The despondency of women in patriarchal constellations as portrayed in 'That Long Silence' by Shashi Deshpande

Seminar paper from the year 2020 in the subject Gender Studies, grade: NA, , course: Masters', language: English, abstract: Gender discrimination is a social stigma which has inflicted not only the Indian Society but social condition would once. Chauvinism is something which has affected the lives of every woman. Voices have been raised from time to time against it but have been curbed forcefully by the so-called contractors of the society, in the name of culture, religion, and community. Establishing gender justice and gender are the key aspects of the feminist movement. Equal rights for both the genders are not only the biological concern but a social necessity. Shashi Deshpande's quest for identity and freedom has become a dominant theme in her works. She is one of the leading novelists of contemporary Indian Society and has a distinct place as she consistently addresses the question of selfhood with its many ramifications in her novels. She has sensitively treated typical Indian themes and has successfully depicted the intricate emotions, dilemmas, and conflicts of the contemporary Indian woman in her interactions with her male counterparts. Her concern is, in fact, for nothing less than the human predicament. Keywords: Despondency, chauvinism, identity, dilemma, the human predicament.

Dr. Shamenaz Bano is Author & Editor of 19 international books which includes, 'Exile and Resistance in Palestinian Literature', 'An Anthology of Poems on Partition Literature ', 'The Silences and Survival of Indian Women in Shashi Deshpande's Novels', 'A Visit to the Ruins of Vijayanagar Empire at Hampi', 'Shades of Life', 'Gender Studies: Fragmentation and Formation', 'Trends, Issues and Implications in Asian Women Writing' and 'Women Poets: Within and Beyond Shore Volume I, II & III. She is Co-author of 'The Celebration of Our Voices' with Deborah Brooks Langford of USA and has co-edited Feeling for You with Armeli Quezon of USA. She has been teaching English literature, language and Communication Skills at Rajarshi Tandon Mahila Mahavidyalaya, S. S. Khanna Girls' Degree College, Ewing Christian College, Allahabad University at Allahabad Institute of Engineering & Technology for ten years. She has contributed poems to many international poetry Magazines & Anthologies like Women of Substance, Raven Cage Magazine, Poetry Archive, Women of Reflection, Women of Passion, Poetic Souls, Feeling International, Hope Reborn, Delhi by Verse and Glomag. She is a member of the Editorial Board of journals including; Khazar Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (Azerbaijan), Angloamericanie Journal (Macedonia), Anglisticum, (Macedonia), International Journal of Research and Humanitarian Studies (Jordan), Cyber Literature: An Online Journal, The Context, English Literator Society, Literary Miscellany, Research Access & Expressions, Levure Litteraire (France-Germany-USA).