The Concept of New Woman in Manju Kapur’s A Married Woman

The idea of new woman has a significant theme in modern literature especially in works that explore changing gender role and female identity. In A Married Woman, Manju Kapur presents a powerful portrayal of this concept through the character of Astha. The novel reflects the transformation of woman in contemporary Indian society from passive, traditional figures into individual seeking identity, autonomy and emotional for fulfilment. Manju Kapur is one of the successful names for the galaxy of Indian woman novelist in English. She has enriched the Indian English fictional world with her great creations. Her works reflect the realistic problems in the life of Indian woman with a sensitive appeal. She is a feminist writer, who gives voice of the woman's pathetic condition in a traditional and patriarchal Society, where social-cultural and political circumstances are the obstacles in the way of a new woman. Her novel A Married Woman deals with the inner turmoil of a new woman, who feels a lot of difference in her life after marriage but at last she struggles for her basic rights quality, identity and self- satisfaction. Kapur’ protagonist are mostly educated, so they are conscious for their individuality woman like Astha, the protagonist of the novel can be called a new who tackles the situations of her life without creating any violence but being dutiful towards her responsibilities in the family. A new woman gets satisfaction by her own way breaking the norms of traditional Society where male domination is in power. Manju Kaрur, novelist like Kamala Markandaya, Arundhati Roy, Anita Desai, Shobha De and so on paved the way for modern new woman's feelings. She is well aware of the condition of women in the traditional society, where they are only sub-servant and submissive and this continuous state of their life becomes the cause of their psychic and neurotic problem. They never utter a word against the male-domination. These women are considered to be ideal Indian wives. But modern era, a woman disapproves the traditional social structure of the society. She is against unjust norms and tradition and becomes a rebel, rejecting the ideal image of the new woman is conscious for her rights, identity independence and personal fulfilment. A woman has no place in a family and in a society, her opinion or ideas are not considered valuable in spite of her good education and intellectual calibre. She feels frustration and at last thinks to achieve he own goal for her own satisfaction or fulfilment. She turns towards lesbian relationship without thinking about her married life. This is the unique aspect of a woman who is ready to take any risk to get equal status like men in society. Her views may seem strange to some people but it is the inner voice of a new women who wants to enjoy full stretch of her life at any cost.