Paper Title: ANITA DESAI’S WOMEN: SILENCE, SUFFERING, AND SELFHOOD
Author:
Abstract:
Anita Desai is one of the most influential Indian English novelists of the post- independence era, renowned for her exploration of women’s inner lives and psychological struggles. This paper examines the recurring themes of silence, suffering, and selfhood in Desai’s major novels, including "Cry, the Peacock" (1963), "Voices in the City" (1965), "Where Shall We Go This Summer?" (1975), "Fire on the Mountain" (1977), and "Clear Light of Day" (1980). While Desai does not explicitly identify as a feminist, her fiction reveals a feminist consciousness in its focus on the psychological, social, and emotional oppressions experienced by women in patriarchal Indian society. Drawing upon feminist literary theory and psychological realism, this study situates Desai’s female characters-Maya, Monisha, Sita, Nanda Kaul, and Bim-within broader debates about women’s silence, their experiences of suffering, and their eventual search for selfhood. The paper further contrasts Desai’s work with that of other Indian women novelists, emphasizing her unique contribution to Indian English literature.
Keywords:Anita Desai, feminism, Indian women novelists, silence, suffering, selfhood, psychological realism
DOI Link – https://doi.org/10.63431/AIJITR/3.II.2026.161-165
Review By – Dr. Shivalika Sarkar and Prof. Dr. Shishir Kumar Bej