Sudha Shree in his article “Difficult Daughters: Travails in Self Identity” aptly describes Virmati’s struggle in her life in the following words: Virmati, The protagonist rebels against tradition, yet she is filled with self-doubt she pleads for studying further and postponement of her marriage. She attempts suicide, when forced with protests of marrying the canal engineer. The family brands her to be restless, sick and selfish and locks her up. (Shree 165) Shree’s observation focuses Virmati’s struggle in the male dominated society. For her search of own space in the society, she rebels against tradition, cancels her marriage and gets isolated in the process.
This love-hate relationship creates a rift between the mother and the daughter and forces Virmati to tread the path of rebellion. Her childhood is lost in being a young mother to her siblings. Virmati thus, states, The language of feeling had never followed between them and this threat was meant to express all her thwarted yearning… Why was her daughter so restless all the time? In a girl that spelt disaster. Why was saying anything to her mother so difficult?
Learnt from her own sorrowful experience she tries to condition her daughter Ida that she should not fall into a trap like her. Simone de Beauvoir’s statement makes it more explicit: She (mother) grimly forbids the child to resemble her; she wants her experience to be of some use, it is one way of having second chance. The prostitute sends her daughter to a convent: the ignorant woman has hers educated. Real conflicts arise when the girl grows older; as we have seen, she wishes to establish her independence from her mother. (78) It is clear that Virmati’s character reflects the Indian Woman’s psyche.
Bharati was settling for “fluidity, self-invention, blue jeans, and T-shirts”(268). Bharati decided to be a part of a new community by marrying someone of a different community and living an American lifestyle. Unlike Mira, Bharati has adapted to the American community and has become a part of it. However, like Mira, she too has not felt welcomed in a community. Bharati compares Mira’s situation in America to one that she faced in Canada, where the government turned against the immigrants.
Nirupa was the favourite onscreen mother for super stars and was an important element in the film 's climax. Remember "Deewaar", "Amar Akbar Anthony" and "Muqaddar Ka Sikandar"? A couple of year back she was felicitated with a lifetime achievement award by a popular film magazine. Other memorable mothers include Waheeda Rehman in "Trishul", Raakhee in "Ram Lakhan", Nutan in "Karma" and Sharmila Tagore in "Aradhana". The film directors were better able to bring out the contrast between their younger, happier days.
Umnandi was the favourite wife of Mzilikazi. She was beautiful, kind and gracious. She received all her guests and the guests of the king with such welcoming, that she was also a favourite of the people, and was called the Queen of the Matebele (Plaatje, 1975). This popularity caused her to be the envy of all the other wives of the king, and one in particular, Nomenti. Nomenti decided to plot her death and this eventually led to Umnandi fleeing her king and her people (Plaatje, 1975).
I never saw my parents hug, kiss, hold hands, or say “I love you” to one another. However, I do not want to give the impression that my parents did not provide an exceptional upbringing for me and my brother. We had home cooked meals every night, my father read to me before bed when he was home, and we celebrated every holiday with the whole family at our house. Up until the thick of the divorce, I would say I lived a privileged and loving life style. That being said, I pointed out the dysfunctionality of my parents marriage prior to the divorce because it explains my
They are dealing with unending struggle to enact an equal position to men in the society. Manju Kapur’s heroine, Nisha is forced towards domesticity and so-called family rituals under patriarchal notions. She is caught in dichotomy between her personal wants and institutional liabilities. However, Nisha defies the oppressive mechanism of a closed society and asserts her individuality. She nurtures her desire to lead life of her own.
The above lines explore Virmati’s struggle against odd to create her own identity in life. In real sense, her struggle inspires everyone to achieve his or her aims. Though she suffers a lot in her life, her achievement is not small one. She rejects to become submissive, she revolts against the tradition for her selfness. She struggles for everything rather one can say, for every little thing in her life.
She is treated as the mother or mata or mother-goddess. “Aspired to be Devi, the Mother-goddess in her most terrible aspect, possessor of the Shakti of the gods”. ( Feminist Perspectives in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children 75) The novel shows both positive and negative results. It shows the liberation and oppression. Saleem’s rival, Shiva takes away the feeling of dread from heinous crime.