Danielle Steel’s Portrayal of Sibling’s Love in Comparison with Selected Works of Other Novelists

As English is a universal language and its richness in literature has contributed to its reach. English literature from the olden times has been portraying siblings love in diverse ways. The novels from the past to the present have depicted the relationship of brothers and sisters in a distinct manner. Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel, born on 14 th August 1947 in New York City better known as Danielle Steel, is an American romantic novelist is best known for family drama. Steel’s novels have been sold more than 580 million copies worldwide and she is the eighth best selling writer of all time.Danielle Steel has been triumphant in rendering a great relationship among the siblings. This paper is an outcome of a comparison between Danielle Steel’s “No Greater Love” with Arundhathi Roy’s “The God of Small Things” and George Eliot’s “ The Mill on the Floss” .


INTRODUCTION
English language has reigned as a supreme language in the world for more than six centuries.After contending with the archaic languages in the world for more than six hundred years, it has gradually attained the status of universal language.English literature has conferred a lot to the deed of the language as many of the authors have contributed their expertise and it has formed a base for the escalation of the language.
Literature extracts the innermost feelings of both the reader as well as the writer and the chore of literature is to entrust a positive thought to the readers.It is the task of literature to involve the readers into the work and allow him/her to experience the feel of the characters.Novels can do the task of involving the readers into it to an extent than the other domains of literature such as poetry and prose.Moreover, the readers associate their own viewpoint and concern it to their own lives and burgeon from the essentials given by the work.
Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelien Steel, the fourth placed author among the top ten highest earning authors according to forbes.comrelease, is known for her romantic novels.Danielle Fernande Dominique Schuelein-Steel, born on 14 th August 1947, New York City better known as Danielle Steel, is an American romantic novelist and author of mainstream dramas.Best known for family drama, Steel's novels have been sold more than 580 million copies worldwide and she is the eighth best selling writer of all time.Her novels have been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 390 consecutive weeks.She has conquered the hearts of millions of readers all over the world with her heart-throbbing novels.
In many of her novels the relationship of brothers and sisters is displayed with authenticity.The instances being the bond of the four sisters in 'Sisters', Olivia and Victoria Henderson in 'Mirror Image' and Edwina and her siblings in 'No Greater Love'.This paper ensue with the comparison between Danielle Steel's "No Greater Love" with Arundhathi Roy's "The God of Small Things" and George Eliot's "The Mill on the Floss".

SIBLINGS RELATIONSHIP PRESENTED BY DANIELLE STEEL IN HER WORK "NO GREATER LOVE"
Danielle Steel in her work "No Greater Love" exhibits an intimate and warm relationship between sisters and brothers as the protagonist, the elder sister, Edwina Winfield, takes the place of a mother after the sudden demise of her parents.She dedicates her life to the welfare of her younger brothers and sisters.
In contrast to the normal behaviour of the siblings, which is to show a grudge towards each other, this novel enhances the thought of intimacy among them.Even at the age of twenty after she has lost her parents and fiancé in a harrowing moment, she dispenses with her idea of getting married or rethinking her life.She becomes the custodian for the young children.She faces so much complexity in raising them as noble children and stands for all of them when they need her.She supports Phillip, her brother when he wants to enroll himself in the army and George, her brother, when he wants to step into Hollywood as a studio in charge, though she wanted anyone of the both to take over the family business.She initially thinks of imparting the newspaper which her father and she had enriched to Phillip but after his demise in the war in Europe she crumbles but recuperates from the situation.Later, she hopes George would take up the charge but to find only that he too is not interested in it but she goes by their choice.She also espouses him when he wants to marry Helen and she immediately approves of their relationship.She grants freedom to her little sister, Alexis, though at the age of seventeen, to enter Hollywood as an actress which she later finds was a mistake on her part but tries to fix it.Moreover, she takes up the challenge of finding her diffident sister Alexis who has run off with Malcolm Stone, a crook whom she had met in Los Angeles, to London.She faces her worst fear of travelling through the sea yet she travels to London so that she could bring back her sister from the intricacy she has pushed her into.She locates her and confronts the felon Malcolm stone, explains her sister of all the pros and cons of her act and brings her back to San Francisco.She not only brings her back but sees to that the issue does not get to the ears of her brother George or to others.
Edwina believes that god has destined her to devote her life for the welfare of her brothers and sisters.But when she meets Patrick she learns that there is still time left for her to love and have a life of her own.Yet, she does not feel that she should remove herself from the love of her brothers and sisters.
It is absolutely endearing on the part of all the brothers and sisters in "No Greater Love" as they regard the feelings of the other siblings as their preference and act towards their goal."No Greater Love" by all ways is a perfect piece of literature to be rendered for the readers as it imparts all the virtuous deeds they should follow in their life.

SIBLINGS RELATIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ARUNDHATHI ROY IN HER WORK "THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS"
Arundhathi Roy in her first work, "The God of Small Things" which bagged the Booker prize award has rendered a different notion of sibling's relationship as she deals with twins who are separated at the age of seven.Rahel, one of the twins, who returns from US meets her other twin Estha, who has become eternally silent with the events from her childhood and summons up her childhood memories.
Arundhathi Roy in her novel compares the relationship of Rahel and Estha with the relationship of their mother and uncle.Though they have spent many years without even seeing each other and the love of each other, Rahel and Estha share a great connection between them but their mother Ammu and their uncle Chacko have a relationship which can be disturbed by anyone as their aunt Kochamma had done.Baby Kochamma convinces Chacko to feel that Ammu and the twins are responsible for his daughter's death.Chacko forces Ammu to leave the house.Chacko does not believe that the twins and his sister would not have killed his daughter.
He does not save his sister or believe her or support her and drives his sister out of his house which leads Ammu to send Estha to her father and Estha never sees Ammu again.Rahel and Estha, both 31 at this time, are reunited for the first time since they were 7 years old and have been damaged by their past.

SIBLINGS RELATIONSHIP PRESENTED BY GEORGE ELIOT'S "THE MILL ON THE FLOSS".
George Eliot in her novel "The Mill on the Floss" details the lives of Tom and Maggie Tulliver, a brother and sister growing up on the River Floss near the village of St.Oggs in the United Kingdom, evidently in the 1820s after the Napoleonic Wars.The novel spans a period of 10-15 years, from Tom and Maggie's childhood until their deaths in a flood on the Floss.
Maggie Tulliver is the impetuous, clever younger daughter of the Tullivers of Dorlcote Mill in St. Ogg's.Maggie frustrates her superficial mother with her unconventional dark colouring and unnatural activeness and intelligence.Maggie's father often takes Maggie's side, but it is Maggie's older brother Tom upon whom she is emotionally dependent.Maggie's greatest happiness is Tom's affection, and his disapproval creates dramatic despair in Maggie, whose view of the world, as all children's, lacks perspective.
Tom, as a brother, does not support Maggie with her decisions in her life as he lets her down when she needed his support to marry Philip Wakem, and he renounces her when she wants to be with Stephen Guest, who is the suitor of Lucy, their cousin.She is left with no one to guide her in her distress and she adopts radical steps in her life which leads to her collapse.Though, she is ruined she longs for the love of her brother as she has done her whole life.At last, when she is left with nothing Maggie rescues Tom, who is trapped in the house, and they row down river towards Lucy.In a brief tender moment, the brother and sister are reconciled from all past differences.Before they can reach Lucy's house, the boat is capsized by debris in the river, and Maggie and Tom drown in each other's arms.Maggie ends up her life in seek of her brother's love but in vain.

CONCLUSION
Danielle Steel in her novel "No Greater Love" unveils the Sanguine traits of Siblings relationship as compared to Arundhathi Roy in "The God of Small Things" and George Eliot in "The Mill on the Floss".Though, the protagonists in all the novels endure a lot in their life it is Edwina, Danielle steel's heroine, who thrives in all the trials and tribulations of her life as a subjugator.
In contrast to, Arundhathi Roy and George Eliot, it is Danielle Steel who exhibits a great bond among brothers and sisters which interests the young English learners.The siblings in the other two novels regard the welfare of their own lives as the foremost intent but in "No Greater Love" the siblings lead their life in such a manner that they are inseparable till the as only death could part them from each other.Danielle Steel not only presents the relationship as an intense and resilient one but the one which would concede the whole life for the other brothers and sisters.
As the other two novels teach callous relationships among the siblings, Danielle Steel's "No Greater love" handles siblings' love in such a way that the novice finds great waves that he is forced to deem the protagonist Edwina as the mother of her brothers and sisters.