Subdued Voices: Women Characters and their Author in Inside the Haveli

Abstract

Rama Mehta is an eminent novelist who contributed significantly to Indian English fiction by bringing female issues to the fore through her exemplary novel, Inside the Haveli. The novel shows a predominant concern with the subjugating condition of women characters shackled in the Indian patriarchal structure and brings, particularly, into light the repressed state of female characters and the elements that determine their submission. Simultaneously, based on the incident, the novel reveals silence and submission on the part of the novelist as well. Nevertheless, the work seems stifled when dealing with women's issues; its movements are confusing, contradicting and oscillating. The characters and their author appear tense under pressure showing a disinclination to adopt a bold stance. This cramped and oscillating situation speaks of their helplessness and repressed situation.