Elaine Showalter The Thousand Faces Of Night Summary

Elaine Showalter, a familiar American feminist critic identifies the progress of women as ‘feminine’, ‘feminist’ and ‘female’. Based on this concept the paper studies the travel taken by the women characters and how Githa Hariharan has created her own model, pattern and concept of ‘feminism’. She draws inspiration from the plight, the struggle, the resistance and revolt practiced by the contemporary Indian women of all classes and creeds -- urban or rural. To Elaine Showalter the terms ‘feminine’, (imitative), ‘feminist’ (protest) and ‘female’ (self discovery) denote developmental stages. In general, critics accept the concept of ‘feminine’ or ‘femininity’ as denoting lack, negativity, marginality, and absence of meaning. It is also characterized by subservience and modesty. ‘Feminist’ or ‘feminism’ stands for anger and revolt and is characterized by aggressiveness, the competitive spirit and vindictiveness. ‘Female’ is the stage which the contemporary feminists want to achieve. At this level, the question of identity is resolved and a woman becomes an autonomous whole. The women

In the words of Simone de Beauvoir: “Marriage diminishes man, which is often true; but almost always it annihilates woman” (The Second Sex). Mayamma, the servant maid and the grandmother in The Thousand Faces of Night are identified as ‘feminine’ who seem to fulfill every criterion of complete feminine development. They are excellent wives, mothers, and capable housewives. Mayamma, the family retainer in the house of Devi’s father-in-law is the archetypal female who accepted her fate, cursed it but never questioned it, and lived her life exactly as she was expected to. She bore the brunt of cruelty that the patriarchal family had ordained for a woman as a daughter, a wife, a daughter-in-law and a mother. She made no choice and she had no choice but to live a predetermined