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Chapter 5
Conclusion

Manju Kapur‘s fiction presents an acute understanding of social hypocrisies.

Her characters are perfect emblems of modern ethos and traditional cultural clutches.
Women in her novels appear in an assertive mood voicing their desires and
endeavouring to achieve the aspired goals. Women in her novel grow in character to
attain self-assertion and self-identity. Manju Kapur beautifully depicts the rituals
which enforce false dominance on women in the name of religion. A young daughter
in the family remains a burden and is not treated like the male child. A glimpse of her
novels poignantly draws the veil of hypocrisy, bares the familial values which give
expression to gender and generational differentiation operating in Indian family
institutions. Ashok Kumar relates the impact of growing Indian woman in Manju
Kapur‘s writings:

A major preoccupation in recent Indian women‘s writing has been a

delineation of inner life and subtle interpersonal relationships. In a
culture where individualism and protest have often remained alien
ideas, and marital bliss and the woman‘s role at home is a central
focus, it is interesting to see the emergence of not just an essential
Indian sensibility but an expression of cultural displacement. Manju
Kapur has joined the growing number of women writers from India on
whom the image of the suffering but stoic woman eventually breaking
traditional boundaries has had a significant impact. (194)

Manju Kapur‘s broad vision does not keep her protagonists limited up to only
getting equal status in her home. Home is an important motif in her novels. In all her
novels, she discusses the issues of middle or upper middle class women. Manju Kapur
takes a glide into women‘s intrusion and administering existence in different fields as
of social, economic, political and professional ones. While registering her presence
inside or outside home she faces and wades through many conflicts. These conflicts
are the projections of Manju Kapur‘s novels. Woman‘s struggle between herself and
society makes her more progressive and inquisitive to search for her own identity. It is
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true that there are various other issues covered in all the five novels and short stories.
For instance, search for identity, women liberation, and conflict for survival,
lesbianism, joint family structures, and infertility, cross cultural identity, long custody
battles, survival for many, and other women centric issues are discussed at great
length. Self-fulfilment, autonomy, self-realization, individuality, independence, self-
actualization and carrier orientation are the focussed areas for Manju Kapur. She
presents the stress and its implication in her protagonist‘s life who remains entangled
in the question–how to manage all. For example her wifehood, motherhood, career
consciousness and rights in this regard, Manju Kapur admits the fact:

In the lives of women, whether in the political arena or in domestic

spaces, one of the main preoccupations in all my books is how women
manage to negotiate both inner and outer spaces in their lives – what
sacrifices do they have to make in order to keep the home fires burning
and at what cost to their personal lives do they find some kind of
fulfilment outside the home. (qtd. in Sinha 160)

Difficult Daughters, brings forth the conflicts of three generations. Kasturi, a

blind follower of patriarchy becomes the object of mercy. She bears eleven children
and ultimately invites health troubles in her life. But she accepts her fate as divinely
ordained and wants her daughters to follow the same path. Her daughter (second
generation) Virmati acting as a second mother to all her siblings is not allowed to
marry the person of her choice. From childhood, she sacrifices all her happiness for
sake of her parents, brothers and sisters. But she is not rewarded with her choice in
marriage. Virmati exercises her sweet will to achieve her goal in life rather than
marrying and opting for the traditional life of a woman. She pursues her education,
gains independence, falls in a premarital affair and keeps herself awakened. She paves
her own way of life instead of following traditional, conventional paths decided for
women. This journey for self-realization makes her ready for various compromises,
conflicts and adjustments in life. She is rejected in her own home and later at her
husband‘s house where she is treated as second woman. Due to these conflicts, she
remains divided into two selves. Virmati‘s struggle is symbolized in the form of the
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Indian woman‘s struggle in pre-independence era. She confronts all the conflicts and
that becomes a significant theme for pre-independence Indian scenario. She struggles
for her independence in her society at a time when India was also struggling for her
independence from British rule. Virmati represents those Indian women, who have
been denied their rights since ages behind the shield of age-old traditions of patriarchy
that are followed. Kasturi proves and supports the presence of patriarchy in woman‘s
body as she allowed her husband to bear children for him at the cost of her health.
These imbibed traditions right from childhood imprison women by their choice in the
cage of slavery. Gender struggle and generational differences assume the definite
shape of Virmati and Kasturi‘s dialogues. This struggle of womanhood and against
patriarchy remains an unfinished battle. Ida, who belongs to the third generation,
shows the uncompromising attitude of non-adjustment in life and towards her career.

Manju Kapur‘s second novel A Married Woman produces the results of

anguish and agony in the protagonist, Astha‘s marital life. A Married Woman takes
protest as a medium against conventional marriage. She is sound and safe on material
grounds but her inner urges remain confined to the age-old conventions of society.
Astha performs all the duties honestly, yet does not get the due status of respect and
harmony. Her loneliness, discomfort and anxiety force her to risk her conventional
marriage and opt for the path of defiance in a patriarchal society. In search of
attaining her complete self, Astha develops passionate relationship with Pipeelika.
She rebels wielding lesbianism as a tool to define man woman relationship. Both
revived their relationship and gained inner strength and this inner strength shakes the
strong walls of patriarchal homes. Her relationship facilitates her to leave the path of
continuous slavery and to assume the possibility of liberty so she fulfils her
unfulfilled desires of pursuing artistic talents like poetry writing, painting, and
roaming freely without any hindrance on Rath yatra, Ayodhya Yatra. She participates
in processions and spends time independently without any hitches. Most of the time, it
is seen that socio-political upheavals are well captured in Manju Kapur‘s fiction. She
presents the impact of education and aspiration in breaking the fetters of conservative
society. Her revolt against traditions and the institution of marriage opens the new
vistas for women. She rejects the shield of protection made only for women to
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circumscribe their movement in an orbit defined by man only. Through Astha‘s

character, Manju Kapur makes the society aware of the modern woman‘s demand for
equality; her characters serve themselves as a medium to find self-expression and to
expose their dilemmas. Her truthful presentation of new generation women
significantly throws a challenge to Indian patriarchal society.

Home her third novel, highlights the conflict between hopes and aspirations of
a young girl and her traditional traders‘ family. Nisha, the protagonist, breaks the old
conventions of the family and sets her identity as a successful businesswoman of a
traditional orthodox family. In her early life she has to abide by ancient rituals but
overcoming all obstacles of her path, she negates the false morals of society. By her
efforts, Nisha turns the life from disorders into normalcy and makes the situation
suitable for her path to success. Her triumph over her conflicts is truly admirable. It is
true that women‘s struggle for self-reliance begins at home. Similar to the fact, she
kicks off her fight for equal right within the household. She bears the conflict with her
mother, with her husband, with her mother-in-law and many more relationships on
familial, social, economic, physical and emotional levels. From the birth of a girl
child, a family‘s desire is to shape up the girl child in docility. Her struggle is
intensified and made more complicated due to inherent patriarchal faiths. The woman
of new generation has modern ideology and outlook as compared with the old
generation women. She wants modern education and becomes more career oriented.
To handle her professional life and put up with its compulsions, she faces conflict at
societal and familial levels.

With a change of landscape, The Immigrant pushes forward with new thrust
the issue of woman‘s fight against patriarchy in foreign lands. Being educated and
settled in Canada. Nina, the protagonist has to combat with conventional patriarchy
ridden shackles. Gender conflict clearly indicates the presence of patriarchal faiths in
minds of people settled in faraway lands, living between the generation having
much more modern trends and thoughts. Various dimensions of gender conflict
are discussed at a great length. In spite of no familial outmoded morality and
well-educated background, Nina faces the sour husband-wife relationship. The theme
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of infertility and Indian male‘s inhibition to assume responsibility for infertility is

widely discussed in the novel. In a comprehensive manner, Manju Kapur deals with
the conflicts of Nina in cross-cultural boundaries.

In her latest novel, Custody, Manju Kapur presents the legal aspect of man
woman relationship in the new millennium with new expectations. In this novel
reason, passion, emotion and logic are all intermingled. The novel clearly brings forth
the idea that mere material prosperity cannot ensure any healthy relationship between
husband and wife or between children and parents. Shagun boldly rejects the false,
unsatisfying marital relationship and indulges in a new relation of her choice. Her
decision invites the wrath of society but she confronts the repulsion bravely. On the
other hand, Ishita breaks the conventional image of a woman by becoming a real
mother to the stepdaughter, Roohi. Raman and Shagun both restart their life afresh
separately but the long custody battle leaves an indelible dent on the children‘s heart.
Same situation of conflict is faced by all the kids whose parents‘ custody battle
baffled their psyche. Roohi does not know the meaning of motherly love, remains in a
continuous conflict as she grows; as she is not able to express her inner fear resulting
in behavioural problems detrimental for her growth. Arjun, a teenager is not ready to
accept the separation of his parents. Raman understands his son‘s behaviour but is
unable to do anything for him as Shagun aspires for divorce only. Shagun represents
the modern Indian woman who develops her morality by her own standards and thus
controls her life. Manju Kapur presents the new woman who dares to challenge and
reject conventional relationship to pursue her preference in life.

Tara in ―Chocolate‖ seeks her revenge for long- imposed infertility and cruelty
by her husband and in-laws. She lives her early phase of life by the prescribed codes
of society but when the restrictions make Tara uneasy, she decides to rebel against
forced aspiration and refuses to fall a prey to patriarchy. She takes her revenge very
smartly on Abhay and gets her lost status in society by using clever tricks. Long
imposed patriarchy makes her a rebel. Here, Manju Kapur‘s craft in creating Tara‘s
character is realistic and worldly wise. She does not leave any loophole in her tricks
and comes out of her insecurities.
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The second short story ―The Necklace‖ relates, on the whole, a conflict that
ensures that a small issue is deliberately made a worse matter to serve vested selfish
purpose. Several men and women have to pay the cost of necklace, in form of rape,
severe trauma and abuse. Here the conflict is intentionally imposed for the sake of
false dignity and honour.

The growth of protagonist from a meek existence to a self-decisive woman

points out the real sense of independence. Manju Kapur lays stress upon the important
component of one‘s life which every woman expects to have, i.e. self-respect and
equality in the life. But marriage institution also has the hollowness and artificiality,
sometimes, and this is described by the novelists in a deft manner. Her sensitive
handling of significant themes create courageous women who exercise their rights
setting aside the traditional mindsets, impositions and achieve their goals as desired
by them.

Manju Kapur has focussed her attention on the broad social features which are
introduced after gradual changes in the old order of society. She describes India in her
transition phase going through the amalgamation of cultural and ethical values and
forming new moral values. The background of the novels explores the reaction of men
folk in a particular situation.For instance, in Difficult Daughters the backdrop of
Second World War, national movement and partition incidents are utilized in a
broader perspective to recognize and register the strength of colonized women, who
reject rigid social codes and work as equivalent to their male counterparts. The main
character in Difficult Daughters, Virmati is earlier not aware of her desire for
independence. It is Shakuntala whose independent life style and decision makes her
realize about her hatred towards traditional marriage and the typical life of a
housewife. Nurturing patriarchal values, here the conflict between two generations
can be easily observed as her mother's continuous disregard for her daughter‘s
marriage to a married man and the daughter‘s totally opposite viewpoint as she
upholds and exercises her choice. It is for the first time that Virmati could imagine
about the concept of choice in life in terms of career other than marriage. Virmati
seeks education as a medium to establish her identity. Kasturi holds education
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responsible for destroying familial values. Kasturi acts as a male patriarch and
tortures her daughter physically and mentally. She tries to suppress her desire to study
further and after the disclosure of actual reason behind Virmati‘s drowning incident,
Kasturi beats her daughter and locks her in the godown. After much uproar, ultimately
the family acquiesces to her idea of pursuing education but suddenly Kasturi
acknowledges some change in her daughter‘s behaviour, she observes; ―charmed so
much in just a generation‖ (Difficult Daughters 10). But despite repulsion, pursuit of
education awakens Virmati. She differentiates between choices of life offered to
women as she utters; ―identities, loyalties, futures and nations were becoming a matter
of choice rather than tradition‖ (Difficult Daughters 237). She acknowledges the
changes dawned at her daughter due to education. Her life style changes and she starts
thinking in an appropriate manner. She notices the difference in her and says ; ―after
she had been educated, she had gone her own way, changed from the caring
responsible girl she had always to a strange, deaf to reason, threats or pleadings‖
(Difficult Daughters 236). Education becomes a way to revitalize her wishes and
economic independence. Though after marriage with Harish, Virmati undergoes a
severe crisis in which she has to bear the tag of a second wife. Her mother-in-law and
Harish‘s first wife Ganga do not allow her to mix up with or adopt family traditions.
Ganga, as a caring daughter-in-law performs all her duties carefully. From the
smallest to the greatest, she takes care about the likes and dislikes of each and every
family member. This is her way to assert her identity in a socially approved status.
She does not allow Virmati to do any task. Virmati acquaints Professor, her husband
about her position in his home but he does not pay heed to her demand and makes no
effort to propagate her rights in the household. Even though, he takes his first
marriage as false and imposed decision of society, he questions: ―Who is responsible
for this state of affairs? Society, which deems that their sons should be educated, but
not their daughters. Society that decides that children babies should be married at the
ages of two and three as we were. As a result, both of us (he and his wife Ganga)
needlessly suffer for no fault of hers‖ (Difficult Daughters 103).

Here Manju Kapur questions the age-old rigid conventions of society

favouring gender discrimination; child marriage, generational differences and many
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more outmoded moralities and the novelist expostulates against the patriarchal value
system which can be tailored according to the needs of man. The Professor here
marries twice, does not leave Ganga, his first wife whereas, he admires Virmati. He
even indulges in illicit relationship with Virmati but she is blamed and locked into
godown. He marries a second time with Virmati but his mother, instead of scolding
her son, consoles Ganga to accept her fate. He remains the dominant power in his
home but Virmati loses all her parental ties and relationships. She faces rejection from
her mother and also from her daughter. This indicates the biased attitude of society
towards its female members. Resentment, mistrust and dislike from each side come to
her credit while power, authority and respect remain with Harish. Even her education
fails to grant her respect, rather repression and social prejudices keep her in bondages.
Virmati emerges out as a cult figure rejecting restrictions, old moralities, seeking
space for women, declining false codes and ethics of society. She remains a bundle of
contradictions for her natal family, after marriage for her husband and also for her
daughter.

Manju Kapur produces a clash and contrast of traditions and orthodoxy against
modern life style ideology and its consequent compulsions. In this modern age,
human relationships are becoming complicated day by day, so this modern thought
also affects man-woman relationship bringing distortions and deformities in the
institution of marriage. Joint family system is shrinking and, in a way mutual
devotion, faith and dedication is also vanishing from human relationships with the
growing impact of feminism and increasing the importance of economic
independence and it leads women to a search for self-identity and self-respect. Manju
Kapur‘s greatness lies in the presentation of her heroines-undaunted, ready to fight
back and assertive for their rights. Manju Kapur shapes up the women of strength on
social, political, emotional and on economic grounds.

The efficacy for procreation is given much more priority in patriarchal system
to female‘s mental abilities. Virmati gets some space in Harish‘s home only when she
conceives. Astha gains attention only after the birth of her son, Himanshu.
Motherhood adds valuable significance to one‘s identity. As Sona is incapable of
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conceiving, she has to bear sneers and taunts. The moment she conceives and gives
birth to a girl and then a boy, she avails herself of honour and respect. But that respect
is only granted to them due to motherhood. Nisha has to leave her business, as her
pregnancy does not allow her to continue it. Nina‘s marriage becomes a tangled mess
because of Ananda‘s infertile physical condition. Nina is doubly cursed as first, she is
childless, and secondly the share of her husband‘s blame comes to her credit. Ishita is
even divorced due to her infertile status. Sona and Ishita have to bear verbal assaults
as if absence of motherhood is the sole failure of their lives. Shagun faces a terrible
legal battle to maintain her motherhood as if after divorce even her kids are not her
own. In Indian scenario, the female‘s reproductive system decides the future of the
concerned woman after marriage. A woman is counted respectable or unrespectable in
terms of her child bearing capability. It means her identity is negated—such are the
ways of patriarchal society. Religion also plays an important role here as Vedas also
indoctrinate that woman‘s role is accomplished only after assuming the duty of child
birth that confirms the physical presence of a womb as an organ in female body not
her heart or identity. This specific role of motherhood is expected clearly demarcating
the presence of gender specific role assigned to women. A.S.Reber significantly
demonstrates the woman‘s situation at the incompletion of this role: ―Child bearing
has been viewed as a valuable gender-specific role to women. Therefore, women who
are unable to bear children, experience a pervasive sense of personal failure‖ (qtd. in
Saharan n.p.).

Acceptance of motherhood is also person specific, as Sona, being a traditional

woman thinks her life can be complete only after the birth of a son whereas, Rupa and
Nisha exhibit different perspectives towards their role in home. Rupa finds
contentment in innovations with her business, while Nisha urges for freedom
throughout her life. Despite individual difference, generally it is seen that priority of a
girl is customised to rear patriarchal values—get married and bear children. Kasturi‘s
deteriorating physical condition has been a result of her continuous child bearing;
unknowingly working as a vehicle of patriarchy, she does not attach concern to her
health. Patriarchy has deep roots as it enjoys immense socio-religious sanction.
Religion also gives supreme power to man and religious books eulogize male‘s effort
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but for woman producing male progeny is taken as an important achievement of her
life. Religious scriptures like The Gita, The Ramayana, The Bible, The Quran all
approve of the hegemony of male Gods and stress on the essential need for woman for
producing male heir to the family. The religious rites of marriage, birth and death
relegate woman to secondary status as she is not included or required in performing
socio-religious ceremonies especially of last rites. Let us take Nisha‘s case, her birth
is ceremonised with the idea that costly gifts can be piled up to be used, later on, as
dowry. Nisha‘s birth is considered as the arrival of Goddess Laxmi in their home,
along with affection costly gifts are showered on her as her dowry starts accumulating
from the day of her birth. On the contrary, the sound monetary status of Ishita‘s
parents could not save her marriage. How cruel that a girl of ten years (Nisha) is
forced to observe fasts and follow the norms of family, while a boy, Vicky, elder to
Nisha is not even scolded or hauled up for his heinous task of abusing his cousin. It is
generally observed that family honour becomes the prime factor to preserve any
marriage and this hollow sense of honour leads women from rebellion to oblivion.
Virmati has to face the outrage of her family as she wants to get married with a person
of her choice. Astha‘s lesbian relationship becomes a threat to Hemant‘s family.
Nisha is denied flatly her choice because Suresh belongs to low caste. Nina couldn‘t
register her rape case in a police station due to her patriarchal fears. Shagun‘s
rebellion is a result of denied marital pleasure and understanding. Sona‘s incessant
denial to Nisha‘s playing outside is also her fear for latter‘s gender. Raju can play
freely with other children of the street but Nisha has to preserve her beauty for being a
female child. Virmati becomes the second mother of her own siblings and herself is
deprived of maternal care. Her brothers are never given any responsibility regarding
the care of siblings. Here Manju Kapur elucidates the facts and also reveals the naked
truth that girls are allowed no childhood even in infancy as a girl-child‘s training of
subordination starts right from her childhood, she is beaten into submission in her
natal family. Whereas a boy‘s training prepares him to remain demanding and
dominating throughout his life. Astha‘s initiation towards creative activity and
participation in political activities is not welcomed. Hemant tries to circumscribe her
activities up to home only and this sows conflict in their relation. Ironically, a man
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with foreign education does not encourage his wife to enter creative fields. Ananda
also tries to tailor Nina‘s habits of eating, wearing to be in tune with Western style.
Hardships at alien soil and domestic slavery is kept reserved only for a woman as her
status is not of a living being, she is taken for granted for every change-induced,
injected in her , not to seek permission nor have any regard for her disapproval . This
forced set of rules of male hegemony ultimately chokes woman; so irked by wounds
on ego and soul, she protests and this protest is given by chauvinist male, a
nomenclature-gender conflict. Cultural conditioning plays a dominant role in
enhancing and complicating the tasks for women. Men altering familial traditions are
not counted as disappointment while women are trapped in the name of religion, for
the sake of their sex and also for the sake of duties forcefully imposed on them.
Manju Kapur calls for a change in the attitude of man and society towards woman
according to changing roles of woman and situations. The demanding world of
patriarchy requires a woman to play various roles simultaneously. It is she who needs
to adjust accordingly. Manju Kapur thinks and presents that woman can regain her
status not by passive resistance only but by confronting all, developing an aptitude of
survival. So, we can say, this conflict of women characters and their combat with
male counterparts within that particular situation makes Manju Kapur‘s fiction more
interesting and true representation of society.

Generally, in our society, mother‘s role and wife‘s roles are adored and
appreciated; simultaneously a woman with a desire to propagate self-identity is
neglected and suppressed in an effort to preserve false patriarchal culture. Virmati,
Astha, Nisha, Nina and Shagun all are highly serious about their education and wield
it as a cudgel against conventions and traditions but do follow the conventional path
of marriage and motherhood. Virmati, bearing all sort of ill treatment, prepares her
way to continue her education, Astha retaliates against patriarchy with her creative
self by choosing the creative path of painting and writing. Nisha, in foreign territories,
rejects all age-old bonds of marriage and starts her life afresh in a new manner.
Shagun fulfils her long craving to live a liberated life by flinging divorce upon
Raman. All the protagonists register their rejection towards arranged marriages and
display independent will towards liberty and equality. Patriarchy has no doubt,
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devised specific rules for women but Manju Kapur‘s protagonists work beyond set
conducts and explore new territories and avenues for transformation. This
transformed expression pushes them to wade through prohibited waters and gives
them strength to doubt and question the conventional role for them asserting their
desires. Astha confronts Hemant when he does not permit her for Ekta yatra, Here,
she readily faces his opposition and takes her independent decision to move further,
despite his disapproval. Shagun bravely encounters Raman for divorce issues, puts
forward her views on free life frankly and takes her initiative. She rejects the popular
prejudice against woman of being tied to only one relation with one man that may be
satisfactory or not. Virmati‘s struggle against patriarchal set up gives her courage to
fight for her rights by means of education, for her marriage of her choice and for her
rightful existence in the Professor‘s house after marriage. The turbulences of her life
make her brave enough to encounter all the hostile conditions, especially the
conditions rendering women down trodden in her own home of pre-independence era.
Her acute struggle in that period which recommended minimum rights for women
makes her more confident and also more rebellious. Nina‘s suppressed emotions
unfurl her inner rebellion that burst out when she gets the revelation about Ananda‘s
infidelity. Nina searches for her grounds on her own and leaves her ugly past behind.
Her struggle is a bit more complicated from other protagonists as she has none with
whom she can share her agonies or confide. But she makes this double isolation, her
strength and moves forward to new life, veneer of patriarchy cracks down, with strong
gesture.

Manju Kapur presents Nina‘s story with twists and turns of conflicts. It
becomes the fate of many girls who are lost in foreign lands. Many girls from India
are married to NRIs and their dreams evaporate in the bright heat of NRI status. It is
never significantly documented or surveyed as what happens with them in alien lands.
Initially, they cherish the Indian values imbibed in them but gradually they find that
foreign set up, totally, crushes their feelings and dreams. Nina without any support
settles herself in job in pre-married life. Her struggle continues in Canada as she
struggles to get her freedom in an alien soil. The problems faced by immigrant
women are different from that of immigrant men. Adjustment for women becomes
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more difficult as they have to abide by their Indian conventions that too, in foreign
environment. Nina has to undergo emotional void; nobody is there to solve her
problems regarding adjustment with an altogether different set up and difficult
demands from husband and society. Moreover, Ananda‘s inability to provide her
physical satisfaction also enhances her dilemma. However, Ananda also faces
problem to settle as an immigrant but Nina seeks the issue of double displacement-
one from soil, the other from value system. Here, gender conflict sprouts as Nina is
required by her husband to adopt Western food i.e. non-veg diet and clothing. Her
dilemma that gives rise to the conflict is that right from beginning of life, any
association of non-veg food as a sin is hammered into her mind. She is in conflict as
she is confused whom to follow—her husband or the ingrained long cherished values?
Being an educated woman she cannot efface her identity or value system. Her
reluctance to give up her values- part and parcel of her identity triggers conflict in her
life. We can say, education empowers her to make her choice and retain it and not
allowing herself to blindly follow the husband, thus annihilating her entire entity.
Gender conflict raises its ugly hood when woman refuses to accept the dictates of man
and asserts her as an entity.

Manju Kapur highlights the conflicts of tradition versus modern, between

chauvinist man and identity-seeking woman. In Difficult Daughters Virmati has
different notion about liberty and womanhood. Her traditional mother, Kasturi and
Harish, an oasis provide the suitable grounds for various conflicts and dilemmas for
Virmati. The novel thus exhibits generational and gender conflicts at a greater length.
Virmati‘s steps towards freedom are not praised either by her mother and or by her
daughter. She becomes the representative voice of woman in pre-independence
period. In A Married Woman Astha challenges the deeply conventional man-woman
relationship and becomes a threat by changing the configuration of man-woman
relationship just to seek physical and mental solace. The intimate relationship gives
courage to Astha to demand her freedom and rights. She rejects sacrifices for personal
ambitions and gets satisfaction in the lap of Pipeelika. Astha‘s vacuum is filled after
Pipeelika‘s soothing attitude fulfils her emotional need. Nevertheless, this emotional
fulfilment puts her in a dilemma to choose between Hemant and Pipeelika. Her
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relationship with Pipeelika gives her strength to fight for her liberty, for indulging in
processions–in Ekta Yatra, in painting work and space, time for her own. Manju
Kapur seems to produce the alternatives for the disturbing man-woman relationship.
In The Immigrant, Manju Kapur presents the dualism of mind and body. Nina‘s
financial stability and urge for independence before marriage in the male dominating
society fails to help her from suffering from dilemmas and conflicts of life. Nina tries
to seek her future and emotions safe with Ananda, but even in foreign lands the
gender conflict does not allow her to stay in peace. The latest novel Custody
acknowledges woman‘s concern for autonomy, breaking all conventions. She grabs
the opportunity for realization of dreams in the form of a more successful woman and
leaves behind all old convictions held for woman. Shagun admits: ―Traditional verses
modern values, individual verses society this narrow social set up is all you know that
is why you are afraid‖ (Custody 84).

Manju Kapur also highlights the issue of assertion of identity in the above
discussed novels associating them with contemporary events in a lively manner. All
the concomitant issues with main issue of identity offer variety of shades to the
presentation of Manju Kapur, but the brightest shade is that of conflict. In Difficult
Daughters the era of partition and women‘s struggle in freedom movement signifies
Virmati‘s conflict and struggle with traditional mentality. The scenes of
Hindu-Muslim riots are produced with real eye-catching events. In her second novel A
Married Woman Astha‘s life after Aijaz‘s death is depicted and carefully presented
with Ramjanambhoomi, Babri-Masjid issues with significant political events. Home
also records the history of post-partition traumas and resettlement of traders in other
places. The Immigrant is set in emergency period background, elections and various
other political crisis creeps in Ananda and his uncle‘s discussions. Custody relates the
issues of cyclone in recent Indian scenario and involves Ishita‘s participation as a
social worker. Here Manju Kapur throws an opportunity to Ishita to brighten her
character by selfless work. The short story ―The Necklace‖ covers the contemporary
events of colonized India under British regime. Addition of these incidents of past and
present make her novels more real and as Indian issues and dilemmas are presented in
Indian manner, Manju Kapur undertakes the journey from pre-independence era to
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post independent India. The women‘s freedom movement, Ram Janam Bhoomi Babri
Masjid issue, deteriorating conditions of businessmen after partition, immigrant
identities and cyclone scenes of South-India are kept as backdrop of these novels.
Historical incidents are significantly narrated by the novelist. The stories are weaved
around these incidents producing the real upheavals in Indian perspective of women
liberation. Though many types of conflicts engage the novels and short stories, gender
and generational conflict come to the forefront easily in an imposing manner.

Generational conflict remains dominant in Difficult Daughters, Home and

Custody. Manju Kapur‘s short story–―Chocolate‖ also has the glimpses of
generational conflict in mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship. Kasturi in
Difficult Daughters imposes domestic chores on Virmati as women‘s grace is in her
home. She wants her daughter to learn all types of knitting, stitching and kitchen work
so that she may become an obedient and docile wife in future. Virmati, on the other
hand, wants to lead an independent life. In the second novel A Married Woman
Astha‘s mother prepares her as a future wife and seeks a rich suitor for her daughter.
While Sona in Home herself has opted for love marriage but rejects her daughter
Nisha‘s choice Suresh, for marriage. As he is a low caste and poor boy, she has
serious doubts that he will not keep her daughter happy. She wants a boy from a
business family for her daughter. She tries to rear her girl child, skilled in household
tasks and culinary skills. She does not praise her daughter‘s good performances in
exams but only thinks about her to become a homely girl. In The Immigrant Nina‘s
mother thinks an NRI will be suitable match for her daughter. Nina‘s mother does not
consider whether Ananda will be suitable guy or not for her daughter but she finds her
daughter‘s future safe only if the boy has a sound financial status. In Custody,
Ishita gets married in a rich family, maintains homely and gentle attitude but her
mother-in-law forces her to leave the home as she is infertile. Her docile nature and
the sound monetary status of her husband, both are unable to sustain her married life.
In the short story ―Chocolate‖ Tara, educated and prepared for matrimonial purpose,
has to face generational differences with her mother-in-law who practices various
superstitions on her. It is seen that in the upbringing of all these protagonists, culture
plays a crucial role in defining their lives within four walls of the house. Patriarchal
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compulsions make their journey to self-reliance more and more difficult. All the
protagonists attempt to come out of difficult situations significantly and also
triumphantly. The protagonists raise voice against the families having functional
household but different manifestations for women. The genuine demand for studies is
also not entertained as it may temper their thoughts against household and may block
their way to be docile future wives. Manju Kapur uses education as a tool for
emancipation of women. She explores and gauges women‘s mental trauma in dealing
with the difficulties of life after being empowered with education. They remain stuck
in traditional bounds while their persona accomplishing the motherhood, wifehood is
strengthened by education, desires economic independence and freedom in all spheres
of lives. Manju Kapur dexterously captures the mental state of her women characters
and their triumph over traditional values. Kruttika Kallury eminently locates the
novelist‘s viewpoint: ―Kapur masters the art of expressing the educated woman's
psyche which deals with the dichotomy between traditional values and making
independent life choices at the risk of alienating oneself from society‖ (n.p.).

The gradual development of her characters can be seen from one novel to
another. Virmati sheds off the conventional notion of maintaining virginity before
marriage and indulges in physical relationship with Harish. At the same time she,
being a traditional, aborts her child because of her unmarried status. She is very well
aware that her orthodox traditional society will not accept her illicit relationship with
Harish and thus analysing and collating the situation, she decides to choose socially
acceptable way i.e. marriage. Virmati hangs between two selves; one half allures her
for pleasure and fulfilment and the other half demands from her moral rectitude of the
society. Astha becomes the representative of the age of transition. Manju Kapur
brings to the fore a woman who does not want to remain marginalized. Astha
develops affairs in her college life but moves further in married life. She resists
compulsions and demands her rights from Hemant and even develops lesbian
relationship when she fails to find any satisfaction in husband wife relationship. The
third novel Home brings the changed atmosphere of a home. Women of early two
generations follow the set pattern of trader‘s society. But in the next generation Nisha
starts modernizing herself from college days. Variations come in her life. She roams
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in the college campus and coffee houses with Suresh and bunks classes, wears modern
dresses, watches movies in the theatre and has her own views towards life. Soon her
idea of modernization loses its sheen and patriarchy pulling her to the real trader
family norms. She rejects the false norms and advocates her thoughts of liberty.
Though she could not marry with a person of her choice, she carves out her identity
according to her choice. Despite tremendous opposition, she becomes a business
entrepreneur, even more successful than the male members of the family. Nina, in
alien territories, considers herself to be owner of her own emotions and passion in
faraway lands. Later the acute sense of loneliness starts pricking her and discontent
between husband-wife relationship adds to her misery. Moreover, cultural double
displacement aggravated the agony of her traumatized self. It is seen that even an
economically independent self of Indian woman fails to grant her the required
satisfaction in her relation. Finally Nina leaves her tormented life and starts her
journey of life to reinvent her quest for self.

All the works of Manju Kapur are dealt in such an elating manner with great
visual imagery that one can feel the incidents moving like movies in front of one‘s
eyes. The reader feels the presence of real people experiencing sorrow, pleasure,
happiness, pain and sufferings. Socialization of a child plays a dominant role in
preparing the future child as it does not show any inclination towards any particular
truth along with values instilled in his/her mind. But, surprisingly the socialization
process is gender biased in Indian society; a girl is nurtured with suppression, cruelty
and has to opt for submission and obedience. A boy is raised with the notion to inflict
superiority over others. This egotistical approach for life can be well observed in
Hemant, Ananda, Suryakant and Raman‘s behaviour. Their professional proficiency
affects their marital life as they cannot afford time for their wives, who feel alienated
in their own homes because of various reasons i.e. generational conflict, gender
conflict or social rejection but their husbands make them doubly alienated. This
parental and social conditioning of male child becomes the root cause of marital
discord in the novels. It is true that one cannot keep aside the social influence of
patriarchal society over their children, but Manju Kapur condemns the social
institution and makes her protagonists ready for the changing needs of society,
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enables them to encounter the problems with a brave heart. Manju Kapur presents
both the propositions of female body as infertility and infidelity as major pursuits of
her characters. Sona, Nina and Ishita become the victim of patriarchal family units
because of their infertility. They lose their household but prove their worth in bad
weather. On the contrary, Shagun uses her infidelity as a blow and gets strengthened
as she cuts down the fetters of patriarchy which recommend loyalty and faithfulness
to woman‘s share despite infidelity from husband. Sona, Nina and Ishita have to bear
verbal assaults and various other pressures. So is the case with Shagun but articulation
and impression are different.

Manju Kapur‘s fiction suggests the idea of second parenting in Indian social
system. Indian parents nurture their girl child as future homemakers and become
second parent without any demands and queries from their own siblings. Kasturi
leaves her task of parenting on Virmati at a very small age and makes her second
parent to her siblings. Same is in case of Sona, after her son‘s birth she neglects her
girl child and involves her in taking care of her little brother or leaves her alone. In all
emotional upheavals parents offer no succour or help to their daughters and make
them easy prey to other men. Hemant and Raman fully enforce the task of child
rearing on Astha and Shagun without cooperation. So the women remain doubly
alienated first because of lack of their husbands‘ care and secondly as they are doubly
burdened with the responsibility of single parenting. This deeply imbibed mentality or
deep-seated conviction could not allow Ganga to express her anger against her
husband Harish for his alleged infidelity and she tries to invest her energy in doubled
proportion in domestic task and in the care of husband‘s family to get Harish back.
Shockingly here, two women, Ganga and Virmati suffer because of lascivious men;
both women engage themselves in a tug of war to hold on to the man. Ganga tries to
win her husband back as she convinced because of her, Harish is with Virmati and
Virmati exercises her right on Harish as her education has made her a ‗choice‘ for
Harish and she wants to maintain it anyhow. Gender conflict here assumes shape with
a new dimension as earlier it was between man and woman, but in Manju Kapur‘s
novel it is also between woman and woman such as, between Ganga and Virmati:
Shagun and Ishita and so on. Manju Kapur‘s women raise their anger against
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misdemeanour of male counterparts and defy the false social codes. In a way, they
maintain their individuality and demand for equality. The incarnation of these women
suggests a change in social patterns of male dominance. Virmati marries a person of
her own choice. Astha returns to her married life preferring her own decision for life.
Nisha maintains her career and proves her abilities. Nina breaks up uncordial marital
relations while Shagun leaves the bitterness of old married life aside and starts life
with Ashok. Ishita starts her life with Raman and Roohi.

Manju Kapur deals with the emancipation that every woman aspires i.e. to
take her decision herself, live her life by her own standards, not by some imposition
on her. All her protagonists emancipate themselves from turbulent currents and tossy
waves of life. It is unthinkable that in an independent nation sanctimonious hypocrisy
of social values makes them slaves of destiny; in contradictory vein, Manju Kapur
presents her protagonists as rebels who aspire for some independence which is their
right—yearning for freedom. The novelist deals with variety of frustrations of a
woman which she undergoes and suffers as compulsions are imposed on her in name
of destiny or because of secondary status of her gender in social perspective. She
brings on the anvil women issues, specifically observed in Indian perspective like
child abuse, dependent status, girl‘s marriage as an obligation of parents, expectations
of girl as a meek follower of in-laws, dowry issue and extra-marital relation. It is
established that in the Indian scenario woman‘s role is defined as a thing of
possession and honour. Child abuse is not reported to police as it will bring ignominy
to the family. Girl is not allowed to marry a person of her choice as it disrupts family
honour. She cannot involve herself in business as it is not honourable to do such a
kind of job. She cannot participate in processions as she is thus found, neglecting her
familial duties. She cannot leave any marital relation however painful it is, as it will
make her parents unhappy and denigrated. All the concepts of honour, ignominy,
responsibilities and familial values are associated with particularly women only in the
Indian system. Custom, honour and hollow, misinterpreted values collaborate to ruin
woman‘s liberty.
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Manju Kapur emphasizes on the parochial nature of men over their wives as
they subside their demands and keep them confined to domestic tasks. They imposed
restrictions on them to circumscribe the scope of outdoor activities for them and in a
way hurl hardship on them without expecting them to make any complaint. Hemant
does not approve of Astha‘s idea of painting, writing and engaging in political events.
He even degrades, discards Astha‘s poetry saying that they may display gloomy
aspect of her life. Similarly, Arvind appreciates Nisha‘s desire of doing business after
marriage, but suddenly he changes his stance and commands her to do every task after
seeking his mother‘s permission. Ananda, living in foreign country, keeps the reins of
Nina‘s life in his hands. He affects her dressing sense, eating habits, living style and
controls her expenditure. Raman engages a detective to keep an eye on his wife,
Shagun. He keeps a record of her wife‘s movements but does not pay attention to her
wishes and wants and never tries to analyse why she makes movements to his
disapproval.

Manju Kapur questions woman‘s financial dependence on man who in turn,

utilizes her dependence in multifarious ways to his interest. Ananda keeps control
over Nina‘s expenditure judiciously but spends money extravagantly on Mandy.
Nisha borrows money to start her business on loan from her father. Astha‘s husband
directs her to spend her money on her tickets while he readily pays for the children.
He even does not allow her to buy a silver box which she admires and controls her
savings. Raman gives Ishita the engagement ring of medium range in price as it may
declare his love but control his expenses. All the incidents declare that women are
either marginalized or left on the mercy of men. Whether women earn or not, their
decision making power remains only in men‘s hands. This arrangement of Indian
society reflects patriarchy‘s control over women through managing finance, social
participation of woman, making her helpless enough to accept the doctrines of
patriarchy specially laid down and enshrined for her to keep her energy and zeal under
control, just to tame her to the use of man. In nutshell, the controlling power in Indian
culture remains male-centric, starting from home units to larger domain of society and
then spreading over the whole country.
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Surprisingly, to materialize this malevolence of man against woman, females

also work as propellants of male hegemony. Here comes generational conflict,
women, whatever they have suffered, out of revenge or under duress of patriarchy,
assigning respect to its time-tested formulas against woman , pass on their suffering or
load of household chores, shift the focus of their suffering and struggling , as a legacy
to younger generation as a necessary evil. Kasturi imposes all the responsibilities on
Virmati e.g. of rearing, doing domestic task, hurls her frustrations over her, locking
her in godown and all as a new victim to suffer after her. Neither the grandfather nor
her father is shown imposing any task on her. Astha‘s mother restricts Astha‘s visit
and keeps control over her moral issues while her father wants his daughter to be
independent. Sona‘s mother-in-law and Sona as well worked as inheritors of
patriarchy. They promote the masculine psyche and treat the protagonist in such a
way as to mould them accordingly.

There are many Virmatis, Asthas, Nishas, Ninas, Shaguns and Ishitas in India
who remain struggling against traditions to assert for and ensure their identity and
individuality. Their inner urges compel them to rebel against conventional set up for
their right to equality. They try to propagate their constitutional equality on real
grounds and also in the form of social equality. Rupa, Shakuntala. Sue, Shagun,
Pipeelika also emerge out as examples of strong women and carve out a niche for
themselves in the Indian society. They fight for the establishment of their identity
which they are totally denied, as also for their rights which the powerful ones acclaim
the earlier. The protagonists ultimately reach to the goal of self-discovery. The
continuous plight of being a woman does not circumvent any of them to the confined
role of womanhood. They prove their strength overcoming all the obstacles and
challenging patriarchal faiths imposed on them. There is a variety of shades in women
characters in the spectrum of novels but the similarity found common among them is
of their conflicts. Manju Kapur reveals about her characters in an interview:

these are the lives I observe around me. Women‘s live‘s—at least
here—I can‘t really speak with authority about other places—are
complicated and a source of endless interst. In India women are often
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caught between the traditional and the modern, caught between the
family and their individual desires. As a novelist this is where I place
my stories. (n.p.)

The chaos in the lives of the protagonists and their triumph over conflicts
makes them trendsetters and they metamorphose as new women. Manju Kapur‘s
women no longer submit to the will of their male counterparts rather counter attack
bravely to overcome the abject situations. They choose the option of fighting back
over surrendering themselves to destiny. This incredible transformation makes them a
kind of women confronting traditional social values and registers their identity
significantly. Manju Kapur draws the concerns of newly emerging urban middle class
to women issues and also man‘s desires to shape up and mould woman according to
his will. In fact, he has enslaved her mind and never desires to elevate her to a desired
status. Cultural, religious and social traditions impose restrictions, and favour
repression. Manju Kapur unveils the harsh and double standards of society in which
pleasure and control with regard to woman become necessary for man but on the
contrary, for a woman, desire for pleasure and control over her own life becomes a
sin. The dual nature of society is nakedly and crudely presented in Manju Kapur‘s
fiction and this has become a great strength of her works. Her protagonists enter into
forbidden territories, face rejection but learn to come out successfully. They defy
patriarchal notions, reject enforced domesticity and assert their individuality. Their
determined and frank expressions make them action-oriented personalities of great
worth. The novelist presents the protagonists for considerable change from the first
novel set in pre-independence time to the last. The protagonist of Difficult Daughters
wants to study and marry a person of her own choice. While Astha demands her
rights, Nisha wants to satisfy her urge of entrepreneurship. Nina seeks emotional
connectivity and Shagun wants to lead a life of glamour. Manju Kapur‘s protagonists
take a leap into a liberated womanhood availing themselves of freedom and grabbing
their rights. In this process of actualizing their self, they indulge in love affairs, deny
caste based traditions, have pleasures in life, develop lesbian relationship, break false
relations and take divorce. Manju Kapur makes a deep introspection into her
protagonists‘ lives and also their predicaments. She very tactfully, locates the impact
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of education to solve their conflicts, to survive in patriarchy, and emerge out as new
women. All the protagonists of Manju Kapur give a deep impression of Indian
womanhood. Virmati in Difficult Daughters, Astha in A Married Woman, Nisha in
Home, Nina in The Immigrant and Ishita in Custody search for their own ground for
self-identity. They present an emblem of strengthened Indian woman who can walk
through all the twists and turns of life, reframing and redefining value and moralities
may be, more or less going against patriarchal doctrines. Gender conflict poses a
serious threat to such struggling women to propagate male hegemony and
generational conflict raises its ugly hood as the older generation, having suffered male
hegemony, seeks revenge on the younger generation to pass on this legacy of
surrender before patriarchy. Older generation also relieve themselves of the load of
work and responsibilities with advocacy of patriarchy.
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Works Cited

Kallury, Kruttika. ―Family Matters.‖ India Today 7 Apr. 2011: n. pag. India Today. 7
Apr. 2011. Web. 24 Nov. 2015.
Kapur, Manju. ―Manju Kapur Archives - Faber and Faber Blog.‖ Faber and Faber
Blog. N.p., 8 Jan. 2009. Web. 17 Dec. 2015.
Kumar, Ashok. ―Portrayal of New Woman: A Study of Manju Kapur‘s A Married
Woman.‖ Indian Writing in English: Critical Ruminations. Ed. Amar Nath
Prasad and S. John Peter Joseph. New Delhi: Sarup, 2006. 193-206. Print.
Saharan, Asha. ―Perspective of Body in Manju Kapur‘s Fiction.‖ Muse India 46
(2012): n. pag. Web. 4 June 2013.
Sinha, Sunita. Post-Colonial Women Writers: New Perspectives. New Delhi: Atlantic,
2008. Print.