Urmila Pawar's The Weave of My Life: A Narrative of Protest

Abstract

A Dalit woman is a traumatised figure who is subjected to physical violence and verbal abuse. The rigid caste system along with other social restrictions make her survival extremely difficult and painful. As a girl child she is always on the receiving end because she neither gets nutrition nor priority. As a woman she is expected to perform her chores and manage the entire household in an unquestioning manner. This has been her sorry plight. However individuals like Urmila Pawar have managed to break these adamantine shackles of caste system and various social evils that continue to plague women in every sphere. This paper attempts to read the Dalit memoir The Weave of My Life as a narrative of protest by showcasing Urmila Pawar’s struggle against a society that still remains hostile to woman and her basic rights. As a protagonist, we find her strong, modern and consistent in whatever she does to improve the beleaguered status of a Dalit woman who continues to suffer under the shadow of caste, patriarchy and other unscientific traditions that constantly jeopardise her existence.

Keywords: Violence, abuse, caste, protest, patriarchy