Beyond Patriarchy: Challenges and Trials of the Female Protagonists of Sudha Murthy

Abstract

With the dawn of Indian independence, there has been a progressive change in outlook and approach towards women. It was sincerely realized that India cannot fulfill its dream vision of making overall and significant advances in various fields without the upliftment of the marginalized gender. Sudha Murthy is recognized as one of the most prolific and realistic authors of Indian English fiction as she has the potential of delving into the depths of the inner landscapes of her female protagonists and portray their changing psyches with the changing time. This paper is an attempt to trace the journey of the leading female characters in the select novels of Sudha Murthy from darkness to dawn. In these novels, a picture of an evolved woman is seen who seeks to assert and establish her own identity by refusing to succumb to the norms of a patriarchal society.