The Tripartite Cycle of Alienation: A Psychological Study of Patriarchal Entrapment in Anita Desai's Fire on the Mountain

Author(s)	Ms. Sivashakthi G
Country	India
Abstract	This paper explores the female alienation in Anita Desai's novel "Fire on the Mountain" through the tripartite cycle of alienation. This framework categorizes the characters into three distinct psychological pillars: Internalized Alienation (Past, embodied by Nanda Kaul), Societal Alienation (Present, represented by Ila Das), and Inherited Alienation (Future, manifested by Raka). Through feminist and psychological lens, the study argues that these varied forms of isolation are inevitable products of a rigid patriarchal structure that values female utility than identity. By employing eco-psychology and objective correlative, the research demonstrates how the barren landscape of Carignano mirrors the characters' fractured inner lives, ultimately interpreting the term "fire" as a symbolic destruction of generational trauma.
Keywords	Anita Desai, Fire on the Mountain, tripartite cycle of alienation, eco-psychology, objective correlative, Indian Writing in English
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 1, January-February 2026
Published On	2026-02-13

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