International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160     Impact Factor: 9.24

A Widely Indexed Open Access Peer Reviewed Multidisciplinary Bi-monthly Scholarly International Journal

Call for Paper Volume 7, Issue 4 (July-August 2025) Submit your research before last 3 days of August to publish your research paper in the issue of July-August.

Breaking Moulds: The Social and Emotional Terrain of Single Womanhood in Anita Desai’s Novels

Author(s) Ms. Hephzibah Swarnakala S, Dr. S Azariah Kirubakaran
Country India
Abstract This paper explores the nuanced and layered portrayal of single women in the novels of Anita Desai. It focuses on three distinct categories: women who remain unmarried by choice, those who are widowed, and those forced out of marriage due to neglect or abuse by their husbands. Through close textual analysis, the study examines how these women navigate emotional isolation, societal expectations, and personal hardship while asserting their autonomy and resilience. Voluntary spinsters in Desai’s works are depicted as women who consciously reject traditional roles, embracing solitude as a space for freedom and intellectual fulfillment. Widows grapple with the pain of loss and the stigma attached to their status, often struggling to reclaim their identity in a world that marginalizes them. Women abandoned by their spouses confront adversity and social judgment yet find ways to survive with dignity and inner strength. In an era where marriage is no longer seen as the sole path to a woman’s identity, Desai’s representation of single-hood offers valuable insights into changing social norms. This study highlights how her female protagonists break conventional moulds of femininity, challenging patriarchal boundaries and redefining the contours of womanhood through solitude, self-awareness, and resistance.
Keywords Spinsters, Widows, Forced singlehood, Societal Challenges, Resilience
Field Arts
Published In Volume 7, Issue 4, July-August 2025
Published On 2025-07-30
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i04.52523
Short DOI https://doi.org/g9vpqp

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