Biological and cultural treatment of women in Manju Kapur's Difficult Daughters: A study of gender subaltern

Abstract

This research in Difficult Daughters finds biological and cultural position of women in Indian Community. Here, biological relationship means how women were dominated in the name of physical pleasure, and cultural position means the socially given roles to women with context to men. It shows how women are differently treated either in the name of women or in the name of workers. The cause of men-women relationship in the society is due to cultural norms. Men do not want to subvert their traditional mindset due to passing rules in the society since history. A woman has to suffer biologically and physically that we study under gender subaltern. It finds out that empowerment is possible only through educational, social, cultural and economic change to women. The novelist is an Indian cultural born and she has portrayed the condition of woman in the Indian society. Manju Kapur has shown suffering of an Indian woman through the character Virmati, who is a daughter of Prakash and Kasturi. Moreover, the novel digs out the condition and conception of three women under the same family. This research finds that men made social and cultural practices are hindrances to women that made women dependent to men socially, culturally, and economically. Male members in the society think that women are their property and should be treated according to their own wish and do not let them in the process of economic earning. When a society treats women as worker it is more comfortable to dominate them easily. Eventually, we find that the changed global phenomena, political movements, women education, and women self participation in education are the means to bring change in the society.