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VOICES OF DISSONANCE AND RESILIENCE: FEMINIST RESISTANCE AND
THE PURSUIT OF PEACE IN BHARATI MUKHERJEE’S NOVELS
M . S. Gopina h
Gues Lec u e o English
Go e nmen A s and Science College, Idappadi
Ms. S. Mangaiya ka asi
Lec u e o English
Go e nmen A s and Science College, Idappadi
h ps://doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17283333
Abs ac
Bha i Mukhe jee, as a p oli ic w i e adop s he heme o e ugee, con lic s and e hnici y, cul u al
in ole ance, ans o ma ion o women om con en ional o Mode n women, Women ans e se om old
hough s o new p inciples. She expe iences memo ies and apa hy wi h he indigenous land, people, and
cul u e. The au ho p esen ed he e o ma ion o he emale cha ac e s in mos o he no els. Mukhe jee
p e en s eminis cha ac e is ics and es ablishes an i- e alia ion and e olu iona y ideas in he emale
cha ac e s. Mukhe jee's no els, mainly "Jasmine", he ans o ma i e powe o mig a ion, and he agency o
mig an women a e depic ed as showing he agency o mig an women in shaping hei iden i ies. The
p o agonis s o Mukhe jee ha e been po ayed as being s ong, ocal, and capable o es ablishing
hemsel es in a new en i onmen s ongly buil cha ac e s wi h excep ional cha ac e s.
C i ics accep ed Mukhe jee's nuances o c oss-cul u al ension and he abili y o ca ch he challenges o
na iga ing be ween wo o mo e cul u es. Thei cha ac e s o en s uggle wi h a con lic be ween hei
o iginal cul u es and he p ima y cul u e o hei new home, which highligh s he complica ions o he
o ma ion o iden i y in he mig an s. Bha i Mukhe jee has also exp essed a sense o loss o iden i y in all
he no els. He he oes a e placed in mul i-cul u al en i onmen s wi h mig an psyche and hei issues o
s uggling o su i al. In such a mul icul u al and mul i-cas e social se up, his he oes y o ind ou hei
iden i y. She a ac s he cha ac e s as in e na ional indi iduals who a e connec ed o hei homeland and
hos he land equally. Al hough his cha ac e s in The Holde o he Wo ld, Lea e Me, Desi able Daugh e s,
and T ee B ides mig a ed in o o he coun ies, hei oo s a e always in hei homes. As a esul , hey a e
nei he mig an no immig an s in hei alues and a i udes, bu ansna ional, whose ne wo k c osses he
bounda ies o he na ion. In such a mul icul u al backg ound, hey ind hei missions ha a e cen al o
hei disco e y o hei iden i y.
Keywo ds: eminism, gende inequali y, pa ia chal se up, subo dina ion, humili y, e olu ion, eedom.
Feminism is dema ca ed and de ined as au ho s like Bha a hi Mukhe jee, Sashi Desphande
and Ani a Desai. I is unde s ood and e lec ed in di e en dimensions in a ious au ho s’
w i ings. Fo example, i decla es he o ce o main ain he igh s o women o many legisla i e
assemblies o gende equali y and igh s / a amous opinion associa ion/ communi y. Acco ding
o he Ox o d English Dic iona y, eminism is de ined as a belie in he p inciple ha women
should ge equal igh s and oppo uni ies as men. In he 1960s, h ee wa es o eminism pa ed
he way as a p og essi e o ce o eminism, which ac s on o he gende s (second sex), as
men ioned by pa ia chal socie y, wi h a b oad gamu , wi h a wide gamu , pe sonali y, sel -
de e mina ion, igh o ake ac ion in educa ion, sel -su iciency, business, and amily uni .
Mukhe jee's w i ing is o en ead h ough a eminis lens because o ocuses on women's
s uggles and changes, especially in cul u es. She does no p esen eminism as an abs ac
ideology, bu was ali e as an expe ience h ough he oices o immig an women, which aces
pa ia chal opp ession and he challenges o assimila ion in he Wes . The bes aspec o
Mukhe jees eminism is ha she po ays he abili y o women o ein o cemen and agency.
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In many o he wo ks, he emale he o mo es om he passi e oles de ined by adi ion
owa ds a sel -de e mined iden i y. Ins ead o being ic ims o ci cums ances, hey ein en
hemsel es in esponse o mig a ion, cul u al clashes, o pe sonal auma. This p ocess o
change is a eminis claim o eedom and lexibili y. A he same ime, Mukhe jee's eminism is
ine a he han uni o m. She a oids po aying women as he ic ims o pa ia chy o ull
symbols o libe a ion. Ins ead, he cha ac e s a e complex: hey s uggle wi h loyal y o amily,
p essu e om adi ion, and desi e o eedom. Th ough his complexi y, Mukhe jee challenges
bo h Sou h Asian pa ia chy and Wes e n s e eo ypes o immig an women as submissi es o
o eigne s. Finally, Mukhe jee's eminism is ma ked by an objec i e pe spec i e. Thei women
a e shaped no only by gende bu also by b eed, squa e, mig a ion, and cul u al hyb idisa ion.
Feminism aspi es o women’s eedom om igno ance. I ga e hem he s amina o s a a
ebellion o gende equali y, human igh s, eedom, and hei passion igh s, e c. The e is a
co enan in women's w i ing o sol e p oblems, connec ing and associa ing wi h he sexes.
Female w i e s p o oked eminism in c ea i e w i ing and ind solu ions o issues ha
unde mine women and subjuga e women. Fic ion is a wholesale s yle ha includes eminism as
one o he mos impo an subjec s.
Bha a i Mukhe jee, an immig an w i e om Ame ica, was an Indian o igin s o y w i e .
The au ho was bo n in India, wen o Canada, and hen, in a ious s ages o he li e, o he USA.
She is a olun a y w i e who is a no elis o his li e a y c edi . She gi es an example o
li elihood and passion. Thei no els epea hei con empla ion and insigh in o women. He
i s no el, The Tige 's Daugh e , was published in 1971, when she was in Canada. The acial
disc imina ion du ing his pe iod was a i s peak. He he oines ole a e cul u al c isis; He
essen ial co e and hi s con i m he speci ic cons uc ion as an ex ao dina y he oine. Such
cha ac e iza ion o Bha a i Mukhe jee he oines ecei ed signi ican a en ion om all he bille s
in he wo ld ai ly in wo and a hal decades. I is obse ed ha all i s no els e lec he majo
eminis ideas.
Mukhe jee's women a e o en mig an s o ou side s who eel displaced - geog aphically,
cul u ally, and emo ionally. They s uggle be ween he "home" ha hey lea e behind and he
new wo ld whe e hey a e no en i ely accep ed. This eeling o oo lessness becomes he ini ial
poin o he disco e y o hei loca ion. Ins ead o ge ing in o indi e ence o su e ing, he
he oines ac i ely s eng hen hemsel es. They ake ou he spaces in socie ies ha ini ially
exclude hem. Fo example, cha ac e s o en mo e beyond dependence.
Towa ds eedom, whe e and how hey a e, show lexibili y in ede ining. The disco e y o
he oines o he loca ion is also a eminis ac : hey e use o be limi ed o pa ia chal oles,
whe he in hei mo he land o as mig an s. By demanding a place on hei e ms, hey challenge
bo h adi ional amily expec a ions and acial/gende hie a chy in he new land.
The au ho ’s p o agonis makes e e y e o o claim hei igh s, as he pa ia chal se up
should no be neglec ed as a woman and hen as ano he sex. She has ied o c ea e a new
judicial a ilia ion, including bo h male and emale, based on gende equali y, ee om male
ou pos s, exploi a ion, and opp ession.
The e is a possibili y ha women, a boss ep esen a i e, o an opp essi e symbol o
pa ia chal socie y, o long-las ing yea s, i inc eases g ea ly. Women who a e humble and
subdued a e cu en ly p epa ing ha hey ha e he nucleus o exis ence, which is e iden om
he expansion o pa ia chy. W i e 's no els pulsed wi h women inding land o hei e i o y.
In he no el, Ta a Bane jee, The Tige 's Daugh e , e u ns o India om Ame ica a e se en
yea s, which makes he eel isola ed in he mo he 's company as well. He a i al in Bombay
disappoin s him because o he conse a i e ela i es, who could no accep he ma iage o a
o eign Jewish man. The pa ia chal mindse o he people disin eg a es he woman on a i al
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a he opposi ion wi hou he husband's company. In he pa ia chal socie y women a e unde
he p o ec ion o a he , b o he , and husband, i is being p ac iced o ha e a male p incipal as
lead o he Indian communi y ladde . To a el wi hou he husband's company, o s ay
inad e en ly, and mo e a single-handed woman's ladde , seemed o be a di icul ask.
The Wi e, in he second no el, Dimple, he p og essi e leade , sha e s he ou lawed
egula ions o a adi ional spouse. The acquiescen Dimple, a submissi e, meek, obedien
ju enile Bengali woman, has a bosom ull o chee ul desi es ega ding he nup ial li e. She
anxiously awai s and is ma ied o Ami Basu. She begins displaying an ipa hy owa d being a
wi e and mu inee in opposi ion o wi edom in Feminis pe spec i es.
A pe iod o supp ession in he male- uled socie y has w eaked ha oc on he li es yle o gi ls.
Being in an opp essi e coun y o a long ime, he dep essed na ion launched in o he s ance o
e ibu ion, a componen o eminism. The looming ep isal is sensed in he no el's wi e. Dimple
h ows away he unc ion o a submissi e con en ional spouse, and, exaspe a ed in poo heal h
o comply wi h he husband’s ins uc ions, he enge ul wi e awoke in he soul. She e ol es igh
in o an in lexible, enzied, and unp edic able companion.
Dimple’s enom-c ammed co ona y hea sickened he mind, and she became p epa ed o
assaul he husband. “Tha nigh , apped among he bloodless wall and Ami ’s hea y body, in
pu -up-nigh ma e lucidi y, she sough e enge; she had a su p ising desi e o s udy he body...
ill she knew jus whe e o s ike o pie ce and make him bleed inside he da k. He in ensi y
bowled he o e ; she no longe conside ed he sel a isk o iolence....” Lo e is d ead,” she
whispe ed loudly o he sleepe .” (Mukhe jee 116).
Dimple akes bad psychic cynicism close o he en i e y; she isualizes e en he being
p egnan as Basu’s belongings, e en in he womb. She conside s he misca iage as eedom
om wedding ends. He husband’s lack o a ec ion and a ec ion, and his need o he only o
sa is y his sexual deligh and choice ex he o he co e. I awakens he kille spi i in he
p o agonis and quenches he hi s o libe a ion ia killing Ami Basu.
In he no el Jasmine, he p o agonis s in he no el is Jyo hi, a Punjabi who belongs o a u al
a ea.. P akash, a passiona e younge guy ull o li e, en e s Jyo hi’s li e as he pa ne . Jyo hi is
so eage o isi he USA. "To b eak o he beyond, he ga e me a b and new call: Jasmine.......
you' e small and swee and heady, my Jasmine. You'll quicken he whole in e na ional oge he
wi h you ag ance. Jyo i, Jasmine: I shu led be ween iden i ies."(Jasmine 77)
All he aspi a ions ha e been auma ised, b oken in o shill while P akash's exis ence was
pu o an end by using his mu de ea lie han hei depa u e. As a esponsibili y-c ammed
wi e in he call o Jasmine, she acqui es he abili y o speak like an Ame ican, decides o isi he
usa, and ul ills P akash’s mission and pe o ms “Sa i”." bu Jyo i changed in o a sa i-goddess;
she bu ned he sel in a ash can une al py e a he back o a huge up e sion in Flo ida. Jasmine
li ed o he u u e, o Viji & wi e."(Jasmine176).
She comple es he e enge by assassina ing Sukhawinde , he Khalsa lion who killed
P akash. La e , she goes o Iowa, p e en iously in a b and-new ca , “Jase”. Rewo king om Jyo hi
o Jasmine o Jase empowe s Jase o be powe ul, powe o spoil he male olence. The
p o agonis b eaks un as ened social cons ain s ha had been se by he pa ia chal socie y,
wins o e he e il guy, and s ands s ong ou side he coun y as a b and-new lady in a b and-
new a a a .
Mos o he women in a pa ia chal se up ha e skilled disa icula ion and dis up ion in
indi idual li es a e ma iage; hey' e educa ed and be e sui ed o compliance wi h o eign
cus oms, socie y, and li elihood. Ladies: submissi e ye s u dy o unde go he olumes o
opp essions, subjuga e; howe e , he opp essed o ce b eaks he oad o ole ance, he
elec ici y o ou s anding sus enance unleashes he des oying sou ce in nume ous ways, as
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Mukhe jee has po ayed in he no els. Bha a hi Mukhe jee is a ypical eminis , an a den
w i e . He no els adhe e o he empe amen and mood o he socie y in which she li ed.
Ta a and Dimple's po ayal depic s he dea h o sel -ac ualisa ion, al hough hey a e
u nished wi h an excellen a mosphe e and highe schooling. One o he cha ac e s ails o
app ehend, and he o he is neu o ic, which p e en s he ac ualiza ion in hei imagina ion and
p escience. Ta a con on s he communal and ideological symbols ha build he indi iduali y;
hen again, Bha a i Mukhe jee po ays he a ea o expe ise de e minan ha couldn' be
wi hou di icul y. The w i e gi es a con iguous ou line o he ales o he mode n pe ipa e ic
Ta a, he deep- oo ed Ta a La a.
Bha a i Mukhe jee un ies amid he incong ui y be ween eminis exp ession and he
con en ional no ion and able. Conce ning he e e o Ta a La a’s ma iage o he ee, Ta a
con eys he hough ha he s a e o a Bengali woman’s happies nigh is se o g ow o be he
li e ime imp isonmen . E en s a ing i he li e om he leas le el o li e, amily eminiscence
ills he women wi h age and bi e ness. The nume ous con lic s discussed in he associa ion
be ween gende ed iden i ies and domes ici y may be unde s ood om he quo ed aces.
A e he ma iage o a ee, Ta a La a spends he elaxa ion o he li e imp isoned wi hin
he a he ’s home. The p esen -day gi l, Ta a, eels aliena ed and oo less. The hu dles line up
o dis ac wi h he aid o hei impac on his o y, socie y, and non-secula con ic ion upon a
lady’s iden i y. Bha a i Mukhe jee makes nume ous indica o s o Ta a’s g ea and
unp e en able occasions as a p ospe ous Bengali B ahmin, sepa a ed om an in luen ial and
excessi e- lying accomplice o he Indian socie y. The au ho explici ly appea s on he liaison
among abode, indi iduali y, and socie y.
The lead ole Jasmine, emains s u dy, e en in he milieu and occasions ha a e
con inuously in imida ing, in e e y aspec , upli o he li e. Jyo i’s husband los his li e in a
e o is bombing a ack, and he sad a e could no push he o s ay a so ow ul li es yle as a
widow. Jyo i s a s he jou ney om Hasnapu, India, o he con inen , he USA, con e ing he
om Jyo i o Jasmine. E en while she was a elling o he US, she was aped by a cap ain Hal -
ace; she accep s and diges s he agedy ha akes place o he . She mulls o e he wounded
li es yles. She a enges i employing killing Hal - ace. Jasmine endea o s i mly o con inue o
exis and accomplish some hing, ba ely o igh owa ds he as ologe 's p ophecy o being a
widow and hopeless o “ eposi ion he s a s”.
In Baden, Jasmine mee s Bud Wipplemeye , a banke who igh now cascades his lo e o e
he . The wedding bells ma ked a miles one in Bud and Jasmine's li es. He enames Jasmine as
'Jane', which ma ks e e y o he de elopmen . His encou agemen and eedom o he sexual
desi es led he o an icipa e he oles o lo e o enchan e , hough i became o sa is y his
o ien al able, i condescended Jasmine, howe e , se ed o pe mea e he wi h a sexual sel -
belie , and she o he lou ished on he pinnacle o i . The acial s ong poin also mo phs in
Baden, o he dispa i ies a e ecognized, howe e , no disco e ed o explici ly acknowledged.
The ne wo k ies o pe cei e ha he ace is a c i ical po ion o he iden i y as Jane because
now she eels assimila ed and becomes he s anda d Ame ican she always desi ed o be.
Jasmine's ac ions in Cali o nia we e obse ed by Taylo . The he oine is indecisi e
app oxima ely he des iny, bu she is assu ed in he decision o mo e on. He decision ma ks
he me amo phosis ha p o ides he comple e change o e he pe sonali y and adop s he u h
ha he dis up ions punc u e he com y li es yles; she would con inue p og essing o li e on.
Jasmine's e ol ing pe sona and he u moil she unde goes in bo leneck si ua ions ein en
he s ong poin . Jasmine was a well po ayal ound cha ac e o woman who ans o ms
dynamically in di e se segmen s o he li e. She became a ough lady, elde ly se en y-se en,
when b ough o he eade s in Hasnapu , wi hin he illage o Punjab. A e ha , she akes he
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shape o a ma ied emale o P akash and will become Jasmine, whom he wan s o be igno an
o he one-o -a-kind a ia ions. As Jane, in he USA, she became he wi e o a di o ced man, an
elde ly man hal a cen u y old. In a li e ime o oo many yea s and ou yea s, he me amo phism
has p o ided new e sions, and going h ough one-o -a-kind associa es has made he ib an
cha ac e esounding wi h s eng h.
He s yle, echnique, a i ude, and issues a e deeply oo ed in he Indian his o ical pas .
Bha a i Mukhe jee po ays he diaspo a niche a e immig a ing om he homeland and an
aliena ed sense, and ies o con i m a clean cha ac e inside he emo e egion skill ully. The
au ho has espoused he heme o he ques o iden i ica ion, subsequen o he phases o
ex adi ion, isola ion, and mig a ion. Women’s p oblems a e c a ed skill ully wi h men al
insigh , and he no el p omo es esolu e gende equali y wi h eminis pe spec i es.
Wo ks Ci ed
Mukhe jee, Bha a i. The Tige 's Daugh e . New Delhi, Ballan ine Books (P) L d, 1971.
Singh, Vandana. The Fic ional Wo ld o Bha a i Mukhe jee. New Delhi, P es ige Books, 2010.
Tandon, Sushma. Bha a i Mukhe jee's Fic ion: A Pe spec i e. New Delhi, Sa up & Sons, 2007.
Mukhe jee, Bha a i. Desi able Daugh e s. New Delhi, Rupa & Co., 2004.
Mukhe jee, Bha a i. Wi e. New Delhi, Penguin Books, 1990.
Johnson, Diane. “A Sa i P edicamen .” The Washing on Pos , 18 May 1975.
Flax, Jane. “Pos mode nism and Gende Rela ions in Feminis Theo y.” Feminism/
Pos mode nism, edi ed by Linda J. Nicholson, Rou ledge, 1990, pp. 39–62.
Miles, Rosalind. The Female Fo m: Women W i e s and he Conques o he No el. Rou ledge,
1990.
Mo gan, Ellen. “Human Being: Fo m and Focus in he Neo-Feminis No el.” Images o Women
in Fic ion: Feminis Pe spec i es, edi ed by Susan Koppelman, Bowling G een S a e
Uni e si y Popula P ess, 1973, pp. 181–200.
Padma, T. “Fo m Accul u a ion o Sel -Ac ualiza ion: Diaspo al D eam in Bha a i Mukhe jee’s
Jasmine.” Commonweal h W i ing: A S udy in Expa ia e Expe ience, edi ed by R. K.
Dhawan, New Delhi, P es ige Books, 1994, pp. 215–225.
