THE SOCIAL AND ETHICAL VALUES IN THE SELECT NOVELS OF SUDHA MURTHY

Purpose/Objective of the Study: Sudha Murthy through her novels empowers women and motivates them to be courageous in adverse situations. The main purpose of this piece of research is to study the struggle faced by the women protagonists in the Select novels of Sudha Murthy titled ‘Gently Falls the Bakula’ ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Mahaswetha’ and how they rise above their mundane existence in search of a meaningful life and start a new life to fulfill their aspirations. Methodology:  To achieve the purpose of the study, a systematic review of research literature was undertaken. Three novels namely ‘Gently Falls the Bakula’ ‘House Of Cards and ‘Mahaswetha’ have been critically analyzed. In addition to this, the research articles published in the Peer-Reviewed Journals were also examined. With the help of the literature, we were able to study the struggle of women and how they overcome the barriers by finding a solution to lead a meaningful life. Main Findings: The findings that emerged from the Study reveal the violence, denigration, and exploitation faced by the female characters of the novels such as Anupama, Mridula and Shrimati. It is also found that Man-Woman relationship, social acceptance, and estrangement in modern life, forms the core in all the novels namely ‘Gently Falls the Bakula’ ‘House of Cards’ and ‘Mahaswetha’. It is inferred that the women in the novels such as Mridula, Srimati and Anupama are simple, hardworking and innocent throughout, whereas the males - Sanjay, Srikant, and Anand are strongly influenced by the power of luxury, comfort, and materialism, steadily climbing up the corporate ladder without realizing the value of family life. The man’s greed for power, luxury, and social status has proved to be very expensive to the female characters. The female protagonists realize the fact that artificial values and material success cannot make a person successful. They also work tirelessly to overcome the barriers drawn by male-dominated society to lead a purposeful life. Implications:  Social and Ethical values are delineated in the novels taken for study. Life is depicted as a journey with learning and unlearning experiences meeting with innumerable obstacles and barriers to testing the grit and willpower. These obstacles help us to make a decision as seen in the protagonists depicted by Sudha Murthy. Their choices were hard yet, they gathered courage, purpose, and meaning to create a new horizon.  Getting to know our real worth is a relentless task, it helps us to toughen our values and passion. Self-discovery is not an easy ride and it requires pain and understanding. The characters here gather courage and face a new dawn.