GENDER AND DIASPORA: A COMPARISON BETWEEN THE WOMEN CHARACTERS OF KAMALA MARKANDAYA, ANITA DESAI AND BHARATI MUKHERJEE

One of the crucial aspects of diasporic writing is its gender factor. The development of an approach that aims to project “and interpret experience, from the point of feminine consciousness and sensibility” is quite noticeable in modern Indian fiction. Authors like Kamala Markandaya, Anita Desai and Bharati Mukherjee have been articulate enough in narrating the complexities of the life of immigrants, especially the vicissitudes arising with the gender factor. They depict the unconscious and subconscious psyche of both male and female expatriates and reveal their feelings towards their native land. Their depiction of characters and situation does not remain merely one-sided because apart from a detailed picture of factual, external life they give the inside of the characters exposing their emotional complexity. However, there are perceptible differences in their approaches and their treatment of gender. These differences become apparent when we compare the women characters of these three novelists. The proposed paper seeks to find out such differences through a comparison of some women characters in the novels of Kamala Markandaya, Anita Desai and Bharati Mukherjee