Marriage as Social Status of Women in the Selected Short Stories of Ismat Chugtai

The writings of Ismat Chugtai are always fearless. She is the writer par excellence. For her writing is always a medium to challenge and question the social issues which are prevalent in Indian society. She always raised voice against the orthodox norms of the society. She boldly talks about the issues which are hushed by the society. In her writings she always highlighted the problems faced by women in patriarchal society. Her works highlight how a woman is marginalised in society. There is always an unequal distribution of power at various levels whether social, political and economic. In her story Chauthi ka Jora (The Wedding Shroud) she has highlighted about marriage, dowry and other patriarchal notions. She describes that in patriarchal society marriage is the ultimate destiny for woman in society. The Veil (Ghoonghat) is another story which tells about how the patriarchal notions are deeply rooted in the society that it is very difficult for a woman to escape from it. Even women do not have their own identity and they are always utilized to fulfil the desires of others.