DEVIKA. P LEC052018 Draft -2 women oppression in Nagamandala

 Women Oppression in a Patriarchal Society : A Reading on Girish Karnad’s Play Nagamandala 

          India is predominantly a Patriarchal society from its ancient times. A man is being assessed on the basis of his power, where as a women is normally viewed as weaker and inferior. Many writers, not only in India but all over the world have used their writing as a weapon against this gender discrimination. In India, the contemporary playwright Girish Karnad has also questioned gender issues in his almost works. Since Karnad’s play Nagamandala deals with this issue of gender discrimination, the play is a clear depiction of women oppression in the patriarchal society.

          Nagamandala portrays the story of a young Indian girl named Rani, who become the victim of the unfair social order of the patriarchal society. Rani's parents decided her marriage with Appanna even without considering the her opinion and she obeys her parents and move to Appanna's home. Rani mirrors the image of a common woman who comes to her husband’s house with sweet dreams and desires. Unfortunately she encounters with the other side of reality. Besides Rani, Appanna had a mistress, with whom he spent every night and comes to Rani only at noon. 

          Appanna’s treatment with Rani is monstrous and it’s evident when he keeps her locked up inside the house thus denied her freedom of speech. Rani tells Kurudava, “ Apart from him, you are the first person I have seen since coming here. I’m bored to death. There is no one to talk to!” (79). As Rani failed to fulfil her sexual, emotional and social desires she herself suppress her desires. The concept of suppression is an indispensable thing in the life of rural women, since they are not supposed to claim their needs. So Rani leads marital life in almost loneliness till the entry of a Naga in the form of Appanna.

          Actually in a Patriarchal society, a woman is treated as a puppet which is fully controlled by her male counter part. In Nagamandala, the central character Rani is also a puppet in the  hands of Appanna. Since he belongs to the patriarchal society, he has the full freedom to take any decision in the way he wants, where as his wife has no right to take even small decision without the consent of her husband. Unfortunately no one is dare to question this unfair social conditions. Its evident from the attitude of Appanna towards Rani. When he knew about her pregnancy, he beats and kicks her without considering that she is careering. Then he drags her through the street, picks up a huge stone to  throw on her. Appanna shouted “ Aren’t you ashamed to admit it, you harlot?... Who did you go to with your sari off”(102).

          The religious traditions and social institution stimulate the ideology of patriarchy. Actually Rani and Appanna have done the same crime, but none of the characters including elders dare to question Appanna for his extramarital relationship. Instead they question Rani for her chastity  and waiting for giving punishment.

           As she stands in front of the village court in order to prove her chastity, one of the elder says:

The traditional test in our village court has been to take oath while holding a red- hot iron in the hand. Occasionally the accused has chosen to plunge the hand in boiling oil. But you insist on swearing by the King Cobra. The news has spread and, as you can see, attracted large crowd. (105)

          Through the character of Rani,  the play Nagamandala depicts the lives of oppressed women. The violence against women should be banned, particularly intimate partner violence. Rani's marital life and the sufferings remind women the value of education. It can be used as a weapon against exploitation, violation and oppression. If Rani was an educated girl, she may not be choose a partner like Appanna as per the request of her parents. Actually her parents's decision on her marriage was a big fault but if she was a literate , at least she could have do some thing more better to her own life.

Bibliography

Primary source 

“Indian Blossom : An Anthology of Selections from Indian Writing in English.” Edited by C. R Murukan Babu, Oxford University Press, 2012.

Secondary source 

Gosh, Dr.Amritha. “ Girish Karnad’s Nagamandala:   A Feminist Reading.” www.IJCRT.org, 01-03-2018, ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT1803003.pdf.

D. Jyothi, Sravana, and Dr.Bhagyaraj. “ Themes in the Plays of Girish Karnad: A critical Study.” www.journalcra.com, Sravana Jyotihi. D, 13-02-2020, www.researchgate.net/publication/339228939_THEMES_IN_THE_PLAY_OF_GIRISH_KARNAD_A_CRITICAL_STUDY_Sravana_Jyothi.

Rani sahoo, Dr. jyotsna.“ Nagamandala: A Feminist Reading.” www.theresearchers.asia, February 2018, www.theresearchers.asia,theresearchers.asia/Papers/Vol-IV20Issue-III-2018/NagaMandala-FeministReading.pdf.

Akash. “ Patriarchy in Girish Karnad’s Nagamandala : A Perspective.” www.academicjournal.in , January 2018, www.academicjournal.in/download/1181/2-6-459-119.pdf.