Interrogating Patriarchy in Shanti Mishra’sA Widow’s Gift

Abstract

The aim of this research is to critically analyze the traditional evil practices, and reflect how it affects women in Shanti Mishra’s fiction A Widow’s Gift. The famous Third World Feminist theorists Uma Narayan, and Chandra TalpadeMohanty’s ideas are main theoretical tools to analyze this paper. This paper focuses on the struggle of women as well as the changing scenario in Nepalese women in traditional conservative Brahmin community.It also examines the capacity and inner strength of the protagonist Radha, who defies the stereotypical feminine images of widow as a disease, powerlessness, and shows her journey of transformation from an inactive to active woman. Radha silently observes daily life of her mother. Her home’s environment, friend’s experience, own experiences as well as self-awareness motivate her to resist the patriarchy. Her self-respect, courage, growing consciousness shed light on her journey from passive to active. The stereotypes of depicting female as more victim, and weak have been altered in this fiction through the portrayal of Radha as an active woman. She further proves that change and transformation is possible if the initiation is taken. Women can able to bring change, one should voice out against the injustice and social inequality of the society. Keywords: Patriarchy, Tradition, Social injustice, Change, Transformation