Unfolding New Selves in New Structures: Study of Namita Gokhale’s Things to Leave Behind and Paro: Dreams of Passion

Bound by circumstance and repression of untold miseries every woman fights her silent battle all through her life. Invariably, her battle is with the society, the male-dominated society and it's strong conventions. Somewhere during this process, she is caught in a serious conflict within herself. This conflict of hers is so intricate that she feels lost and dejected, feeling an emptiness within. Few women are driven by their eagerness to break free from the shackles of this male-dominant society amidst the many, who choose to suffer silently. Namita Gokhale's women are those selected few who display a strong desire for freedom. Their quest to build a strong identity reverberates through her literary works. Namita foresees women who are free and unbound by any conventionality. This journey towards freedom enables women to unfold their new selves. Both the novels taken for study are set in different social and cultural backgrounds. The characters chosen for study belong to different strata of the society encountering different levels of challenges. They don't settle for anything less. They are unstoppable in their own ways. In Tilottama, the protagonist of the novel Things to Leave Behind, one can see Namita's decisive and unyielding personality who is ready to leave many things behind, in her fascinating journey towards progress. In Paro, the protagonist of the novel Paro: Dreams of Passion, she emerges as a feminist through her non-conformity to any kind of bondage whatsoever.