Ancient Promise Analysis

“Human experience, for centuries, has been synonymous with masculine experience with the result that the collective image of humanity has been one sided and incomplete. Woman has not been defined as a subject in her own right but merely as an entity that concerns man either in his life or his fantasy life” ( Singh-7) The male centered view of human life, which goes on to privilege one gender over another, has led to an inability to work towards a holistic development. An increasing awareness of the injustices done to women gradually gave rise to the feminist movement The woman is the backbone of a family. Though, men considered to be the bread winner of the family, without women a family is incomplete. In India, the women were

The novel can be called as a semi autobiographical work. The story tells us how marriage becomes a potent weapon in the hands of man in controlling and vanquishing woman to live in her own space. The story moves from innocence to experience. In the novel she has evidently dealt with poignant observation on Janaki’s life in Maraar family, and terminates in a wise and a balanced view of life. Janaki the protagonist in the novel is brought up in Delhi, but rooted from Kerala. When she was 16, she met Arjun. He was a cricketer at the local school. They became friends and slowly the buds of love started to bloom between them. However, it took a shoddier turn, when her parents discovered their secret meetings. They dithered the secret relationship. Mindset of Janaki’s parents’ reflects conservative Indian parents who consider that pre-marital love as a social evil and it destroys younger generation. In addition to that, they believe love in young age is a great sin. Soon they shifted to Kerala to get her married to Suresh who was handpicked by them. Janaki wedded Suresh, for her parents’ wish. Suresh listed out few conditions on how his better half should be, but the contradiction can be observed in the marital expectations of Janaki. She accepted this life for her parents’ desire. Moreover no one was willing to ask her opinion about the Marrar family or the

Janaki’s in-laws granted her permission to go ahead with her graduation unenthusiastically. She sacrificed her love for Arjun, for the sake of her family happiness. She tried her best to get merged to the new ideal life. Suresh was not interested in the family matters and was quite talented in the art of escapism. He always looked forward for the betterment of his business. He never enquired to his wife about her happiness. This shows that he has no esteemed characteristics of a better half of a woman. Maraar family was a typical, traditional family, where everyone was fighting for affections and acceptance. She was forced to resent her Delhi background. They out casted her from all household duties and discussions. Few years rolled by but the family remained the same unconcerned manner, particularizing the plight of Janaki. Janaki hoped that the arrival of child might change the family’s attitude towards