LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 14:8 August 2014
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Feminism in Mahesh Dattani’s Play Bravely Fought the Queen

Ms. Jagadiswari and Dr. G. Baskaran

Abstract

This paper discusses the structure, characters and theme of Mahesh Dattani's play Bravely Fought the Queen. It is argued that Mahesh Dattani is a writer who champions the cause of true art - free from any theory. His plays are universal in taste and flavour, appealing to all sections of society, never bound to any caste, class and creed (Prasad 2007.262). Dattani brings to our notice the discrimination and injustice done to women of our society. He depicts the feminine side which always has to come to terms with society which is a male-dominated world. The play dramatizes the emptiness and shame in the lives of cloistered women and self-indulgent’ unscrupulous men, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality, standing on the brink of terrible secrets, deception and hypocrisies. Questions of equality in gender, sexuality and identity are raised and the unspoken is voiced, the unseen is made visible. The play deals with three couples, each existing in a hierarchical relation with others.

A Champion of Art Free from Any Theory

A true art is not meant for teaching and preaching. Its primary function is to give delight. Only a writer, who maintains a perfect blending of both feeling and form, can push upward the art at its zenith. Mahesh Dattani is not a conventional theatre artist or a theorist of drama. His identity in the realm of Indian English drama has been acknowledged as a thinker, craftsman and a devout humanist. After receiving the honour of Sahitya Akademic Award, Dattani’s identity has universally been acknowledged as the first Indian dramatist, writing in India, with the fragrance of Indian soil, soul and sensibility. The success of his art is hidden in the fine fabric of his subtle sensibility stirred by the suffering of individual against the compulsions of society and his ability to make a lively representation of them in theatre. Dattani comes in the category of writers who champion the cause of true art - free from any theory, universal in taste and flavour, appealing to all sections of society, never bound to any caste, class and creed (Prasad 2007.262).

Avant Garde Feminist

Dattani is also known to be avant garde feminist. John McRae has rightly regarded him as “the voice of India now” as his plays mostly deal with the problems of the women and the marginalized. “Feminism” is probably the most popular and the most complex one. It refers to the prolonged struggle against the “tyranny of the patriarchal state” and it is based on the urge for the equality of women in every walks of life. It attempts to fight against the oppression of women on various levels. Dattani counts under the section of writers who establish women at the centre of their fictive world.

Focus on Discriminatory Patriarchal Social Order

Feminist writers have tried to highlight the weaknesses of the discriminatory Patriarchal social order and successfully drawn our attention to the various issues relating to the miserable plight of women. Dattani is one such writer who has brought to our notice the discrimination and in injustice done to women of our society. He himself tries to depict the feminine side of oneself which always has to come to terms with society that too supports male in the male dominated world. Although, the people talk about women enfranchisement and feminine liberation, subconsciously all women are well known of the fact that they have to go a long way to break the trials and tribulations built by men in their every walks of life.

There was the time when both men and women were employed as slaves by their masters. After many years men slavery was abolished but women slavery is still in progress. At Initial stage itself women were not a “forced slave” but “willing slave”. The society brought up women from the very earliest times in the belief that they must obey and submit to men. All moralities told three things like natural attraction to the opposite sex, women’s entire dependence on men and lastly the fact that any pleasure or privilege or ambition that comes to women could come only through her husband, and says that women’s education and formation of character were forced to have only one aim which is that of attracting men.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ms. Jagadiswari, Ph.D. Full Time Research Scholar
Faculty of English & Foreign Languages
Gandhigram Rural Institute Deemed University
Gandhigram – 624 302
Tamilnadu
India
jagdishwari1988@gmail.com

Dr. G. Baskaran
Associate Professor of English
Faculty of English & Foreign Languages
Gandhigram Rural Institute Deemed University
Gandhigram – 624 302
Tamilnadu
India
rgbaskaran@gmail.com

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