Economic Status of Women in the Domestic Sphere: A Critical Study of Dollar Bahu

The present paper critically investigates the relationship between economic capital and women’s status within the domestic framework in Dollar Bahu by Sudha Murthy. Set against the socio-economic transformation of post-liberalization India, the novel reflects how foreign earnings and global mobility change hierarchies within the traditional Indian family. By examining the contrasting personalities of Jamuna and Vinuta, this study argues that while economic capital enhances symbolic authority, it does not automatically ensure emotional recognition or gender equality. Drawing upon feminist theory and sociological perspectives on capital and domestic labour, the paper demonstrates that Murthy critiques both patriarchal dependency and neoliberal materialism, ultimately advocating an ethical redefinition of empowerment within the family institution.