summarizes Henry David Thoreau's book Walden. It discusses how Thoreau lived in a home he built near Walden Pond in order to live simply and deliberately away from society. It describes Thoreau's critiques of modern society, including that people are too busy and tied down, don't truly live or think deeply, and worry too much about insignificant problems. The document emphasizes Thoreau's view that life should be lived with purpose and focus on essential truths rather than societal distractions.
This document provides an analysis of symbolism and themes in Henrik Ibsen's play "A Doll's House." It discusses various metaphors and symbols used in the play, including Nora being treated like a doll in a doll house by her father and husband. It also analyzes the symbolism of names Torvald calls Nora, as well as objects like her fancy dress, the Christmas tree, and doors opening and closing. The document concludes by arguing that "A Doll's House" can be considered a modern tragedy as it presents an ordinary woman's journey toward self-liberation in a patriarchal society through the use of deception.
This document provides an overview of Virginia Woolf's novels from a feminist perspective. It discusses how Woolf was influenced by the feminist movements of her time and sought to establish a female tradition of writing. Specifically, it analyzes how her novels To the Lighthouse, Orlando, and A Room of One's Own promoted feminist ideas. To the Lighthouse featured the independent character of Lily Briscoe who challenged gender roles. Orlando normalized androgyny by having the protagonist change sex. And Room of One's Own argued that women must have financial independence and education to achieve their full creative potential.
Search of Identity: A study of Manju Kapur’s novel “Difficult Daughters”inventionjournals
This paper presents the woman as an individual who fights against suppression and oppression of the patriarchy. The novel Difficult Daughters sensibly shows the position of women and her longing struggle to establish an identity. Manju Kapur has come out as serious social thinker in her novels because there is a purpose behind her writing. All her novels have been written with a definite purpose because the novelist tries to analyze issues related to the middle class or upper middle class women. Manju Kapur is much interested to present the questions and problems related to women in a larger perspective. In her novels, the women’s questions have emerged essentially in the context of the identity of the new educated middle class. Manju Kapur’s female protagonists are mostly educated. They are strong individuals but imprisoned within the boundary of conservative society. Their education leads them to independent thinking for which their family and society become intolerable to them, in their individual struggle with family and society through which they plunged into a dedicated effort to search an identity for them as qualified women with faultless background. The novelist has portrayed her protagonists as women caught in the conflict between the passions of the flesh and yearning to be a part of the political and intellectual society of today
This document provides a detailed summary and analysis of the novel An Abbreviated Child by Rita Garg. It discusses how the novel raises many questions related to feminism and portrays women overcoming immense hardships and suffering to fight for their rights and empowerment. The summary highlights several key female characters who face challenges like poverty, domestic abuse, and human trafficking but pursue education and social reform. Through their struggles and accomplishments, the novel argues that women are strong and capable despite facing social constructions of gender that portray them as weak.
Rokheya Shekhawat Hossein composed Sultana’s Dream in English and published it in Indian Ladies Magazine in 1905. The text speaks of her attitude toward Muslim patriarchy and her belief that Indian men and women were, as Bharati Ray notes in her Early Feminists of Colonial India, “willing collaborators in their own oppressions”, and that men’s selfishness and women’s mental slavery were/are the two factors causing the degradation of women in India. In her work of fiction she speaks of the middle-class Muslim woman who is doubly oppressed, first for being Muslim and second for being a woman. Rokheya Shekhawat Hossein is primarily concerned with the empowerment of women through education and awareness which are crucial for development.
This document provides background information on Pandita Ramabai, a 19th century Indian social reformer who advocated for women's rights and education. It discusses how she was born into a Brahmin family but challenged Hindu practices, becoming a widow at a young age and later converting to Christianity. The summary highlights that she established schools to educate women and widows, published writings advocating for women's issues, and traveled internationally to raise awareness of the conditions faced by Indian women, making her a pioneering figure for the women's rights movement in India.
Depiction of women in Talaash e Baharan NovelUshna Tariq
The document summarizes a research paper about the experiences of Hindu women during the partition of India as depicted in the novel "Talaash-e-Baharaan" by Jamila Hashmi. It discusses the problem statement, objectives, and introduction of the research. It also reviews relevant literature and analyzes the depiction of six main female characters in the novel - Kanwal Kumari Thakur, Deena, Beena, Meera, Krishna Boss, and Shobha Baiz Jee. All of the women faced difficulties due to the male-dominated society and gender inequality of the time, with some experiencing domestic violence, lack of rights, or death. In conclusion, none of the female characters
This document provides biographical information about Indian novelist Manju Kapur and summarizes her novel Difficult Daughters. It discusses Kapur's education and career, her major works, and themes in Difficult Daughters. The novel tells the story of three generations of women - Kasturi, Virmati, and Ida - and focuses on the central theme of marriage. It explores the conflict between tradition and modernity through the character of Virmati, who desires education and independence, defying social norms.
Summaries of the four sections of READING LOLITA IN TEHRANAleeenaFarooq
This summary provides an overview of the key sections and themes from the document:
1. Section 1 discusses Azar Nafisi's book and her decision to host a secret literature class in her home for women students in Iran. It describes how the literature group allowed the women to express themselves freely and escape the customs that imprisoned them. Symbols of freedom and imprisonment are explored.
2. Section 2 focuses on Nafisi's life history and a class debate over The Great Gatsby. Students from different political sides debated Gatsby's dream in the context of the Iranian revolution. Literature allows understanding between people in different circumstances.
3. Section 3 describes the start of the Iran-Iraq war and
Kamala Das was an Indian poet, author and writer from Kerala. She wrote in both Malayalam and English and was noted for her poems and short stories. Some of her well known works include Summer in Calcutta, The Descendants, and her autobiography My Story. She explored bold themes of feminism, love and sexuality in her works.
Malcolm X Essays. Malcolm x essay - reportz60.web.fc2.comLiz Milligan
Malcolm X Essay | Essay on Malcolm X for Students and Children in .... 017 Essay Example Malcolm X Sourcebook Img 62 ~ Thatsnotus. Malcolm X Essay — The Autobiography of Malcolm X. The Issue of Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays .... Essay Malcolm X | Malcolm X | Discrimination | Free 30-day Trial | Scribd. Malcolm X essay project - GCSE History - Marked by Teachers.com. Malcolm x essays - Reliable Essay Writers That Deserve Your Trust. Malcolm X Essay - Malcolm X Essay. Malcolm x essay - reportz60.web.fc2.com. Malcolm x and the civil rights movement essay - myteacherpages.x.fc2.com. Malcolm X essay - GCSE History - Marked by Teachers.com. Malcolm X Essay – The Legacy of Malcolm X. Stunning Malcolm X Essay ~ Thatsnotus. Malcolm X as One of the Proponents of Racial Segregation Essay Example ....
The Monster in Patriarchy: A review in Amma Darko’s Beyond the Horizon, The H...AJHSSR Journal
Women are not supposed to speak in typical traditional and patriarchal societies. While their
husbands address them, they must remain silent to the end of the talk and execute what they are told with no
complain and restraint. Women are therefore assigned roles which make them citizens of second zone and living
at the margin of society. Cultural and traditional norms of their different community allow their desires being
ignored and put aside. Women face subordination, oppression and abuses of all kind all over the time and have
to cope with them. This is the true reality of women in patriarchal societies depicted in novels. One of these
female writings is found in Amma Darko’s novels. Amma Darko’s narrated involvement in the women’s cause
throws up further debates on the role of the female writer in the reshaping of society in terms of gender
inequalities. The present paper reviews the novelist’s radical perspective in Beyond the Horizon (1995), The
Housemaid (1998) and Faceless (2010). Men presented as being monsters in these tree novels are women’s
most feared enemies to combat and slain. The paper also critically explores male dominance as a cultural feature
that maintains women under yoke and submission.
International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (IJHSSI) is an international journal intended for professionals and researchers in all fields of Humanities and Social Science. IJHSSI publishes research articles and reviews within the whole field Humanities and Social Science, new teaching methods, assessment, validation and the impact of new technologies and it will continue to provide information on the latest trends and developments in this ever-expanding subject. The publications of papers are selected through double peer reviewed to ensure originality, relevance, and readability. The articles published in our journal can be accessed online.
Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own is considered a seminal work of feminist literary criticism. In it, Woolf explores the historical, social, and economic barriers faced by women writers. She argues that women needed financial independence and a space of their own to write, as well as access to educational institutions and the ability to step away from traditional gender roles. Woolf also examines how the idealized roles of "The Angel in the House" and the madwoman limited women's self-expression and creativity. The essay considers how these historical constraints impacted the development of women's literary tradition.
Similar to Manju Kapur Difficult Daughters (English) (14)
Walmart Business+ and Spark Good for Nonprofits.pdfTechSoup
"Learn about all the ways Walmart supports nonprofit organizations.
You will hear from Liz Willett, the Head of Nonprofits, and hear about what Walmart is doing to help nonprofits, including Walmart Business and Spark Good. Walmart Business+ is a new offer for nonprofits that offers discounts and also streamlines nonprofits order and expense tracking, saving time and money.
The webinar may also give some examples on how nonprofits can best leverage Walmart Business+.
The event will cover the following::
Walmart Business + (https://business.walmart.com/plus) is a new shopping experience for nonprofits, schools, and local business customers that connects an exclusive online shopping experience to stores. Benefits include free delivery and shipping, a 'Spend Analytics” feature, special discounts, deals and tax-exempt shopping.
Special TechSoup offer for a free 180 days membership, and up to $150 in discounts on eligible orders.
Spark Good (walmart.com/sparkgood) is a charitable platform that enables nonprofits to receive donations directly from customers and associates.
Answers about how you can do more with Walmart!"
Philippine Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) CurriculumMJDuyan
(𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝟏𝟎𝟎) (𝐋𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟏)-𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐬
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐏𝐏 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐮𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬:
- Understand the goals and objectives of the Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP) curriculum, recognizing its importance in fostering practical life skills and values among students. Students will also be able to identify the key components and subjects covered, such as agriculture, home economics, industrial arts, and information and communication technology.
𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫:
-Define entrepreneurship, distinguishing it from general business activities by emphasizing its focus on innovation, risk-taking, and value creation. Students will describe the characteristics and traits of successful entrepreneurs, including their roles and responsibilities, and discuss the broader economic and social impacts of entrepreneurial activities on both local and global scales.
Beyond Degrees - Empowering the Workforce in the Context of Skills-First.pptxEduSkills OECD
Iván Bornacelly, Policy Analyst at the OECD Centre for Skills, OECD, presents at the webinar 'Tackling job market gaps with a skills-first approach' on 12 June 2024
Level 3 NCEA - NZ: A Nation In the Making 1872 - 1900 SML.pptHenry Hollis
The History of NZ 1870-1900.
Making of a Nation.
From the NZ Wars to Liberals,
Richard Seddon, George Grey,
Social Laboratory, New Zealand,
Confiscations, Kotahitanga, Kingitanga, Parliament, Suffrage, Repudiation, Economic Change, Agriculture, Gold Mining, Timber, Flax, Sheep, Dairying,
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering.pptxDenish Jangid
Chapter wise All Notes of First year Basic Civil Engineering
Syllabus
Chapter-1
Introduction to objective, scope and outcome the subject
Chapter 2
Introduction: Scope and Specialization of Civil Engineering, Role of civil Engineer in Society, Impact of infrastructural development on economy of country.
Chapter 3
Surveying: Object Principles & Types of Surveying; Site Plans, Plans & Maps; Scales & Unit of different Measurements.
Linear Measurements: Instruments used. Linear Measurement by Tape, Ranging out Survey Lines and overcoming Obstructions; Measurements on sloping ground; Tape corrections, conventional symbols. Angular Measurements: Instruments used; Introduction to Compass Surveying, Bearings and Longitude & Latitude of a Line, Introduction to total station.
Levelling: Instrument used Object of levelling, Methods of levelling in brief, and Contour maps.
Chapter 4
Buildings: Selection of site for Buildings, Layout of Building Plan, Types of buildings, Plinth area, carpet area, floor space index, Introduction to building byelaws, concept of sun light & ventilation. Components of Buildings & their functions, Basic concept of R.C.C., Introduction to types of foundation
Chapter 5
Transportation: Introduction to Transportation Engineering; Traffic and Road Safety: Types and Characteristics of Various Modes of Transportation; Various Road Traffic Signs, Causes of Accidents and Road Safety Measures.
Chapter 6
Environmental Engineering: Environmental Pollution, Environmental Acts and Regulations, Functional Concepts of Ecology, Basics of Species, Biodiversity, Ecosystem, Hydrological Cycle; Chemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen & Phosphorus; Energy Flow in Ecosystems.
Water Pollution: Water Quality standards, Introduction to Treatment & Disposal of Waste Water. Reuse and Saving of Water, Rain Water Harvesting. Solid Waste Management: Classification of Solid Waste, Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Solid. Recycling of Solid Waste: Energy Recovery, Sanitary Landfill, On-Site Sanitation. Air & Noise Pollution: Primary and Secondary air pollutants, Harmful effects of Air Pollution, Control of Air Pollution. . Noise Pollution Harmful Effects of noise pollution, control of noise pollution, Global warming & Climate Change, Ozone depletion, Greenhouse effect
Text Books:
1. Palancharmy, Basic Civil Engineering, McGraw Hill publishers.
2. Satheesh Gopi, Basic Civil Engineering, Pearson Publishers.
3. Ketki Rangwala Dalal, Essentials of Civil Engineering, Charotar Publishing House.
4. BCP, Surveying volume 1
Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit InnovationTechSoup
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Leveraging Generative AI to Drive Nonprofit Innovation
Manju Kapur Difficult Daughters (English)
1. WOMEN ON THE MARGINS: REFLECTIONS ON MANJU KAPUR'S
'DIFFICULT DAUGHTERS'
Christopher Rollason, January 2004
I
In Difficult Daughters, her first novel, published in 19981
and located primarily in the India of
the 1940s, Manju Kapur speaks, with great narrative eloquence, of the idea of independence. The
book, whose author, born in 1948, lives in Delhi and currently teaches at Miranda House
College, was awarded the Commonwealth Writers Prize for Best First Book (Eurasia Section),
and has earned her very substantial success, both commercially and critically, both in her native
India and on the world market (2003 saw the appearance of a Spanish-language edition,
translated by Dora Sales Salvador of the Universidad Jaume I de Castellón)2
. Manju Kapur has
now published a second novel, A Married Woman (2003)3
, which is quite as powerful as its
predecessor and, if anything, thematically even more controversial. The present essay, however,
will focus on a number of key aspects of Difficult Daughters.
The search for control over one's destiny, surely the key theme of Difficult Daughters, refers to
the Independence aspired to and obtained by a nation (despite its cruel division by a fateful
Partition), but also to the independence yearned after (and finally not obtained) by a woman and
member of that same nation (or of one of its rival communities). Virmati, the heroine, seeks
human relations that will allow her to be herself and to exercise the degree of control over her
life which, as an educated woman, she knows she deserves. Born in Amritsar in the Punjab in
1940, the daughter of a father of progressive ideas and a traditionalist mother (Kasturi, obliged
to give birth to no less than 11 children), she aspires to a freer life than that offered her by those
around her. This aspiration is condemned to failure, thanks to the incomprehension she receives
from both her own family and that of the man she marries - but also thanks to her own mistakes,
for no-one obliged her to marry who became her husband, and she was free not to make the
choice she did.
Virmati, like so many other subcontinental women, is asked to accept a typical arranged
marriage. She rebels against that destiny, to the lasting shame of her family, above all of her
mother. Insisting on her right to be educated, she manages to leave home to study in Lahore.
Nonetheless, she falls in love with an Amritsar teacher known as 'the Professor', a married man
who first appears in her life as her parents' tenant. After a number of vicissitudes, including a
period as a school principal in a small Himalayan state, she finally marries the man she loves (or
thinks she loves), and returns to Amritsar to live with him. However, he refuses to leave his first
wife, and the consequences for Virmati are harsh indeed: she ends up being marginalised by her
own family and despised by her husband's. Virmati's tale is told, from a present-day perspective,
by Ida, her only daughter, who seeks to reconstruct her late mother's life-story, against the
background of the Independence movement of the 1940s and the subsequent trauma of Partition.
Virmati's case may be seen as representative up to a point, but not absolutely so. It is well-
known that women participated forcefully in the social movements that led up to Independence
(and, alas, Partition). Dora Sales Salvador, in her note to her Spanish translation of the novel,
1
Page references in this essay are to Manju Kapur, Difficult Daughters [1998], London: Faber and Faber, 1999.
2
Manju Kapur, Hijas dificiles, translated (with glossary and translator's note) by Dora Sales Salvador, Madrid:
Espasa, 2003.
3
Manju Kapur, A Married Woman, London: Faber and Faber, 2003.
2. 2
appositely stresses: 'Kapur enfatiza la labor que en aquellos momentos ejercieron muchas
mujeres que, al tiempo que reclamaban la igualdad de oportunidades, el acceso paritario a la
educación y las posibilidades de una vida más allá de las convenciones, fueron una fuerza visible
en la resistencia no violenta ante los británicos' ('Kapur emphasises the efforts made at that time
by numerous women who, while demanding equal opportunities, equal access to education and
life-opportunities going beyond convention, were a visible force in the non-violent resistance to
the British'4
). The pages of Difficult Daughters speak not only of Virmati, but of other 'difficult
daughters', who succeed better than she did in their parallel struggles for independence in their
lives. At the centre of the narrative, we are confronted with a woman who fights but falls by the
wayside; but at its edges, as no doubt less representative but still symbolic figures, we encounter
- as will be seen below - other women, whose relative success points the way to the future.
II
The happiest and most attractive period in Virmati's life is, beyond doubt, that which she spends
in Nahan, the capital of Sirmaur, the small Himalayan state run by an enlightened maharaja
which gives her refuge for a while as the headmistress of a girl's school. Sirmaur existed in
reality, and is now part of the federal state of Himachal Pradesh. It is there that she achieves the
greatest degree of control over her life: there are rules she has to obey (and breaking them proves
her fall), but she is able to teach inside an ordered framework, and her performance wins her a
deserved respect. It is true that the single or widowed lady teacher or headmistress is something
of a stock figure in modern Indian literature (as in the spinster lecturer Bimala, in Anita Desai's
Clear Light of Day or the grandmother in Amitav Ghosh's The Shadow-Lines), but the
particularity of Virmati's destiny, at this stage of her life, is that she has to exercise her
responsibilities entirely by herself. In the micro-state to which her destiny leads her, she has no
family or close friends. She attains a near-exemplary level of female autonomy. For the first and
only time, she has her own place to live, Virginia Woolf's famous 'room of one's own': and yet
she falls. She believes she needs a man, and she makes the wrong choice, returning to a
relationship that had already brought her nothing but suffering. The repeated clandestine visits of
the fatal Professor lose Virmati her employers' confidence, and she is obliged to quit her school,
house and employment.
Retrospectively, the Nahan period appears as the one utopian moment in Virmati's unfortunate
life. This sensation of a distant utopia is reinforced if the 21st-century reader recalls that these
are circumstances from a past epoch which could not be repeated today, for better or for worse:
the maharajas are a thing of the past. The more than 500 princely states of pre-Independence and
pre-Partition India varied enormously in size, from the huge domain of the Nizam of Hyderabad
to miniscule territories like Sirmaur. Kapur's text declares: 'Nahan, clean and prosperous, was
ruled by an enlightened royal couple' (182). It may be that not all the maharajas were as
retrograde as is often thought, and that not all should be seen as like the cynical and exploitative
Nawab of Bahawalpur who has been so fiercely condemned by V.S. Naipaul5
. All in all, what
Virmati finds in Nahan is a certain lifestyle - employment in an isolated but well-ordered mini-
state, capable of providing her with some degree of psychological and mental refuge - which
would not be on offer to her equivalent today.
She did, however, still have another option open. There is an opening that she glimpses, but
which finally eludes her. There was another place she could have gone to: Shantiniketan, the
destination that she evoked with her employers to avoid open scandal, but which also
4
Dora Sales Salvador, translator's note to Hijas dificiles (q.v.), 356.
5
See the Pakistan section of Naipaul's Beyond Belief (1988).
3. 3
represented a real possibility for Virmati. Shantiniketan: a key location of modern Indian
spirituality, the place in Bengal (today in West Bengal) where, thanks to the best offices of
Rabindranath Tagore, education and enlightenment prevailed under the auspices of the great
poet's liberal philosophy; the seat of Viswa-Bharati, the foundation (first school, later university)
established by Tagore himself, where women were accepted as a matter of principle as
participants in the educational process. Had Virmati completed the journey she never finished,
she could have remade her life there: she could have met new people, maintained her
independence, at the very least found new opportunities. Unfortunately, she has to change train
in Delhi, and the long waiting-time opens up a trap that she falls into: she contacts an
acquaintance in the capital, who is also a friend of the fateful Professor. The glimpse of a
spiritual awakening, of a renewed autonomy, fades into the distance.
III
Virmati's married life with the Professor in Amritsar turns out to be a disaster. She wilts under
the implacable and hostile gaze of Ganga, her husband's first wife, with whom she has to live.
She loses all sense of identity: the continuation of her education (she studies for a higher degree
in philosophy, but without enthusiasm) feeds no more dreams of independence. In the end, her
individual history disappears and becomes all but irrelevant, swallowed up in the greater and
more resonant collective tragedy of Partition. Yet, despite all this, Virmati has in her life's path
encountered other women, who like her aspired to a different life, and who succeeded better than
she did.
These women are Shakuntala, her cousin; and Swarna Lata, her roommate in Lahore. Both are
representatives of a certain female type that recurs in Indian literature: the emancipated woman
militant. As we have seen above, no-one should forget the many women who took part in the
struggle for Independence and the Gandhian movement: a notable literary testimony to them is
Kanthapura, Raja Rao's novel of 1938 in which he tells that story through the prism of a female
narrative voice. In post-Independence literature, one may mention such characters as Daisy, the
militant of The Painter of Signs by R.K. Narayan who prefers to remain single, or Malati
Trivedi, the progressive activist of A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, who first appears in that
book as, curiously, also the roommate of the female protagonist, Lata; here too, the convergence
of names between Seth's Lata and Kapur's Swarna Lata may be another detail pointing to a
possible intertextuality. The name Shakuntala, too, has its intertextual connotations: the Indian
reader will think immediately of the eponymous heroine of The Recognition of Shakuntala, the
play by Kalidasa, the great classical Sanskrit dramatist - the young girl who, abandoned by her
husband the king, finally obtains recognition of her rights and proper treatment.
In Virmati's extended family, her cousin Shakuntala appears from the beginning as the exemplar
of the 'modern' or 'liberated' women. She studies, teaches, and takes part in the political-
Gandhian movement: even after marriage, she keeps a firm grip on her autonomy and her
freedom of action and thought. Shakuntala thus becomes a pole of attraction for Virmati:
'Virmati listened, … drawn towards Shakuntala, to one whose responsibilities went beyond a
husband and children' (17). Nor is she an entirely atypical or isolated figure: she shares her
'liberated' lifestyle with a group of friends, whose activities she explains to her cousin: 'We
travel, entertain ourselves in the evenings, follow each other's work, read papers, attend
seminars. One of them is even going abroad for higher studies' (ibid)6
. Later, in Swarna Lata,
Virmati encounters a woman who leads a similar lifestyle; her friend, an ultra-committed
activist, takes her to a meeting of the Punjab Women's Student Conference where she shines as
6
The figure of the woman who goes abroad for further study recurs in 'A Married Woman'.
4. 4
an orator: 'Heavy applause broke out as Swarna finished speaking' (145). Swarna continues her
political activity post-marriage, expressing herself on the matter to Virmati as follows: 'We have
plenty of married women working with us. I'm married, aren't I?' (252). One may draw a parallel
between the careers of Shakuntala and Swarna, although here a qualification needs to be made:
on the one and only occasion when the two meet, they do not get on - a small narrative irony
which points up Kapur's ability to avoid both reductionism and sentimentalism. In the end, the
path of political activism does not attract Virmati, as she herself recognises 'I am not like these
women. They are using their minds, organizing, participating in conferences, being politically
active, while my time is spent being in love' (142). She chooses - it cannot be said for her own
good - the road that leads to the Professor: a road not taken by Swarna, with whom she finally
feels obliged to break off relations: 'And Swarna dropped out of her life' (252).7
At all events, it may be said that Virmati's frustrated life is, as it were, framed - as if in a triptych
- by those two other, much more successful lives: those of Shakuntala and Swarna Lata, both
emblematic of the educated, politicised and emancipated woman8
. In other words, the
psychological annihilation of Virmati, at the hands of her own family and her husband's, should
not be read as a fatality. What happens to Virmati is no doubt the most representative destiny of
the Indian woman (even if educated), quantitatively or statistically, but Kapur's novel shows that
other paths also exist, while further stressing that choices are by no means simple or either-or.
There are types of female negotiation that work, and others that do not: but nothing is
predetermined. In this context, we may quote the perceptive comments of Dora Sales: 'En esta
novela lo destacable es que la disyunción entre el peso de la tradición adscrita al género, por una
parte, y los deseos de independencia y autoafirmación, por otra, no se plantea como una mera
dicotomía de opciones vitales. No es blanco o negro, en ningún caso. Hay toda una gama de
complejos grises emocionales entre estas dos alternativas' ('In this novel, one needs to stress that
the disjunction between the weight of gender-determined tradition, on the one hand, and the
yearning for independence and self-affirmation, on the other, does not appear as a simple
dichotomy of life-choices. In no case are things black and white. There is a whole range of
complex emotional shades of grey between the two alternatives.')9
. One may here invoke, from a
comparative viewpoint, another novel by an Indian woman writer, Anita Desai's Fasting,
Feasting, which appeared in 1999, shortly after Difficult Daughters. Here, if Uma, the female
protagonist of the novel's Indian part, is unable to get out of the dull mediocrity of her existence
as an unmarried daughter - and if the fate of her cousin Anamika, who could have gone to study
at Oxford but ends up a victim of the epidemic of bride-burning, is even worse - Uma's sister
Aruna appears by contrast as the representative of a different type of Indian woman, the
'socialite' who succeeds in imposing her personality by the skilful pulling of social strings. It
may be concluded that, however sadly typical the experiences of Virmati, these also exist paths
that lead, with positive effect, to less typical destinations where demands are raised and
recognised.
IV
Difficult Daughters is not a pure third-person narrative. Virmati's story is told mostly in the third
person (with some recourse to the epistolary mode), but is framed by the first-person narration of
7
The path of militancy recurs, once again in a context of meetings and speeches, in 'A Married Woman', where it
fuses, albeit for a brief time and in a context that can scarcely be called socially orthodox,with the option of 'being
in love': Kapur's second novel presents among its themes, notably, a narrative of intimacy between women against
the backdrop of the 'events of Ayodhya' and Hindu-Muslim conflict.
8
In this sense, both prefigure the impressive Pipee Trivedi, the social militant and initimate friend of the female
protagonist of the following novel.
9
Dora Sales Salvador, op. cit., 358
5. 5
a search. The search is that of Virmati's daughter, Ida, as she seeks to reconstitute her mother's
history. Ida, an educated woman, divorced and childless, apparently leads a freer life than her
mother's in external terms; yet inside her she feels, even if not quite so acutely, some of the same
anxieties as had plagued her mother: 'No matter how I might rationalize otherwise, I feel my
existence as a single woman reverberate desolately' (3). It is clear from the book's pages that Ida,
the narrator through whose voice Kapur speaks, has achieved more than her mother (and much
more than her grandmother): and that this is so even through the simple creative fact of 'writing
down' her own family history. To quote Dora Sales again (this time from an essay on the novel
in English): 'In Difficult Daughters we do not listen to Virmati's voice. She could not speak out,
being certainly situated at the juncture of two oppressions: colonialism and patriarchy. What we
have is her daughter's reconstruction and representation'10
. There is, then, a qualitative leap
between the life-histories of (narrated) mother and (narrating) daughter. In addition, as another
of Kapur's commentators, Gur Pyari Jandial, correctly points out, it would be a mistake to
devalue Virmati's struggle because she failed, for what mattered was to have made the attempt:
'What is necessary is to break the patriarchal mould, and for Virmati to have tried to do that in
the forties was a great achievement'11
.
The women of India have indeed achieved their successes in half a century of Independence; but
if there is to be a true female independence too, much remains to be done. The fight for
autonomy remains an unfinished combat; and it is from that perspective that, in her second
novel, A Married Woman, published five years later, that Manju Kapur, this time from an
eminently contemporary viewpoint, returns to the narration of women's issues, deploying an
approach that, as in Difficult Daughters, manages to be, simultaneously, both Indian and
universal. And that, too, is 'a great achievement'.
MANJU KAPUR: A BRIEF BIBLIOGRAPHY
A. Works
Kapur, Manju. Difficult Daughters [1998]. London: Faber and Faber, 1999. (Spanish-language version:
Hijas dificiles. Translated (with glossary and translator's note) by Dora Sales Salvador. Madrid: Espasa,
2003).
Kapur, Manju. A Married Woman. London: Faber and Faber, 2003.
B. Criticism
Jandial, Gur Pyari. 'Evolving a Feminist Tradition: The Novels of Shashi Deshpande and Manju Kapur'.
In Atlantic Literary Review [Delhi], 4.3, 2003. (awaiting publication)
Sales Salvador, Dora. 'The Memory of Desire in Manju Kapur's Difficult Daughters: In Past and
Future Tense'
. In Constanza del Río and Luis M. García Mainar (eds.), Memory, Imagination and Desire.
Heidelberg: Universitätsverlag C. Winter. (awaiting publication)
10
Dora Sales Salvador, 'The Memory of Desire in Manju Kapur's Difficult Daughters: In Past and Future
Tense'
, in Constanza del Río and Luis M. García Mainar (eds.), Memory, Imagination and Desire, Heidelberg:
Universitätsverlag C. Winter (awaiting publication).
11
Gur Pyari Jandial, 'Evolving a Feminist Tradition: The Novels of Shashi Deshpande and Manju Kapur' (awaiting
publication in Atlantic Literary Review [Delhi], 4.3).