Refiguring Singleness

The discussions surrounding the term "single" are mostly superficial, dating it back to patriarchy, the new feminist paradigm, diverse types of singlehood, and so on. This begs the question as to how the single lady is positioned in the modern Indian reality. The constrained gender constructions that can be found around serve as the foundation for common social understandings of what constitutes appropriate gendered behaviour in personal life; and hence regulate how gendered behaviour is held accountable. This paper attempts to approach singlehood as an unpartnered identity, the roots of which are inherently heteronormative and do not present an open-ended alternative.