Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)

A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021

Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)

RESEARCH ARTICLE

MASCULINITY AND MANHOOD IN SHASHI DESHPANDE’S FICTION

Dr.SATISH KUMAR
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Hindu College, Sonipat, Haryana, India,
Email – [email protected]
Abstract
Men and women have been defined differently in myths, religions, philosophy,
psychology sociology, and culture, creating stereotypes of various kinds. These
definitions and stereotypes often become so strong that it becomes difficult for
individuals to defy or contradict them. This can be seen in how patriarchal ideology,
reflected by all kinds of social, cultural, ideational and economic structures of the
Article Received:17/02/2021 man-dominated world, assigns values to masculinity privileging man’s position and
Article Accepted: 24/03/2021 interest. They go so deep into the psyche and intellect that it becomes too difficult
Published online:31/03/2021 for man to liberate himself from their hold. Any deviation from these definitions
DOI: 10.33329/rjelal.9.1.217 renders him vulnerable to doubts about his own identity and value as a man. This can
plunge him into states of psychological, moral, and social crises affecting different
areas of his life in various ways. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to understand
the complexities of men’s behaviour in context with their socially defined roles as
provider and protector of their families in patriarchal societies. Shashi Deshpande, in
her novels, convincingly presents such men who do not always feel free to make
choices and take decisions but often have to act and behave within the limit of their
defined image. No doubt, in doing so, they lose some of the qualities of their natural
human self. This becomes evident once her treatment of men is analysed, focusing
on the conflict between the determining roles of myths on the one hand and natural,
authentic self on the other.

Keywords: Patriarchy; Men; Masculinity; Manhood; Stereotypes

The division of work, especially in patriarchal stereotypes is too powerful to be within the capacity
societies, is based on the gender or sex of a person. It of the individual to defy or challenge. There is no
means that the allocation of different roles, doubt that there are great choices and opportunities
responsibilities, and work to men and women is based on the economic and political fronts, but there have
on the societal idea of what men and women should been no corresponding liberalisation and
do and are capable of doing. Following this, different democratisation of societal institutions. Modern men
tasks and responsibilities are assigned to boys and and women thus find themselves in a dilemma—
girls, men and women, according to their gender facing, on the one hand, rapid modernisation on the
roles, not necessarily according to their performances political and economic fronts and, on the other hand,
and capacities. While doing so, individuals' choices conservatism, rigidity and lack of choice on the social
and preferences are completely ignored because the front. They often find it challenging to juxtapose the
role of the social institutions in setting the gender two worlds and, therefore, experience anxiety and

217 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
angst. In such situations, men, particularly, feel that them with a social status through hard work .
acting out the traditional man assures them of a . . . In the domestic sphere, the protector is
modicum of peace, besides earning more significant seen as a fearless, courageous man who
social approval and respect. That is why they tend to protects the honour of the household by
be more inclined to conform rather than resist the protecting women and children of the family.
traditional patriarchal norms. The purpose of this (172)
paper is to depict how these norms muffle men’s
voice, as much as they do women's, and put manacles In fact, to execute these roles successfully, it
symbolically on their psyche which allows them to is of great importance for a man to know that his
execute only those roles which are sanctioned by the earning capability keeps his family out of the grip of
myth of man and socio-cultural forces. poverty. Indeed, he needs the satisfaction of a job
well-done or a business is done with excellence.
The very crucial roles men are supposed to Even if a job is not enjoyable or fulfilling, there is a
perform in traditional societies are providers and certain sense of satisfaction he gets from knowing
protectors of their families. Men are required to that his family's requirements are met out of the
scrupulously discharge their duties, not only to be income. It shows how much conscious a man
mindful of them. Generally, the term 'provider' remains of his duty to meet his family's financial
implies a man's duties to earn enough to fulfil the needs and physical comfort. However, this does not
essential requirements of his family; to provide mean that the wife cannot work and contribute
material comforts and give mental and emotional financially, but the man must be the initiator,
satisfaction to his wife, children, and other family director and general manager. The household
members. It also refers to his duties to create means matters' overall administration matters should be
and opportunities of a better and healthy life for his his responsibility, and if the wife works outside the
family, offer chances of good schooling and job to his home, it is best if it is by mutual agreement. Besides
children, and fulfil his duties as the head of the being financially sound, a man should be physically
family. It suggests that men should feel a great robust and socially influential in protecting his family
responsibility to always provide for the family members from all types of harms. From very early
financially and emotionally and physically. on, man has been indoctrinated that women and
Highlighting the importance and role of the children are weak and emotional and need male
householder in society, Swami Vivekanand writes, protection.
"The householder is the basis, the prop, of whole
society. The poor, the weak, and the women and It is not that the desire to fulfil his duties in a
children, who do not work—all live upon the man comes from biological impulses. There are
householder…” (qtd. in Kakar 123). A duty closely many factors responsible for it. The traditional men
related to the role of the provider is protecting all tend to take these functions as natural aspects of
those he provides for. In the real sense of the term, their personality. They scrupulously try to perform
'protector' denotes a man with duties to keep his these functions in their lives, setting an example to
family members safe from physical and social harms, be followed by their male children. When the
protect his family's honour, and ensure their children are young and not yet equipped with the
security. His kin and kith are tied to him, and he is intellectual resources to resist psychological
supposed to maintain and strengthen them through conditioning, patriarchal moral codes are planted in
the care and protection he is supposed to give them. their heads, fostering great inequality. Gradually,
Purnendu Chatterjee aptly describes the roles of these ideas get fossilised and are put into practice
men when he says: when the boys come of age. They grow up with a
sense of a stake in the family and, therefore, accept
'provider' role in the domestic sphere, is it as entirely natural to wield responsibility and
associated with men as 'breadwinner', authority in family matters. They also know from a
earning money or feeding family or providing very early age that they are valued members of the

218 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
kin group. They learn to value kin support highly and achievement of higher cultural aims, such as success
in the course of the time, realise how crucial it is to at work, takes its toll on his life by obliging him to
their future as a so-called complete man. Even if accept the risky lifestyle. It diminishes his concern
some parents do not want their male children to for health and personal well-being and, in the
engage in stereotypical masculine roles of provider process, subjects him to tensions and psychological
and protector, such roles will be readily available to pressures. Rajeshwar Mittapali and Litizia Alterno
the child through television, friends, school, and rightly observe that "Their stiff upper lip attitude,
family members. In this way, all children are exposed which patriarchal ideology compels them to
to gender stereotypes, a situation which is never maintain, makes them silently suffer emotional
easy to be fully controlled or stopped. crises, earns them the accusation of being articulate,
alienates them from their immediate family
These roles of provider and protector bring members and robs them of their chance of engaging
to man a sense of responsibility, pride and ego. in love" (5).
However, to perform these roles, man has to be
rigid, authoritative, dominative, superior and Socio-economic changes in present time
successful. Man's role in society is designed around have led to some alterations in gender roles and
performance and achievement. He is defined and relations. Women are also emerging in social,
further defines himself in terms of his job, position, economic, and political fields. They are stepping
and social activities. He takes pride in being the forward in the areas which were hitherto supposed
head, breadwinner and protector of the family to be reserved for men. Most of the men feel
because being a man and living in a patriarchal alarmed, taking it as a threat to their masculine
society, and he is expected to discharge these identity. Besides this, the increasing widespread
functions. Kamla Bhasin is also of the opinion that unemployment in men is taking away from them the
"Men are expected to be providers and protectors privilege of being provider and breadwinner, and in
not just of their women and children but of the "cases where women have succeeded in gaining the
honour and well-being of their families, primary place as provider and breadwinner, leading
communities and nations. As providers and to change in gender relations," Kamla Bhasin writes,
protectors, they consider it their duty to discipline "men have felt threatened enough to hit back
members of their families and communities” (36). against women and against those organisations that
have supported those changes" (54). This tendency
Initially, men enjoy their high status, power, to resort to violence in situations of a threat to his
and superiority by their too much essential roles of prestige becomes worse, particularly in the absence
being the provider and protector of their families. of a proper source of information, guidance, and
Nevertheless, this status and dominance do not counselling needed for a sympathetic and mature
come without the burden of responsibilities, understanding of the others. His failure to
pressures and problems. They are bound to perform appreciate the needs of women as individuals very
their role; otherwise, they feel degraded in society often is the result of the fact that he is driven mainly
and fall in their esteem. Moreover, their status and by his own innate urge to be the master of his house
pride are not permanent; they have to struggle to or the slavish imitation of man's image propagated
maintain it by successfully performing their by popular culture. Myths also reinforce the
functions, which seems problematic for many men. tendency of a man who seeks power and status of a
Contrary to the popular perception, in the modern provider and protector. One of its consequences
world, men are as much the victims of the manifests itself in the conflict between men as
patriarchal ideology as women are, even if they have individuals and his socio-cultural milieu. However,
traditionally benefited from it in specific ways. For there are still those whose genuine human-self
example, they get trapped in the images and roles remains alive and sensitive to the members of the
that society has determined for them. The other sex, giving them due recognition and respect.
patriarchal ideology which romanticises man's In such cases, the influence of healthy socialisation

219 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
and education appears to play an important role. Terrors through the character of Manohar alias
Nevertheless, the socio-cultural forces' Manu. No doubt, Saru is the novel's protagonist, but
pressure always compels men to do their best to Manu also emerges as an important character in the
maintain the norms of manhood at any cost; background. In her college days, Saru falls in love
otherwise, they have to face the humiliation and with Manu and later marries him much against her
disapproval of society. To escape social disgrace and mother's will. Initially, Manu has all the charming
degradation, they are driven to sacrifice their deep qualities associated with a romantic hero. In college,
feelings and emotions at the altar of duty, he had pride and an air of being superior. He was the
generating tremendous tensions and conflicts in life and soul of the Dramatic Society. Furthermore,
their life. They find it too challenging to go against in addition to this, “a budding writer, a poet of
the prescriptions and prohibitions laid down by the promise, with some poems already published in
patriarchal culture. That is why they can often be magazines" (50). He tries to maintain, at least
caught up in a struggle to prove their masculine initially, the pride and position he earned in the
prowess. This further limits men's choices and puts college even after marrying Saru.
them in the straightjacket of masculinity in which
they feel uncomfortable and suffocated. This forces Man is a social animal and maintains his social
men to be only men and not complete human beings status to play the roles as expected by society. He
bringing a change in their behaviour and their can do this by performing the roles of a husband in
relations with family members. Thus, when a man his society. To provide for his wife and to protect
turns rude and violent towards his family members, her, therefore, become his paramount concern. In a
he cannot be blamed entirely. His wishes become broad sense, a provider's role implies the duty of
insignificant before social norms and, ultimately, he arranging a house for his family. Therefore,
becomes not a champion, but a victim of patriarchy. providing a house comes to most of the men as a
Moreover, it is not that only the individual who fails challenge to their prestige as heads of the families.
to perform his roles as provider and protector face Manu is acutely conscious of the fact that he does
the consequences of his failure; his family members not have his own house. Saru recalls, “ ‘It was Manu
also suffer on this account. For example, his old who had been adamant about that. I'm not going to
parents and wife do not get respect in society, and have us live apart' he said. 'I refuse to continue this
his children fail to get good schooling and way, meeting an hour or so each evening. We must
opportunities for a better future. Families of such have a place of our own, even if it's just a room’ ”
men tend to be condemned to a kind of unsaid social (36). When he feels that Saru is not convinced, he
segregation and are treated as black sheep posing a starts cajoling her, which further shows how keen he
threat to society's health. is to have a house of his own. He pleads: "It's just
one room in a chawl. You have to share the toilet.
Being a part of the tradition-bound society, Want to back out? Wait, Saru, don't look like that,
Shashi Deshpande seems to have the minute think it over. And this too. We may not get a place
knowledge of its workings. Her novels reflect how for months, may be years, with the little I can afford
the socio-cultural environment that influences to pay. You know I've been doing nothing but house-
gender identities assigns different roles and hunting for the last few months" (37). Initially, he
responsibilities to both men and women. Here one proves to be a loving and caring husband. He is very
finds a panoramic view of many men whose efforts, much concerned about Saru's happiness. Like a
successes and failures in performing their expected responsible husband, he understands Saru's
roles in society are convincingly portrayed. feelings. She is living away from her parents for
fifteen years and is not ready to go to her father's
How a man's failure to be the primary home for a long time even after her mother's death.
breadwinner of his family distorts his human self by Manu knows the pangs of living apart from one's
making him behave like a beast is depicted in family and, therefore, like a loving husband, he
Deshpande’s first published novel The Dark Holds No cannot see Saru in grief.

220 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
His love and care are matched and also harmony suddenly gets disrupted.
fostered by Saru's admiration of the remembered
talents of Manu, which gives him the necessary The life that they began together eventually
confidence and a feeling of being superior and becomes a powerful race of the two egoistical
successful. He considers himself the prop and people in which she overtakes him effortlessly. It
bedrock of their marriage. He seems to get a sense does not take her long to recognise that Manu is no
of satisfaction and pride because he is a college 'Shelley'. She, for a short while, feels superior to and
lecturer, the breadwinner of the family, and his wife, more important than Mohan. On the other hand, the
Saru, is only a not-much-recognised doctor notion of being the primary producer in marriage
dependent on him for her needs and requirements. haunts Manohar. When his wife seems to occupy his
Everything is all right as long as Manu has this feeling place, he feels his status of a husband diminished, as
of being important in the relationship, but his in patriarchal societies a man earning less than his
problems begin to rise the moment Saru begins to wife does not always get respect. Both Manu and
win recognition and admiration. Her growing stature Saru, seem to believe firmly in this societal view.
as the primary source of income for the family makes Consequently, Saru's respect for Manu wanes when
him very insecure in his authority position. This she recognises him to be a failure. Premila Paul
comes to fore when there is an explosion in the argues in this context: “Career becomes an
nearby factory. Burnt and mutilated bodies pour in, indispensable crutch for Saru as it gives so much
and Saru has to attend on them. After this incident, importance and power over others” (32). In her new
Saru emerges as a successful and reputed doctor. role as a career woman, Saru is no longer happy in
Almost every morning, there is a knock at the door their shabby apartment, and she prefers to move
for her medical attention. Saru, young and into something more decent and beautiful. She feels
inexperienced in her profession, is thrilled with her that the flat in which she and Manu have been living
new job, but moving out of the traditional image of all these years is narrow and Manu's earning now
a dependent and economically subordinate wife makes her feel that it barely covers her needs. Her
shatters Manu's feelings of being the superior changing attitude makes Manu more agonisingly
partner in their relationship. He feels ignored and conscious of his secondary status.
belittled as Saru gets all the attention. It brings a
His agony substantiates if women suffer due
drastic change in his behaviour. Initially, Saru fails to
to their status as a second class citizen, men indeed
notice this change in Manu, but later she realises
suffer due to the excess of privilege they feel
that “ ‘ . .the esteem with which I was surrounded
threatened by their failures. Sociologist Ann Oakley
made me inches taller. But perhaps, the same thing
rightly points out that “the strain of playing the
that made me inches taller, made him inches
masculine role in modern civilisation shows signs of
shorter’ ” (42). This subversion of his position shakes
mounting to breaking point” (58). He becomes all
the very foundation of his sense of manhood.
the more conscious of it when he begins to see a
Although he does not show any overt sign of feeling
change in Saru's behaviour. Manu turns out simply a
inferior to his wife, Saru quickly perceives a change
lecturer, and Saru becomes a famous doctor. This
in his behaviour. The idea of equality of both
makes him socially and economically inferior to her.
husband and wife, appears to be unacceptable to
Slowly "an affected indifference" (36) starts to
him. Saru, too, feels this and says that "a+b they told
appear in Saru's tone because "There were nods of
us in Mathematics is equal to b+a. But here a+b was
smile, murmured greetings and namastes. But they
not, definitely not equal to b+a. It became a
were all for me, only for me. There was nothing for
monstrously unbalanced equation, lopsided,
him. He was almost totally ignored. Earlier he had
unequal, impossible" (42). Manu starts realising that
been the young man and I his bride. Now, I was the
the profession of a doctor is much more superior to
lady doctor and he was my husband" (36). The lover
that of a lecturer. As a result of this, the warmth
in him dies when the neighbours wake up to the fact
between them gradually cools down, and the
that Saru is not an ordinary housewife but a vital

221 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
doctor. Manu loses his grip over the role of primary The erosion of male power and privilege in
breadwinner of his family assigned to men by some spheres of life has led to psychological
society. He finds himself invisible under the shadow and social problems for many men. This
of his wife. He feels so ashamed and inferior that it decline in the economic and social power of
leads to unpredictable changes in his behaviour. He men within the household is leading some
takes it as a threat to his identity. The masculine ego men into greater violence against women;
clash becomes inevitable because, as Saru says, "I into alcoholism and drug abuse, or violent
am something more than his wife, and he has crime, as antidotes to anger and frustration.
become what he is" (70). This upside down (4)
alteration—"this terrible thing" (37)—destroys their
marriage. Manu becomes a mean and loathsome fellow
when he basks in her glory by day and ill-treats her
In patriarchy, the role of a woman is limited at night. Saru is terrified by such nightmarish
mainly to home and hearth. If she works outside the experiences which lead to a change in her attitude
home and earns something, it is seen merely as a towards marital life. She now considers 'sex' as a
small addition to the husband's income. Her role as dirty word. With her responsibilities increasing
a primary earner is seldom acceptable; hence she outside of the home, she recoils from Manu's love-
always finds herself at loggerheads with social making, and he takes her rejection of sex as a
norms. For this reason, when Saru's success begins rejection of himself. He feels that she has denied his
to highlight Manu's failure, he takes it as his disgrace right over her body. Saru, however, is unhappy over
and degradation. In her attitude, Manu finds not just the situation and perhaps also understands the
an itching of domination but a total ignoring of him. reason behind it. She gathers up all her courage and
He feels that she no longer cares for his likes and tells Manu, "I want to stop working. I want to give it
dislikes. In Saru's self-centred march to progress, all up. . .my patients, the hospital, everything" (79).
Manu feels his existence nullified. He becomes Manu's real problem is her career as a successful
irritable and grows tired of being ignored doctor which ultimately makes him a split
everywhere, and his wife getting all the attention personality. The observation of Rajeshwar Mittapalli
and praise. His inability to accept the reversal of and Letizia Alterno on the condition of men who find
traditional roles makes him morose and Saru, themselves at odds with socio-cultural values is also
unaware of this, takes his roughness as a sign of the correct in the case of Manohar. They write, "Caught
ardour of his love. However, soon she realises that in this vortex, for which they are utterly unprepared,
Manu has started neglecting her quite early. This Indian men experience a split within and the inner
simmering inferiority complex of Manu assumes conflict sometimes boils over and spills into the
serious proportions on the day a lady, who comes to social arena in unimaginable, and rarely even in
interview her, asks Manu, "How does it feel when destructive, ways" (5).
your wife earns not only the butter but the bread as
well?" (53).This question annihilates the very Mohan in That Long Silence is another
pedestal of his manly status. He feels so humiliated character who further illustrates Deshpande's
that he turns brutal and begins to treat his wife at abilities as an artist to capture and render the
night like a savage. Unable to come to terms with the workings of a man's mind. Apparently, this novel is
fact that he is a failure and his wife a remarkable the story of the protagonist, Jaya Kulkarni, who
success in life, Manu lets his wounded male pride recalls her married life with nostalgia. She was
manifest itself in the form of sexual sadism. The bed married to Mohan and lived with him at different
is the only place where he can assert his animal places till he went away from her to clear himself of
power over her. He seems to suffer from a severe the charge of business malpractice. She recalls her
psychological problem caused by his feelings of relationship with innumerable relatives and friends
degradation of manhood in society. What Kamla with compassion and understanding. But behind this
Bhasin says is precisely the case with Manu: story of the novel lies one more story of Mohan's

222 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
struggle, efforts, expectations, frustration, fiercely competitive for career and money. This male
apprehensions and their consequences on himself behaviour pattern manifests itself more
and others. Mohan has suffered the humiliation of aggressively, particularly when he has a wife or some
poverty in his childhood. Now he is acutely conscious other woman to take care of. In such cases, men are
of his duties to support his brothers and sisters. often haunted by fears lest their dreams of a secure
Experiences of poverty and consciousness of future with a wife and children should be shattered.
responsibility towards the extended family spur his Like most of the other counterparts of his gender,
urge to earn more and more both for social status Mohan shudders to imagine his family living in
and economic security. He is so anxious to be poverty and squalour. He tells Jaya the story of
respected by his wife as a caring, responsible and squatting women and children he saw in Delhi. He
protective husband that he gets involved in the tells her, "Those women were sitting on the bare
reckless race for money. ground, right in the dirt, mind you, not even a bit of
a newspaper or a mat under them, just sitting on the
In spite of the fact that his father had been ground like—like beggars. Imagine, Jaya people like
cruel and had provided for the barest of the us in that situation" (75). These fears of Mohan
necessities, Mohan had been a dutiful son and elder speak clearly not only of his concerns for his family's
brother. He appears to know very well that in a well-being but also of a threat he perceives to his
patriarchal society, the eldest son is expected to take authority and self-respect which depend on his
on himself the responsibility of looking after and ability to protect his wife and children from want
providing for his old parents. Those who escape and deprivation.
from their responsibility are looked down upon in
society. That is why Mohan scrupulously assumes His deep-seated sense of insecurity and the
the role of being the provider of the family. He desire to give all the comforts, facilities and status to
regularly sends money to his father—for Sudha's his family combine to blinker his vision and turn him
fees, her marriage and Vasant's clothes. Even after into a corrupt official. While working at Lohanagar as
his father's death, he keeps on sending money to his a small-time engineer, he asks Jaya to be friendly
family regularly and makes it a point to attend the with the chief engineer's wife so that he may win his
death anniversary of his father. He also bears the favour to secure a spacious quarter for his family.
entire expenditure of it. Jaya reveals his sense of Again, after moving to Bombay, encouraged by his
responsibility towards his family when she thinks: colleague, Agarwal, he accepts illegal gratification so
that his family might live in comfort and his children
Parents and children, for Mohan the tie was might attend good schools. Ironically, this reckless
sacrosanct. It was not just a question of duty, race for money and status for his family throws him
though that came first to Mohan. Even in our into the dark pit of fear and uncertainty about his job
worst days, he had dutifully sent his father and thus his very position as a head of the family.
some money in the first week of the month, When an inquiry is constituted against him, he feels
whatever our problems may have been. But anxious and apprehensive because he knows that
there was more than just duty in Mohan’s losing a well-paid job means a terrible financial
theory. To Mohan, parents loved their insecurity and also a fall in the estimation of his wife
children and children loved their parents— and relatives. Initially, like a man well-versed in the
because they were parents and children. (78) so-called ideal masculine behaviour, he tries to
conceal his fears and anxieties from his wife, Jaya.
All this suggests how men are conditioned to take it
He does this because he wants to be regarded like all
as their duty to meet the needs and requirements of
those real men who “… are supposed to give comfort
their families' members. Deshpande draws attention
and strength. If they break down, cry, or seek
to the stress and strains they have to suffer due to
comfort they may be considered ‘less masculine’ ”
their socially and culturally determined obligations.
(Masculinity). When he has to shift from his Church
Such attitude and value system force men to be
Gate home to Dadar flat during inquiry against him,

223 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
he can be seen as nervous and worried and very picture of a so-called complete man who strives to
anxious and jealous about his authority as a perform his masculine role in his patriarchal society.
husband. In such a situation of uncertainty he Deshpande has very effectively revealed through
expects his wife, Jaya, to be with him but, even when him the tensions and anxieties, fears, and struggles
he is in trouble, he gets not even a single word of of a traditional man striving to live up to men's
comfort and sympathy from her side. He complains socially defined image by fulfilling his duties and
though he has done everything for her and the responsibilities towards his family. Through Mohan's
children, she had not stood by him when he needed predicament, the novelist has vividly and incisively
it the most. He has tried to conceal his feelings of portrayed all that happens to a man due to his
fear and anxiety, but, this time, he fails to control his internalisation of the definitions of what it means to
inner turmoil and, in a fit of anger, bursts out: be a good or real man. This aspect of man's
perception of self and his behaviour with others,
‘If ever I’d been irresponsible and particularly with his wife, testifies the novelist's
callous,’…‘but I’ve never been that. I’ve understanding of the male psyche conditioned by
always put you and the children first, I’ve socio-economic and cultural factors.
been patient with all your whims, I’ve
grudged you nothing. But the truth is that you Deshpande as a keen observer of society and
despise me because I’ve failed. As long as I human behaviour has rendered in her fiction very
had my job and position, it was all right; as insightfully and artistically all these different aspects
long as I could give you all the comforts, it of the life of man conditioned by the myths and
was all right. But now, because I’m likely to definitions of masculinity prevalent in his cultural
lose it all. . . .’ (121) and social milieu. She shows, on the one hand, the
power and privileges it bestows on man, but she
The fear of slipping down from his position as the depicts with equal understanding and knowledge
provider of his family makes him feel degraded in his the struggles, stresses and strains it condemns them
own esteem. He also appears to be conscious that a to. Her novels offer a powerful portrayal of the
man has to face the humiliation in patriarchal society tensions and travails it poses, particularly when men
if he fails to fulfil his duties. That is why, to escape fail to find it difficult to live up to the expectations of
such social disgrace, he tries to defend his status and providing and protecting their families successfully
position as a provider both in home and society. He in every situation. Her fiction gains in verisimilitude
leaves for Delhi to settle the embezzlement case he and authenticity by the way she has delineated not
is engaged in because he seems to know that only the causes and consequences of these
masculine status is not static, it always has to be traditionally defined roles of men, but also by the
continuously preserved from erosion. Sara White is manner in which she depicts the psyche, attitudes
very much to the point when she asserts: and behaviour of women in this respect

Unlike the imagery of established patriarchal Works Cited

power, most studies show masculinity as Bhasin, Kamla. Exploring Masculinity, Illustrated by
being rather fragile, provisional, something Bindra Thapar. Women Unlimited, 2004.
to be won and then defended, something Chatterjee, Purnendu. “The Inheritance of Loss:
under constant threat of loss . . . . Certainly it Mapping Postcolonial Indian Masculinity.”
does not appear to be self reliant and Postcolonial Indian Fiction in English and
autonomous. On the contrary, masculinity Masculinity, edited by Rajeshwar Mittapali
seems to be depended chronologically on the and Letizia Alterno, Atlantic, 2009, 166-183.
estimation of others, to be highly vulnerable
to attack by ridicule, shaming, subordination Deshpande, Shashi. That Long Silence. Penguin India,
or dishonourable female action. (36) 1989.

In fact, in Mohan's character, there emerges the ________. The Dark Holds No Terrors. Penguin India,

224 Dr.SATISH KUMAR

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.9.Issue 1. 2021
Impact Factor 6.8992 (ICI) http://www.rjelal.com; (Jan-Mar)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)
1998.

Oakley, Ann. Sex, Gender and Society. Gower

Publishing Company, 1985.

Paul, Premila. “The Dark Holds No Terrors: A Call of

Confrontation.” The Fiction of Shashi
Deshpande, edited by R. S. Pathak, Creative
Books, 1998, 30-42.

“Masculinity.” Wikipedia.
http://wikipedia.org/wiki/masculinity.
Accessed on 18 March 2013.

Kakar, Sudhir, editor. Identity and Adulthood, Oxford

Univ. Press, 1979.

White, Sara C. “Men, Masculinities and the Politics

of Development.” The Oxford Journal of
Gender and Development, vol 5. no. 2, June
1997, pp. 14-22.

225 Dr.SATISH KUMAR