Authors: Poonam Pareek, Dr vineet kumar purohit
Abstract: The literature in India has played a significant role in feminist discourse, reflecting the experiences and perspectives of women who are struggling against patriarchal oppression and their gradual process of becoming a self and an empowered individual. Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni is one of the most important Indian diasporic writers for her subtle depictions of women under social, cultural and emotional restrictions. This paper explores the role of female characters in Divakaruni's selected novels such as The Palace of Illusions, The Forest of Enchantments, Sister of My Heart and Before We Visit the Goddess, and how they have been transformed. The study examines the characters of Divakaruni's heroines in a feminist literary criticism and their journey from silence, marginalization and oppression to agency, voice and independence. The study also explores the intersections of gender, class, diaspora and generational conflicts that affect women's identity construction and resistance. Divakaruni's portrayal of mythological characters in contemporary settings and ordinary women in non-traditional roles defies the patriarchal system and redefines what it means to be a woman in Indian English novels.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.21916648
