Rewriting Women: A Critique of Misogyny, Structure and Agency in the Novels of K. R. Meera- A Review

Abstract

Purpose:  The purpose of this review paper is to highlight the fact that lack of state support creates violence and injustice. Women, as a minority, and as a gender, need to be recognized, and protected. The age-old notion of patriarchy still has its roots running through the lives of our society. Equality if not given, is exercised and asserted by K. R. Meera’s characters. Transgression occurs when limits are drawn and tightened. The State has its responsibilities toward its subjects irrespective of their gender. If violated, they should be enforced by appropriate judicial measures. This paper establishes that the only way to assure social justice for women, the paper establishes.

Design: Based on the secondary sources, a method has been designed to reveal the very basic human tendency to ask for what is allowed to every other sect. Society might have drawn boundaries, which if transgressed would invite punishment. Rejection of emotional acceptance is considered to be against human rights. For a human, irrespective of gender, there’s no necessity to surrender his/her individual freedom and happiness. The happiness of a woman need not be sacrificed just for the sake of her family. This research largely depends on the findings from research journals from Google Scholar, ResearchGate, SSRN, Elsevier, Academia, and Shodhganga for identifying the research gap. To highlight the key aspects of the research, ABCD analysis is used. The interviews and social posts of the author also give much insight into the different aspects of the research question. The literary compositions of the author are the major source of research.

Findings: The main finding of the research is that the law of the country and its administration support the privileged, all-powerful patriarchy. The finding also includes a discussion about the insecurity of women under such a system and how it becomes one of the reasons for the chaos that goes on within the country. Transgression is one of the powerful methods adopted under such situations by the women of K. R. Meera’s novels, a reflection of what we get to see around, especially through social media and this is where the research paper stands out in its finding. The research paper explores the nature of a self-subsistent, self-reliant woman in the making of powerless patriarchy.

Originality: This research is unique as full-fledged research on the author’s works is yet to be done. It doesn’t further discuss the proven elements that are found in the research journals published. Most of them explore the hindrances patriarchy creates in framing the identity of women, mainly in the light of a single text of the author. But they never discuss how women use violence as a means to secure themselves from the all-powerful people protected by the system. The concept of justice and its failure to protect women of the country is never mentioned or studied in the papers already published or researched based on the author’s novels. Thus, the research is original in its area and findings.

Paper Type: Review Paper