GENDER ROLES AND IDENTITY IN GHACHAR GHOCHAR: AN ANALYSIS OF FEMALE CHARACTERS

Within the confines of Indian patriarchal society, women find themselves constrained to adopt the archetypal roles of submissive housewives, confined to the realms of childbearing and domestic tasks. Vivek Shanbhag's masterful work, "Ghachar Ghochar," artfully encapsulates this prevailing notion, employing his characters and narrative to shed light upon the clash between entrenched traditional values and the onslaught of modernity. Moreover, the novella delves into the moral degradation experienced by family members who, having stumbled upon sudden financial success, are gradually corroded by the insidious tendrils of unethical business practices and rampant corruption. This paper, in its present undertaking, aims to center on the insidious presence of domestic violence and patriarchal control that women within the novel must grapple with, perpetuated at the hands of their male patriarchs. Our societal constructs have long relegated women to the status of mere housewives, their lives meticulously designed solely for the purpose of childbearing and menial household chores, thereby robbing them of any semblance of personal agency or the opportunity to voice their own desires. It is imperative to explore the intricate subjugation of these women, their precarious positioning within both the domestic and external spheres, and the harrowing landscape of exploitation and oppression that they are unjustly subjected to.