Volume-XI, Issue-II, March 2025 |
Women's Position on Anil Gharai's Writing Gouri Chatterjee, State Aided College Teacher, Rabindrabharati Mahavidyalaya, Kolaghat, West Bengal, India |
Received: 16.03.2025 | Accepted: 29.03.2025 | Published Online: 31.03.2025 | Page No: 348-354 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.11.issue.02W.032 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
Anil Gharai, a prominent contemporary Bengali writer, is renowned for his socially engaged literature that highlights the struggles of marginalized communities. His short story collection, The Almond Flowers and Other Stories, offers a compelling exploration of women's lives, capturing their oppression, resilience, and agency within a patriarchal framework. This study examines Gharai’s portrayal of female characters, emphasizing the diverse spectrum of their experiences. The stories uncover the deeply rooted patriarchal conventions that restrict women to limiting roles, unveiling their unspoken agony and the constraints placed by domestic as well as societal systems. Gharai also depicts women as change agents, showing their subtle yet effective resistance against social oppression. The intersectionality of gender and class is instrumental in creating these characters, as economic woes further aggravate their plight. Despite these adversities, Gharai’s women display remarkable resilience and fortitude, asserting their dignity in various ways. Through his intricate storytelling, Gharai not only critiques gender inequality but also celebrates the indomitable spirit of women. His work contributes to the broader discourse on gender and literature, highlighting the necessity of recognizing and amplifying women's voices in contemporary narratives. By analyzing The Almond Flowers and Other Stories, this paper underscores the significance of Gharai’s contribution to feminist literary studies and his role in reshaping traditional perspectives on women’s place in society. Also, his narratives reflect back on actual world gender inequities and compel readers to ponder and push back against structural inequality that is perpetual. Keywords: Gender Representation, Patriarchy and Oppression, Women’s Agency, Intersectionality, Feminist Literary Studies. |