Female Subjectivity in Chitra Banarjee Divakaruni's The Palace of Illusions

Abstract

This dissertation has explored female subjectivity based on Draupadi, the female protagonist of the novel The Palace of Illusions, in the light of Third-World Feminism. The novel is a rewriting of the famous epic the Mahabharata from Draupadi's perspective which has attempted to foreground her strength, agency, individuality, intellectuality, and the power. In the original epic, Draupadi is portrayed as a passive victim of patriarchy, whereas in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel, she is portrayed as a model of female empowerment and courage who establishes her self-identity by subverting the patriarchal boundaries and female stereotypes of the typical Hindu Indian society.