Gender Issues: Fictional World of Shashi Deshpande

The most important concern of feminist agenda is that women should be ‘visible’ and their voices must be ‘audible’ in the society, and this concern gets a proper place in Shashi Deshpande’s fictional works as she raises the issues of women’s inner struggle to revolt against emotional slavery. Loneliness that dwells in a feminine heart has occupied a centre stage among current burning gender issues. The novelist shows that in spite of being surrounded by father, brothers, husband and children, a woman feels lonely and is unable to give expression to her feelings. Becoming a ‘new woman’ is an attitudinal transformation, which every woman has to experience so that a radical social change is effected throughout the world. To a ‘new woman’, the stifling and oppressive system of sex roles should give way to undistorted gender equality. A ‘new woman’ is a feminist who is in search for the means to overcome oppression, develop her own powers and abilities of personal growth as an individual and self-actualization.
Shashi Deshpande is essentially a novelist of gender issues as she has touched upon almost all the issues, which are normally of great concern to all the feminists, Indian feminists in particular. In her fictional works, she writes about the ‘marginalized’ community of women in India and expresses her concern for women’s disadvantaged condition within patriarchy. Also, she is a great observer and she has keenly observed the gender bias in Indian society and she has put on horse blinders while depicting the plight of a girl/daughter who struggles hard throughout her life.
The book helps answer subtle questions that thinkers, social workers and well-wishers and others who care for women and womanhood most often ask about gender issues at various levels of debate and discussions. The book explores the substantial axiological, psychological, sociological and emotional underpinnings of gender issues. Also, it deals with inner dilemmas of feminine heart, women’s subjugation, economic and emotional independence and above all, the ‘new woman’.