The Theme of Marriage and Adjustment in Shashi Deshpande’s Novels

Shashi Deshpande, who holds in great worth as an Indian English woman novelist, is very much aware of the vulnerable conditions as well as secondary status of the Indian women. The reason behind their sub-graded status in the society, according to Deshpande, is long practiced socio-religious traditions, which place them under secondary sex. Moreover, illiteracy of the women, their weak and submissive nature and their love and affection towards husbands and children are also responsible for their degradation. No doubt, the educated Indian women are aware of their rights, status, identity and preservation, but they lack strong willingness and courage to fight against the exploitative forces. In Indian society, the problem before married women is how to adjust prestigiously in the family that treats women differently. They have to keep their mouth shut and be silent because of unfavourable circumstances and also their weaknesses that do not allow them to express their feelings and emotions and stand firmly against injustice. Traditions that teach women to behave like ideal wives like Sita and Savitri, tempt them to be called ideal and prohibit them to come out of the traditional circle. As a result, they are bound to bear with the exploitative as well as suppressive circumstances and situations.