"We Will Smash This Prison”: The Inner Dialogue of Indian Women

Abstract

Woman is the builder and moulder of a nation's destiny. Though delicate and soft she has a heart far stronger and bolder than man. She is the supreme inspiration for man's onward march – an embodiment of peace, love, piety and compassion. The position occupied by woman in a society determines the degree of development of that particular nation. In India the position of women has not changed much, even now born into a society strongly biased in favour of the male, she faces a prejudices as a girl, daughter, wife and mother. Throughout her life she passes through many roles and in each role there is the possibility of exploitation. As a girl child her birth cry is smothered even before it could take shape. As a sister she is given secondary status to her brother. She is expected to relinquish her rights on property for her brother. As a wife she is presented as commodity and bridegroom is given money to give her wife's status in the form of dowry. As a wife too, she has a secondary status in the household. Household chores come to her as legacy to her. She is the victim of marital rape, exploited by in-laws, she is tortured if does not bear a child, she is also sexually abused by the male members of family. Sometimes husbands himself use her sexually for his own promotion and growth. Thus after marriage, a woman's life is entirely gets changed. If marriage fails she always made the object of sarcasm, and looked down upon. Thus real exploitation begins with her birth and it reaches apex while in marriage. She is beaten mercilessly behind the closed doors, still they are expected to pretend to be happy that encourages the further exploitation. Even working women are beaten by husbands and they remain silent having all. The research paper aims to represent such women who are exploited by their so called husbands are being blackmailed, beaten up, being used by husband for the sake of his own selfish motive, they resisted but when it crossed the limits, they become avengers and took their own way of life, thus are the role models of such women who are not living lives but spending it for the husband's sake, family sake, children's sake. These women have liberated themselves from the preoccupied setup of society which suffocate their lives.