Female Identity and Silence in Shashi Deshpande’s Fiction

सार

Shashi Deshpande’s fiction offers a profound exploration of female identity and the pervasive silence that shapes women’s lives within patriarchal Indian society. Her novels depict women who struggle between personal aspirations and socially imposed expectations, revealing how silence often functions as both a form of oppression and a strategy of resistance. Through protagonists confronting issues such as marriage, family obligations, emotional isolation, gender discrimination, and the search for selfhood, Deshpande highlights the psychological complexities of women’s experiences. This study examines the representation of female identity and the symbolic significance of silence in selected novels, focusing on the ways women negotiate agency, autonomy, and self-expression. Drawing upon feminist literary criticism and gender studies, the research analyses how Deshpande challenges traditional notions of femininity while advocating for women's individuality and empowerment. The study argues that breaking silence becomes an essential step toward identity formation, self-realization, and resistance against patriarchal structures, making Deshpande’s fiction highly relevant in contemporary feminist discourse.