Publication

Abstract : From time immemorial, the saintliness of women has been a matter of extensive scrutiny. India, being a patriarchal society, is a fine representative case of female subjugation. The docility of the tamed members of the gentle sex is exploited tremendously to satisfy the demands of the masculine group. When the submissiveness grows excruciatingly, indignancy sprouts from her heart at the persistent torture and this leads to vile revenge that can presume any form. K R Meera's 'The Poison of Love' is a sum and substance of the theme of revenge that takes up the form of self-destruction. Meera's protagonist, Tulsi, portrays a woman in extremes while attempting to seek vengeance against her passionate lover. Similarly, Mahasweta Devi articulates the oppression of women in the society through the character of Dopdi in her short story “Draupadi”. She employs the background of rape, which is the worst recognizable sexual brutality against women, to bring out streaks of revenge in Dopdi. The transformation of these characters from the weak to the strong points out at their courage and bravery. They become New Women.  It is under this concern with which this paper opens up a candid discussion- female courage manifesting as revenge and rebelliousness in Meera’s Tulsi and Devi's Dopdi