A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF SHOBHA DES

FICTIONAL WORLD

Submitted to Mr. Pratyush Kaushik

Subject Law and Literature

Submitted by Ms. Aditi Soni

Roll No. 1607

1st Year, 1st Semester

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ............................................................................................................................. 1
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 2
THEME ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
CHARACTERISATION................................................................................................................................ 8
NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE........................................................................................................................ 13
CRITICAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................ 16
CONCLUSION......................................................................................................................................... 21
BIBLIOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................................... 22
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and above all, I thank God, the almighty for providing me this opportunity
and granting me the capability to proceed successfully. This project appears in
its current form due to the assistance and guidance of several people.

Immeasurable appreciation and deepest gratitude is extended to Mr. Pratyush

Kaushik, the professor of law and literature for his valuable suggestions towards
this project work.

I am highly indebted to my parents for their constant support, guidance and

supervision.

I would like to thank my friends, Nidhi, Rakshita and Jaya who provided me
expertise that greatly assisted the research.

1
 INTRODUCTION
It is said that literature of any country is the storehouse of information on the cultural and
sociological aspects of its people. Literature and society are reciprocal because both serve as
cause and effect to each other. Any literary creation does not come into existence by itself but
its emergence is determined by social situations and individual experiences. Literature
reflects not only the social reality but also shapes the complex ways in which men and
women organize themselves, their interpersonal relationships and their perception of the
socio-cultural reality. The changes in the social, cultural and moral norms of the society give
birth to the freelance writers who focus on contemporary problems. They not only explore the
vital areas of individual consciousness but also project the fascinating images of cultural
changes.

The role of a writer is to feel the pulse of the society, know its sickness and suggest such
cures that are in consonance with its culture. The attitude of an author towards men and
women portrayed by him in his works and the attitude of the characters, male and female, to
one another highlight the gender relationships as well as the author's attitude towards these
relationships.

Indian feminist writing was influenced by the efforts of social reformers to give equal right
and freedom to women and the stray ideas of the Western Feminist Movement. The
importance of focusing on womens issues is clearly seen in the works of Indian woman over
the years. The image of Indian woman in the novels of these women novelists is varied,
colourful, intense and wonderfully interesting.1 This may be because of the fact that these
women writers focus mainly on womens issues of the Indian woman from traditional and
modern viewpoints depicting all her desires, anxieties, happiness and sorrow, defeat and
victory. They focus the womans inner world and her position in the society. Women writers
from several regions of India have written evocatively about their society and the way it
treats its women. These women writers have given literary work in India an unmistakable
edge. They are able to portray womens world with a sensitive touch. Their women are real
flesh and blood protagonists who make us to look at them with awe with their relationships to
their surroundings, their society, their men, their children, their families, their mental make-
ups and themselves. Through their novels they spread the message what actually feminism is.

1
http:/Shobhas life and works/marriage is becoming like dinosaur

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These women writers say that feminism means putting an end to all the sufferings of a
woman in silence. They try to create awareness that this is the time to proclaim with definite
precision. Only the women novelists of India are capable of conveying messages of feminism
in an Indian way

Shobha De a super model, celebrity, journalist and bestselling author stands as pioneer in
the field of popular fiction and ranks among the first to explore the world of urban women in
India. As a writer she is gifted with extra-ordinary ability to discuss very sensitive aspects of
human life tactfully.

In her novels she shows a real picture of Indian life style in the high aristocratic society and
dazzles the readers with her frank and candid tales of human relationships particularly men-
women relationship and old and new value patterns. The changing moral values of people
reaching new heights in riches and civilization is given as unrestrained depiction in her
novels. She has projected the image of a new woman in her novels with both positive and
negative sides of her personality. Her novels are intriguing and blatantly truthful images of
the upcoming new women who has her own ambitions and aspirations. Shobha De never
hesitates in boldly presenting her views and opinions about sex. She writes for the masses and
expresses her dissatisfaction concerning the behaviour of the present day generation of
women very clearly. According to her, women authors of the past were sidelined and
completely ignored and their opinions were restricted within the boundaries created by men.
She believes in frank narration of incidents and selections with a touch of open-heartedness.
Shobha De gives an exposure towards individual social glamour and spreads a message of
revolting back for ones own rights. Most of her women characters use their physical instincts
as power window/ladder to achieve their ambitions. Because of her independent functioning
mind and blunt courage to assert herself, Shobha De is often regarded as a rebel.

The present project is dealing with Shobha De's novels with the fictional world that Shobha
de creates and her women characters who aspire for a career as well as rewarding home life.
As she deals with elite and wealthy on one side and a marginalised middle class on the other,
this project weighs the pros and cons of her writing capability and her talent as a writer.

3
 THEMES
A socio-political movement which Feminism advocates involved active participation by
women to demand for their rights. It can be considered movement which is fought against
female oppression under patriarchy. There are various ways by which a woman can be
victimized or we can say that victimization of woman can take place through various ways
like caste, color, race, attitude towards motherhood, etc. The Feminist movement was
actually started by white women who basically jailed from middle class in western Europe
and North America. This trend accelerated in 1960s with cool right movement and the
collapse of European colonialism in Africa, Caribbean parts of Latin America and South
Asia. Third wave feminism advocate for equal rights for the girls and taking charge of their
own Sexual fulfilment.

The new generation of feminism embraces beauty and power of womens sexuality to
achieve their needs. They consider sexual pleasure human right. Many writers in India have
talked of pleasure and its manifestation. The heroines in Shobha Des novel rebuild their lost
fortunes; make all efforts to look glamorous by losing weight and spending money in
massage parlors. They try to look and act differently from the conventional and traditional
women. They love to fall in love with their looks by which they try to attract people. It gives
them immense pleasure when people fall head to heels in love with them and they are least
concerned about it.

As a feminist writer, Shobha Des novels raise a strong protest against the male-dominated
Indian society where women are derived the freedom to act and live according to their will.
In this fact changing world, the role of women in the society too, has been changing fast,
affecting greatly the Sexual monograms and social norms prevalent in the society. Shobha De
reacts against the male culture and strongly detests the marginalization of women. She is the
first women to explore the world of urban women of higher social strata. De has worked for
the complete emancipation of woman. She projects the ideas of liberating woman through
self-realization. However, Shobha Des stories are real stories, still happening in real life.
Human relation based on gender distinctions, masculine domination, womens predicament
relating to tradition and modernity are all important issues. And Shobha De, through ordinary
stories, brings out the reality of our world around us. In all her novels she represents the
picture of a New-Woman. Shobha De doesnt believe in describing her women characters as
love slaves or mere helpmates at home. Shobha De as a writer tries to mirror or portray her

4
feminist mindset while portraying women in her novel. A broader evaluation of her work
reveals her protest against the good old image of women who cant live the way she wants to
and do things the way she wants to. Womens in her novels are represented as sexually
liberated and free thinking who have been termed as, New Woman. She talked about the
self-realization of women. The high class. Educated, sensible women became protagonist in
her novels. These New class of women whose lives were not infested by problems dowry or
poverty. These Indian women lived a blessed life as far as material standards are concerned,
but there was something wanting, some vacuum in their lives. These Women were facing the
problems of identity. They show concern about basic human problems and to them woman is
a mother, a wife, a daughter, a house wife a working woman and about all she is a woman.
Their women are the victims of a male-dominated society. In her novels men are not always
sinners or oppressors. She explores the problems of women through her novels. She has
raised womans issues and strove to reach to their solutions as well. In all her writings De
represent new morality, according to which woman is not to be taken as a mere toy, an object
of lust and momentary pleasure, but mans equal and honored partner. Women character
undoubtedly reveals their feminist ideology. She portrays a variety of women from the
traditional, subjugated and marginalized to the extremely modern and liberated women. She
explored the lives of bored house wives and their loveless rich husbands and family. Her
novels mirror the life styles of the elite and the middle classes of urban world.

The portrayal of the image of subjugated and marginalized women in Shobha Des novel :
Socialite Evenings [1989], Second Thoughts [1996], Starry Nights [1992], Sisters [1992]
have been studied with an emphasis on mens pride, incompatible marriage, traditional norms
of behaviors and patriarchal social system as the real forces of the oppression and
exploitation of women. She draws our attention to womens exploitation, decimation and
emancipation. She constantly tries to shatter patriarchal hegemony and raises a voice of
protest against male dominance.

Socialite Evening, the first novel of Shobha De is about the journey of a prominent Bombay
Socialite Karuna, from a middle class girl to a self-sufficient woman. Making a feminist
approach, the novel gives as the picture of the marginalization of the Indian women at the
hands of their husbands. Socialite Evening is a novel that presents the institutions of family

5
and marriage existing in the wealthy class of the Indian Society. 2 An enduring theme in the
novel is the search for identity and selfhoods, Karuna suffers due to the callous and non
responsive attitude of her husband. Her husband treats her as a mere object subjected to his
will as a result there is a complete loss of her identity. Her entry in the glamorous world of
modeling and friendship with Bunty are the act of rebellion. After marriage she established
extra martial relationship with Krish revolts against her insensitive husband and finally
divorces him. Similarly Anjali, a young Socialite, about suffers much because of her
incompatible marriage and her husbands oppressive attitude, Here, Shobha Des attack is not
against the individuals, it is against the system that favors men and causes womens
subjugation and marginalization.

The novel Second Thoughts [1996] is a sad tale of Maya, and oppressed wife. She suffers
from marital disharmony because her husband Rajan considers woman as a mere object.
Though an engineer, Maya is not allowed to take up even a part time job. Instead her husband
again and again remands her of tradition. It is due to Rajans traditional attitude and feelings
of superiority Maya feels herself trapped in a neglected and meaningless life. He never tried
to find out the reason behind Mayas gloominess. He was under the assumption that
providing four square meals was more than enough for her and she ought to be grateful for
what he was doing for her. Even when Maya advances to him in bed, he snubbed by saying
that he needed time for it. The entry of Nikhil brought new meaning to Mayss life. He was
fourth floor neighbor and was a college going student, he may not be interested in studies but
he had mastered the art of captivating women. Maya could immediately feel the difference
Nikhil brought to her life. Nikhil filled Maya with the power of pleasure that she was so
much desperate about she had found meaning her novels one feels that she has tried to fight
for the cause of women and brought out the aspect of sex because she feels that women are
marginalized in terms of sex.

Shobha Des novels represent the new Indian womans voice. A New Woman is in search of
self-identity, seeking liberation in all walks of life, replacing the traditional image of Indian
woman. The need for women to seek their identity is the message in her novels. On the
contrary, she shows her contempt and dislike for their unethical and socially unacceptable
behavior. This can be deducted from the ultimate activities and deviant behavior. In fact
Shobha De advices her women to analyze their behavior and stop posing to be men. In the

2
K.Meerabai, Feminism as an Extention of Existentialism woman in Indian English Fiction. Indian women
Novelists, ed. R.K. Dhawan.

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present scenario of gender discrimination, a study of her novels helps to widen and direct our
thoughts to relevant problems affecting women in Indian society.

In the Indian tradition marriage is glorified as a holy union of man and woman. It is the
turning point and the beginning of a new way of life. However, in Shobha Des novels all
these ideas degrading marriage are shattered by her modern liberated women with marriage
the other important issue that Des novels deal with sex. Sex to her women is no longer a
dreaded and despised thing. Her women enjoys a great deal of sexual freedom. Shobha Des
women break all sorts of taboos and feel liberated. In Sultry Days, the novelist presents a
group of modern women who, when ill-treated, turn rebellions and protest. Nishas mother
protests against her husbands affair with his Secretary. Sujatha is another woman who does
not lead a life which is defined by her husband. She makes her own rules. She has both male
and female lovers. Further, the get-together of six former school friends at Reemas house in
Snapshots also reveals how the women are obsessed with sex and sensual enjoyment. They
express their grievances against men in general and husband in particular. They break the
social norms and moral codes. Most of the women in the novel, bored with their husbands,
seek new relationship outside marriage and challenge the patriarchal system. Being a woman,
De is more interested in the predicaments of woman. She presents the vital reality and makes
us awake of the miseries of women and injustice done to them by their counterparts in the
patriarchal society. However, it is an important fact that though Des novels are crowded with
female characters, the analysis of the novels reveals her focus is only on the women
protagonists, and the other secondary character are simply mentioned. In her novels she
mostly discusses only the metropolitan women where rural women do not find place in her
novels. They are totally ignored. All her novels are the protest novels against the male
dominated Indian society where women are denied the freedom of expression and action. As
a result their oppression, expatiation and marginalization, they turn rebellious. Shobha Des
novels represent the new Indian womans voice. A New-Woman is in search of self-identity
seeking liberation in all walks of life, replacing the tradition image of Indian woman. The
need for women to seek their identity is the message in her novels. In fact, her novels ought
to be understood and interpreted both from the sociological as well as the psychological point
of view for they portray women torn between tradition and modernity. The novels of Shobhaa
De uses bold sexual imagery. There lies sufficient food for thought under the surface which
provides an in-depth study of the female psyche narrated so dexterously.

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 CHARACTERISATION
De is the first feminist writer to probe into the realities and psyche of modern Indian Urban
women. She has clearly understood the changing scenario of the contemporary social life and
urban womens position there in. The traditional life style has been changed in the modern
times. In early days man has been the bread earner of the house and woman, the care taker of
household and the hearth. But, with the changing time and circumstance woman has
demanded equal status with man or even more than that. Now they are no more dependent on
man. Rather they have emerged as the dominant force in the family and society .They are no
more ruled but rulers. They have achieved this status due to their independence of economy.
This transformation has affected life greatly to all spheres. Shobha De has focused on this
issue of contemporary women. She develops her character as no more mere helpmates at
home, but competent ones to demolish the dominance of man changing the traditional age old
scenario. Her women have emerged as New women. They are in participating in the fields
in which men were dominant over years long.

Mikki in Sisters started handling the business empire of her father and proving herself in no
way less than the man folk in the business and industrial circle. Mikki agrees to marry Navin
not for love but to achieve a husband, a marriage and not an affair. But she cancels it as
Navin tries to sexually assault her before engagement. She gets united with Binny, an ardent
lover and enthusiastic suitor. Shobha De mentions that women can make men give them what
they want. Women can be seekers of pleasure. The man who gives them using different tricks
is very much admired by them. After Mikki got the sexual satisfaction from her husband out
of pre-marital sex, she immediately got married to him without giving second thought to her
decision. The new perception of life for the new women is unrestrained and full of options;
they have no hassles in choosing even women as their sex partners.

This is evident in Starry Nights with Linda and Aasha rani in the centre. Liberal ideas sweep
their minds so much that whatever fulfillments they demand they get. Nisha Trivedi observes;
The glittering world of cinema is in reality so ruthless, so miserable that it can shatter the
moral values and innocence of any human being. But Aasha survives and achieves success.

Karuna in Socialite Evenings opts for a single status of her own. The novel presents a girl-
guy relationship between Karuna and Bunty. Karuna, a conspicuous Bombay socialite is the
protagonist of the novel which is presented in the form of her memories. Obsessions are

8
different in people of different category. They have obsessions for particular things and
persons. When these obsessions become strong, they affect the behaviour of a person greatly.
Some of such obsessions seem to be natural but some others unnatural and unethical. Amrita
in Strange Obsession steps out with a bold decision to choose modelling as her career.
Karuna is herself attracted to a different kind of masculinity to the intellectual snobbery of
Girish (film director). Thus, the heroines of De ascribe to their men a definite higher status
sexually and intellectually. The men therefore automatically become protector or provider for
the women, a truly romantic knight-in-shining-armour feature. The dependency and
vulnerability of the heroine is tied to the theme of chastity/purity. In Socialite Evenings,
women fail in their relationships until they turn monogamous (monogamy for women being a
male-prescribed requirement). Extra-marital affairs do not fetch happiness for the women.

Naresh K Vats views, Shobha De has concentrated more on the psychopathological aspect
of Minxs personality which has prevented the balanced development of her character.3
Thus, the age old man-woman relationship has been changed though they depend on each
other for their biological need. However, as this relationship has become hollow and
ineffectual in most of the cases, Des women seem to be inclined towards extra-marital
affairs to fulfil their need. Even they go to an extent of using sex as the means of bargain to
achieve their social and financial targets.

Thus her characters protest against age old image of women to turn it upside down with a cry
for freedom, equality and identity. Shobha Des candidness has brought her defame as she is
often labelled as a pornographic writer. She treats the taboo subject like sex with open-
heartedness. However, she is a novelist with a serious purpose. Though she is neglected as a
major fiction writer for her free, frank and bold descriptions of battles of sex, yet her novels
prove to be representatives of liberty, equality and identity for women in the modern Indian
urban system.

They are the moral guidelines that alert the ultra-modern society and neo-rich women about
their recklessness and misuse of liberty in the name of ultra-modern civilization and society.
The weaknesses of ultra modern women are authentically exposed by her through her women
characters which make them life like portraits. Through her treatment of sex, she proves sex
to be a perfect bliss in case of marital happiness and a curse in case of pre-marital and post-

3
Vats, Naresh K( 2010) : The Escape; Strange Obsessions; Shobha De; A Critical Response, New Delhi, Creative,
p111. Print.

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marital relationships. Though her women are found to be indulged in free sexual activities in
the name of modernity, she never seems to support this psychology.

Rather she condemns such unusual practices and behaviour. This thought of condemnation is
reflected in the consequences the characters meet at the end. She is regarded as Jackie Collins
of India. Des women are found to be sensuous, attractive, powerful, clever and shrewd. They
plan and even conspire to succeed to fulfil their ambition in life. On the other hand the males
in her works are found to be mechanical, dull and drab to understand the emotional and
psychological need of the women. This creates conflict and martial rifts in their lives
ultimately encouraging the women to get themselves involved in sensuous affairs. Such
affairs, very often, results into communication difficulties, sexual hesitancies, lack of trust,
faith and respect. Marriage is redefined by Des women in her novels. Des women being
educated and attractive, confident and assertive, smart and dynamic, give a new dimension to
the age old institution of marriage. She projects the picture of conjugal relationship affected
by various phenomena of the modern age such as, industrial advancement, capitalistic
attitude. technological progress and so on. The bond of marriage is no more permanent and
the causes are different at different stages. According to Priya Wanjari, De depicts lives of
young men and women, particularly rich upper class people who no longer considered
faithfulness and constancy in love a virtue.4

Hence, she depicts people in their true colours, i.e. what they are rather than what they should
have been. However majority of Des women do not have reverence for their marital and
familial bonds and marriage is for convenience and for status and not the source of ultimate
happiness. They are not serious about marriage and have no hesitation to be involved in extra
marital affairs. The mutual fidelity in marriage is replaced by sexual freedom in case of these
New Woman. The age old patriarchy of man who used to play the dominant and key role has
come to an end. Des women have rejected their supremacy and decided their own course of
action. Their longing and will power has diverted them to maintain heterosexual extra-
www.ijellh.com 138 marital relationships.

In Socialite Evenings Karuna no more accepts the supremacy of her husband who fails to
understand her needs and proves their marital relationship a failure. So, she chooses her own
way. Anjali, the Air hostess do not feel her relationship secure with Abe and lets herself free

4
Wanjari, Priya (2008): De-Analysis Of Marital Relationship; Contemporary Fiction: An Anthology Of Female
Writer, Ed Vandna Pathak,Urmila Dabir & Subha Mishra, New Delhi: Sarup p197. Print.

10
after the divorce and joins man to man in search of true love. Finally she marries Kumar
Bhandari, a man of riches. But, he was found to be a homosexual having relationship with
Murty, a young boy.

This makes Anjali take a turn towards spiritualism. Rita uses her sexuality to control her
husband and conditions her husband through, reward and punishment; similarly the other
female characters of Shobha De like Aasha rani, Malini, Rita, Mikki, Apparna, Surekha etc.
have been betrayed in marriage. Marriage has proved for them something which is hollow,
ineffectual, deception, loveless, joyless and cheerless.

In Second Thoughts, the storyline of the novel is not very intricate and arresting. It revolves
round the charming and young Maya. In order to escape her dull, middle-class home in
Calcutta, she marries Ranjan and plunges into the whirl of Bombay. Maya, though
determined to be an ideal wife, discovers herself stifled by the confines of an arranged
marriage. Although the man (Ranjan) she marries has all the glamour of an American
degree and a wealthy family background, yet he is completely indifferent to her desires.
Experiencing utter loneliness of a stranger in Bombay, she begins an explosive affair with
Nikhil, a young college-going neighbour. The novel ends on a note of bitterness. Maya,
Ranjan and Nikhil are the main characters around whom the story in the novel revolves. The
other insignificant characters Mayas mother, father, uncle, Nikhils mother and Ranjans
mother just help in the development of the storyline. The noteworthy feature of Des
characters is that her male characters are weaker protagonist in the novel. Maya is charming
with gleaming jet black hair and large dark eyes. She, a trained textile designer, is
depicted in the novel as a non-conformist.

Shobha De explores the unexplored world of lesbianism in Strange Obsession. This sort of
relationship is found to be exciting but terrifying. The relationship of Firoz and Kiki in Sultry
Days as well as Surekha and Dolly in Snap Shots explores a new horizon in the chapter of
man woman relationship. The New woman considers herself in no way beyond man even in
the field of sexuality. Lind the Journalist proves her supremacy over man in providing sexual
satisfaction to Aasha and assures her that a woman can provide more pleasure to another
woman as she knows her body better. Des novels have titles beginning with S, her first
name which is certainly not a coincidence. According to Puspinder Syal : S is for Senses,
Sex and Self. And these, it seems the chief concerns of Shobha Des writings.

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Finally, it can be said that one may not like everything in Des fiction but her treatment of
the contemporary urban womans challenges; predicament, values and life style are surely not
without significance. Through her writings, she has tried to shatter patriarchal hegemony
drawing attention to womens exploitation, discrimination and commodification.

Shobha Des novels indicate the emergence of a new woman curious to revolt against the
traditional moral orthodoxy of the patriarchal social system. Her novels represent the new
Indian Womans Voice. A New Woman is in search of self-identity, seeking liberation in all
walks of life, replacing the traditional image of Indian woman. A comprehensive evaluation
of Des novels makes clear her protest against the established image of woman as an
auxiliary. She tries forcefully to undo this distorted image of woman who cries for freedom
and equality which is still an unheard melody in the patriarchal world. From this point of
view, the women depicted in her novels are more powerful than men. They represent an
authentic picture of the modern Indian women. They are sexually liberated. Shobha De
portrays the bifurcation between He and the Other. She challenges the traditional
definition of morality and projects the image of the modern woman as self-reliant, free-
thinking and having a new code of morality like the western women. She is a staunch
supporter and an ardent follower of feminism. Hence, her woman should regard herself as the
self and face the challenges in life in the days of globalization.

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 NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE
Shobhaa Des writing proves that she is one of the most remarkable women writers in
contemporary Indian English Novelists. In fact she deserves and falls into several critical and
controversial issues. She seriously raised her voice against sexual issues against women and
so she is summoned as Sex Queen, yet she doesnt bother of her detractors. However, being
endowed with highly imaginative and creative skill, she uses variety of styles and techniques
in her fiction and thereby gives a new dimension to the Indian English Novel. De emphasized
her creative excellence by using the cinematic flash back method of technique and thereby
makes the narrator to tell the events with the benefit of hindsight. Sometimes she uses interior
monologue to help the characters to analyse themselves and brings out the suppressed desires
lying in the deep mind of the characters.

For an example, Aasha Rani in Starry Night, quite often undertakes her journey between past
and present and thereby tries to come back to the time and the society, in which she is part
and parcel. De also uses controlled method of stream of consciousness techniques, that is
necessary to the story for an instance as depicted in Socialite evening. Though there is similar
techniques in Anitha Desai or Shashi Deshpandes fiction, De brings her own technique to
narrate her story in her novels. Her technique is the natural outcome of her pre-occupation
within the individual psychology combined with her literary knowledge. Writing comes very
spontaneously that helps De to write in a very simple, clear and lucid style. As De doesnt
want to beat around the bush, she gives a straight forward narration and thereby gives a clear
perception of her subject.

But few critics considered her writing estranged from her literary circle, whereas critics like
Jay Dipsinh Dodiya and R.K.Dhawan deny such views and instead appreciate her literary
excellence.

Shobhaa De as a writer is gifted with extra ordinary ability to discuss very sensitive aspects
of human life tactfully. The way she narrates each and every aspect of human relationship in
general and man-woman relationship in particular, is really wonderful. We dont find
anything reserved in her fiction from narrative point of view. In my opinion, she is the last
person to care for what orthodox readers say about the subject matter of her fiction. As a
creative writer she is becoming immensely popular day by day. Most of the readers enjoy her
extra ordinary narrative techniques as well as her subject matter. The aspect of technique and

13
theme in Des novels are not isolated elements. They go in hand in hand to make the novel
more effective as the writing style fits her themes and that lends more power to the novel.

There are several themes like conflict between tradition and modernity, emancipation of
women, self-assertation of women, sexual liberation, emergence of modern women and new
women, breaking the demarcating marginalization, social consciousness and feminine
psyche. All these themes give her novels a universal significance.

However many critics fail to catch the exact theme of her novels and they interpret her novels
in different perception. To give a reply to the critics and about her theme she says, Nothing I
wrote was made up-somewhat exaggerated perhaps, but not fabricated...subjects of my books
are my own which I pick up from the people around me, my writing is based on ideas. I dont
write to harm society.5 The rotten inside of society may be our subject. Thus one can say
that Des variant theme and characters that are depicted in her novels are based on the reality
of the contemporary society. Even places play an important role to bring alive the characters.

De has bravely depicted the modern metropolitan city like Bombay, Bangalore, Kolkata,
Chennai, Delhi etc, as these cities lay a platform to the protagonists like Karuna, Aasha Rani
etc to expose themselves. In fact, the places in her novel stand as a metaphor for freedom and
thus give scope for the women characters to be very independent. In regard to her style, the
title of the novel also has its own significance given with deep sense of meaning. Though the
title goes hand in hand with the theme, it gives a surprising note to the readers, as all her
novels start with the symbol or alphabet S. Few critics consider this symbol S might be
the starting letter of her name or might be the secret of S is Sex, as all her novels deal
with the sexual concepts. But I view S as Self-Independent as she develops her
characters very independently.

Unlike any other Indian English Women writer, Shobhaa De outstands herself in the aspect of
language too. If other Indian English writers translated local words or language into Indian
English, De alone seems to break this ground and adopt new dimension to the Indian English.
As the translating word into English would not be effective, De uses the very Hindi and
Tamil words without translating them into English.

For an instance, as used in her novel Socialite Evening Kutcha roads, the real big
memsaaby, paan bidi shop, raddiwalla etc. Another examples from Starry Night is Innu

5
Gupta, Shashi Kant. Indian Ethos in Shobhaa Des works. New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers, 2010.

14
voru dam addi, seekram, aiiyo, chiknachikna face, kapdey uttaro, Hindi aata hai?, achcha
lagta hai yaar etc. De also used her boldness in language by using words like Fuck you,
chickening out, naked bodyetc.

To support the linguistics De firmly talks about the inventiveness and new exploration as I
adore Indian English and marvel at our inventiveness. We can bend English any which way
we feel like and still succeed in communicating the essentials. This is a creative feat which
deserves to be documented meticulously, for every few years we add phrases and expression
that reflect our evolving selves, totally Jhakans cannot be translated effectively enough,
phokat ka bhav mat khao, is too delightful to ruin by explanation. As De said, she finds a
new personal way of local expression by using everyday words for the sensitive language of
emotions and thereby brings a new brand and preserves her identity as the mother of
Hinglish. Apart from this, Des transparency of language and spontaneity of prose are the
outstanding features of her style and this made her to remain one of the most celebrities in
multi-lingual gossip column. De also uses quote lines and phrases from other famous literary
personalities like William Shakespeare, Aldous Huxley, Mark Twain etc that show her
literary knowledge and enhance the richness of the novel.

For instance, in Socialite Evening, Double-bubble gum (19), Love is music and food,
wine and touch (121), Brave New world trip (70) etc. Apart from this she also uses Myth and
also brings out the remarks from the Bible and Bhagvidha Gita.

For instance, in Socialite Evening, Rada, Buddha, Krishnan, Mirabhai, The Ten
Commandments etc. Thus one can wind up, that Des style and techniques that are sprinkled
in her novels are really artistic. Her language, themes and uses of other elements enrich not
only her novels, but also amongst the readers. In fact, in spite of several controversies, De has
not limited her ideas or words, and at the same time her writings satisfied the literary
decorums as well as norms as she has used different style and techniques for writing and
thereby was considered a fierce and individualistic writer.

15
 CRITICAL ANALYSIS
No doubt Shobha De has been able to throw significant light on the inner life of men and
women belonging to the glittering world of the affluent section of Indian society. On one
hand she has brought out the follies of highly liberated new woman and on the other
redefined the terms liberated in her novels.

It wouldnt be wrong to say that Shobha De has made a marvelous entry in the Indian literary
scene with her first novel Socialite Evenings in 1989 as a bestseller. Also, her fiction has
got tremendous response in India and all over the world but as far as the content of her novels
is concerned it can be labelled as,

high society pot pouri, and voyeuristic servings of souped-up, fourwheel drive sex-in-all
directions.6

After analysing the thematic concerns of her novels we find that they are highly complex
with narrow objectives. Being the member of elite upper class of Mumbai, she has tried to
bring out every little secret of men and women of her society, but her experiences cannot be
generalised. Her fiction is not concerned with the lot of women.

Shobha De cannot be termed as feminist as her writings do not voice any kind of protest
rather there is a strong sense of freedom in them. Shobha Des women have been liberated
from the feminine self i.e. female attributes like dutiful daughter, loyal wife, loving mother
and responsible social being. The women she chooses belong to that tinsel town where
everything is silvery yet their personal lives are full of dark crevices and gloomy corridors.7

Thus, Shobha De shows only one sided and narrow picture of the society. Feminist writing in
India aims at developing the idea of an ideal woman along moral and spiritual lines which
means commitment to a system of values. But with Shobha De, no character is worthy of
sympathy, compassion or admiration as her characters represent an entirely different value
system. Feminists like Kamala Markandaya, Nayantara Sahgal, Anita Desai and Shashi
Despande reflect the position of a new woman who reveals moral and spiritual urge for
companionship rather than competing with men in all fields with dominance.

6
Madhu Jain, Cat on the cold Tin Roof India Today, Oct 15, 1989, p.195
7
Nivedita Maitra, Anti feminism in Shobha De: A Study of the women characters in Starry Nights in Indian
English Literature Vol 7 by Basavraj S. Naikar, (Atlantic Publishers and Distributors, New Delhi, 2007) p.162

16
Their basic concerns are deeper than merely seeking equality with men. In their view, a
woman is new when she believes in asserting her own personality and insisting upon her
own rights as a woman. This woman analyses and reflects upon her position essentially as a
woman in the scheme of things which includes the social, moral and spiritual fields. In short
their writings grapple with more fundamental problems of women and aspire towards higher
ideals of womanhood. But, we find that Shobha De has deviated from this stream of
development as she fails to bring out these essential traits of the new woman.

Her modern women do not have moral and spiritual urge for companionship rather they are
more inclined towards personal freedom and glamour. Her characters reveal the existence of
glamour and modernity at the core and feminism only at the periphery of their psyche.
Shobha Des characters are the women, who to male eyes symbolize nothing but only
attraction and physical charm.

Indian feminists are primarily concerned with the recognition of woman as a being, an
autonomous being. They want woman to realize herself through self-analysis. Thus quest for
ones own identity is the most common theme of many Indian feminists. Women in earlier
works of feminism feel helpless and suffer from rootlessness when they go through the
identity crises. These woman who are facing loss of their identity try to analyze themselves
by self assertion. Though their individuality and social recognition is lost, but these women
do not change their basic personality and preserve their identity as a wife, a mother and also a
human being. Most of the women in Shobha Des novels belong to elite class and have full
economic freedom and recognition. Her women characters are mostly economically
independent and socially emancipated. In every walk of life right from earning a living to
most of blatant issues of sexuality they are on a level of parity with their male counterparts.

These women try to expose themselves and try to compete with men in all arenas like power,
position and sexuality, Shobha De, by simply exposing negative and unacceptable side of
their personality turns them into abberations.8 Another concern of Indian feminists is to
influence Indian women positively and bring changes in the outlook of the people for the
better. In order to do so they portray the new Indian woman in their novels and focus on her
dilemma.

8
Sharad Shrivastava, The Abbretion I, Shobha De in The New Woman in Indian English Fiction, (Prestige
Books, New Delhi, 1996) p.82.

17
This new Indian woman chooses to remain in the family but at the same time questions the
validity of traditions and customs that circumscribe women in narrow slots. Such a woman
has the power of reinterpreting old myths and bringing changes for the betterment of the
society. Comparatively, Shobha Des women visualize a kind of rebellion against the old
culture with the emergence of a breed apart which challanges mens hierarchy is every sphere
of life. They want to be free from all kinds of responsibilities and obligations and live like
butterflies.

Shobha De by portraying such womenfolk in her novels is actually betraying the cause of
women, as identity and recognition cannot be gained by simply exposing ones physical
charms or instincts or changing one man for men. Cultural Feminists try to identify the deep
rooted causes leading to oppression of women and endeavour to remove such causes. They
try to bring about a change in the social milieu wherein women are accepted as equals in all
respects.

Women in India are equal to men in sharing of rights, opportunities and also responsibilities
in the process of evolution of human society. Here, government has also helped them to rise
from their secondary position by guaranteeing their rights in the constitution of India. Men
and women both are hopeful for eradication of any distinction of gender, class or position.

But Shobha De is following and imposing western culture for the man-woman relationship in
her novels. She has given a new dimension to man woman relationship where we find no
mutual cooperation and respect for each other. The women in her novels consider men as the
source of enjoyment. They borrow this attitude from the male world and treat mens value
systems as theirs, as men for them are equally immoral and irresponsible.

Men as well as women both have illicit relationships outside marriage; they may even boast
about it or just forget about it; or might even publicize it and parade their sexuality. These
women of Shobha De are out to tell men that whatever men do, they (women) too are
entitled to do the same. They keep a string of men tied under their belts, so that when one
fails to live up to their expectations, they can move onto the next one.9 These women in the
disguise of equality want total freedom from social obligations like family and marriage and
try to indulge in reckless promiscuous deeds only. The life of such women cannot set an
example for others as it is not the right path for womens emancipation. Thus, Shobha De

9
L. Sonia Ningthaujam, The image of New Woman in the novels of Shobha De, (Prestige Books, New Delhi)
2006, p.119.

18
herself has forgotten the aim of feminism in India and question arises-What is she trying to
protest through her writings? or What kind of equality is she trying to achieve? Feminism
in India is never visualised as an exclusively allfemale world where men have only peripheral
functions. Feminists here believe that feminism is necessarily pro-woman but it must not be
anti-man. Thus, Indian feminists deny separatist stance and try to create an environment
where men and women are valued equally. But Shobha De portrays her male characters with
all kind of negative qualities. According to her,

Indian men make the worlds lousiest lovers . . . . They are high on ego, and low on
performance.10 In her novels, it is a world that is carved and shaped by women. These
women reveal an uninhibited universe where the male is pushed into a corner and forced to
live a secluded life with subdued existence. Shobha Des women do not believe in mutual
sharing and compromise in their relation to men rather they defy mens existence by taking
up radical lesbianism or an uninhibited sexual play with different males. Thus, as long as any
half of the humanity is denied decent and dignified life it will be a far cry to hope for a better
world. Another point that deviates Shobha Des writing from being called as feminist writing
is Too much emphasis on sex. Her female characters are sexual orgies who symbolize
absolute freedom of womankind from all forms of patriarchal inhibitions. Shobha Des
novels delineate women who would like to be eroticized as objects. These women express an
undiminishing, insatiable physical appetite without having any remorse or regret about it.
Shobha De projects the modern womans insistence to obtain social acceptance for a free
expression of her sexuality. For them Sex is the only way to establish themselves as
assertive, domineering and successful. For them the only way a woman can reach the ladder
of success is sex. Shobha De believes in SEXPLAY and calls it the bedrock of all
relationships.11 As her women characters think and talk about it openly and do not hesitate
to take all the initiative.

They would like to view themselves as erotic objects as eroticism for these pervert women is
either a means to regain their the sexuality or an expression of their illicit and carnal urge.
Shobha De presents women with lot of passion illicit and carnal. These women have only one
quality that they are sexual being and their interest in life is restricted to sexual activities.

10
Shobha De, Uncertain Liaisons in Khushwant Singh and Shobha De ed. (New Delhi, Viking/ Penguin India,
1993), pp.4 xxv.
11
Shobha De, Uncertain Liaisons, pp.208 xxv.

19
Shobha De is not a writer but a business woman. She knows what to sell and how to sell,
S.E.X. this three letter word finds a lot of buyers.

Shobha De as a writer is in great demand and her novels are best-sellers due to her masterly
art of story telling and putting in slices of factual reality. But her novels cannot be called
feminist writings as there is no clear message of emancipation of women in the real sense and
her themes are often deviated from the feminine voice. Most of her novels are pulp-fiction,
which sell well and read well but they fail to meet the aesthetics of feminism. Her fiction can
be dressed up and presented as an extremely marketable product over the media similar to
Bollywood masala movies full of violence, stunts and pornographic scenes.

Thus, Shobha De does not exhibit the traits of either liberal feminists or the radical feminists.
Shobha Des women are highly aspiring and too much preoccuupied with sex, money,
violence and drugs. These women aspire for everything that gives them power and equal
footing with men. For them, a man becomes only a necessary tool to achieve their goals, such
desires which do not have an end. They are ready to make every compromise till they can
attain their desired goals. These women go in for high flying career like modelling, movies,
high power business journalism and advertising. To them marriage is a formality and a matter
of personal convenience. If that purpose is not served by marriage they do not hesitate to cast
it away and clean their path of undesired obstacles. In doing so, these women become wildly
self obsessed and forget that by their wild life style, their own young childrens lives become
highly vulnerable to a reckless life style.

On the one hand she talks about social responsibility, family bonds and interpersonal
relationships and on the other her women characters deny her own perceptions. Thus Shobha
Des personality is hypocritical in nature as her thoughts are not vindicated by her actions.

Thus, we find her a split personality, torn between self and a novelist. There is a huge gulf
between what she says and what she practices. To the feminists the ideal woman is one
whose mental horizon is broadened and who is interested in her family more than anything
else. Such a woman is capable of bearing social responsibility and can independently arrive at
her own decision. But Shobha Des women are too self-absorbed, they frequently go into a
wild race for power and money. Des presentation of the women belonging to this affluent
society is that of a rebel who does not conform either to tradition or to modernity but chooses
to attain a different identity, whereby she may not have to follow any social or moral code of
conduct.

20
 CONCLUSION
Feminist writing in India aims at developing the idea of an ideal woman along moral and
spiritual lines which means commitment to a system of values. But with Shobha De, no
character is worthy of sympathy, compassion or admiration as her characters represent an
entirely different value system. Shobha De has deviated from the main stream of
development as she fails to bring out the essential traits of the new woman. Her modern
women do not have moral and spiritual urge for companionship rather they are more inclined
towards personal freedom and glamour. Her characters reveal the existence of glamour and
modernity at the core and feminism only at the periphery of their psyche.

Indian feminists are primarily concerned with the recognition of woman as a being, an
autonomous being. They want woman to realize herself through self-analysis. Thus quest for
ones own identity is the most common theme of many Indian feminists. Most of the women
in Shobha Des novels belong to elite class and have full economic freedom and recognition.
Her women characters are mostly economically independent and socially emancipated. These
women try to expose themselves and try to compete with men in all arenas like power,
position and sexuality. Shobha De is following and imposing western culture in the man-
woman relationship in her novels. She has given a new dimension to man-woman
relationship where we find no mutual cooperation and respect for each other, the women in
her novels consider men as the source of enjoyment. These women in the disguise of equality
want total freedom from social obligations like family and marriage and try to indulge in
reckless promiscuous deeds only. The life of such women cannot set an example for others as
it is not the right path for womens emancipation. Feminism in India is never visualised as an
exclusively all female world where men have only peripheral functions. Feminists here
believe that feminism is necessarily pro-woman but it must not be anti-man. Shobha Des
personality is hypocritical in nature as her thoughts are not vindicated by her actions. We find
her a split personality, torn between self and a novelist. There is a huge gulf between what
she says and what she practices. Shobha De is not a force to awaken women socially and
culturally. She writes with narrow aim and narrow objectives. She shows only one sided fade
picture of the society, which is a mistaken path as far as cultural feminism is concerned. She
provides no solutions or alternatives to the problems the Indian woman are facing today
rather she invokes the dilemma in her female readers which violently disturbs the concept of
femininity in India.

21
 BIBLIOGRAPHY
BOOKS
i) Chaudhuri, Maitrayee (ed.). "Feminism in India: Issues in
Contemporary Indian Feminism"
ii) Kali for Women, New Delhi, 2004. Myles, Anita.
iii) Feminism and Post modern Indian Women Novelists in English,
Sarup and Sons, 2006.
iv) Mishra Binod and Kumar Sanjay: Indian Writings in English: New
Delhi, 2006.
v) Pathak, R.S. "Modern Indian novel in English" (Creative Books, New
Delhi) ed. 1999.
vi) Socialite Evenings, Penguin, New Delhi, 1989
vii) Starry Nights , Penguin, New Delhi,1991
viii) Sisters, Penguin, New Delhi, 1992
ix) Strange Obsession, Penguin, New Delhi, 1992
x) Sultry Days, Penguin, New Delhi, 1994
xi) Snapshots , Penguin, New Delhi, 1995
xii) Second Thoughts, Penguin, New Delhi, 1996
xiii) Small Betrayals ,UBS: New Delhi, 1995
xiv) Uncertain Liaisons : Sex, Strife and Togetherness in Urban India
(Co-edited by Khushwant Singh), New Delhi, Viking/ Penguin India,
1993
xv) Shooting from the Hip UBS: New Delhi, 1996 Surviving Men ,
Penguin, New Delhi, 1997
xvi) Selective Memory: Stories from My Life

WEBSITES
i. http:/Shobhas life and works/marriage is becoming like
dinosaurshobhade http:/wikipedia.org/wiki/"radical
feminism"
ii. http:/Shobhade.blog.com/2011/04/this-appea-red-in-
bombaytimes.html
iii. http:/Wikipedia.org/wiki/cultural feminism
iv. http/wikipedia.org/wiki/Feminism In India.

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