Resuscitation of the Family Spirit: An Analysis through the Dark Holds No Terrors

The family unit, principally a man and a woman living together in harmony and peace forms the basic social organization. But the family in India, during the last few decades has been constantly under attack, affecting the various relationships in a family unit. The traditional patriarchal culture, that was supported to support the family, is now really hard on women and impedes the development of deep love between man and woman forgetting that this love, the true and loving relationship alone can bring stability and equilibrium to a family and to a society. The rate of divorce cases in India in the last few decades is quite alarming and some criticize this is because of the fact that women have finally realized their values and feel they deserve equal rights and equal respect. The impact of the western education has paved way for women empowerment but unfortunately, the male society finds it hard to accept and digest this fact. This leads to lack of trust, faith, respect and mutual understanding between the spouses. The marital bond is very easily broken and the family gets shattered leaving the members in distress. The growing challenge we face new is to realize the importance of the family and restore it legally, culturally and socially. This paper entitled “Resuscitation of the Family Spirit – An Analysis Through ‘The Dark Holds No Terrors’ establishes the need for strengthening the families in today’s society, since Deshpande herself views that ‘Disintegration of the family leads to disintegration of the society’.