INFERIORITY AND SUPERIORITY COMPLEX: A SUCCINCT OBSERVATION IN THE NOVELS OF SHASHI DESHPANDE

Abstract

One of the most prominent Indian authors writing in English is Shashi Deshpande. Her works center on the experiences of oppressed women living in a patriarchal society. In India, women have been oppressed by a male-dominated social order for centuries. Both the idea of man's supremacy and the concept of woman as paragon of all virtues are shattered by Shashi Deshpande's unique heroines. Characters are the starting point for each story. She writes books where women play important roles. She uses real-life experiences to inspire believable protagonists, and she takes great care to avoid the use of cardboard cutouts in her quest to realise her ambition. The author's depiction of female protagonists is particularly strong. She disagrees with the concept of the superwoman and has no interest in idealizing such a figure.