Evolution of a New Woman in the Sociological Milieu of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni: A Journey to the Inner Self

Abstract

The idea of men's and women's relationships is one that literature today is highly concerned with redefining. The numerous social roles associated with males and females have been primarily influenced by biological sex. It needs to be clarified how or when the complementary position of women was replaced by a secondary one, which, over time, ossified that many women are still fighting for their civil rights today. In the diasporic consciousness, women also experience discrimination over their right to self-recognition. The longing for one's roots or homeland is intense among females. They become nostalgic and feel homesick. They battle with their inner selves to adjust to the unfamiliar conditions and surroundings and work to overcome relocation difficulties. As a result, they gain self-awareness and confidence, allowing them to reassess and rethink women's lives as mothers, spouses, daughters, sisters, and professionals. By moving through the different stages of experiences, there is now a new representation of women in life and literature who are independent, free, unreserved, and mature. The paper focuses on the struggles and experiences of such female characters in the selected novels of Indian American author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. In her novels, she gracefully tackles the diasporic pain experienced by the female protagonists, who are stuck in a society where they cannot forge their own identities.