Liberation Conscience in Leena Yadav's Parched
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Department of English
Abstract
The main thrust of this thesis is to show how the sense of self-discovery and
independence comes into the mind of the protagonists Bijli, Lajjo, Janaki and Rani in
the movie Parched as they undergo different types of unequal treatments on the basis
of gender. Indian society is a patriarchal society where women are taken as
commodity and their agency is not perceived. But these female characters become
aware of how patriarchy misbehaves them. Bijli is used by her boss in order to earn
money. Janaki's father sells her in 4 lakhs; Lajjo is stigmatized as barren women
whom her husband uses to fulfill his daily necessities and Rani is compelled to
suppress her desires and compelled to live her whole life as child-widow. Their
psyche revives in order to challenge the social setting. Consequently, they deny what
patriarchy says in order to get rid of all kinds of injustice that have been exercised
upon female civilization for last many decades in Indian continent. They are fed up
with the patriarchal codes and conducts and thus challenge it. They can control over
their own body and mind in A Room of One's Own. Submissiveness, docility, fragility,
and feebleness are attributes women reject in favor of self-exploration and
emancipation as feminism envisions.
Keywords: Self-exploration, liberation, female identity, submissiveness, patriarchal
ideology.