The rift within : conflicts within the mother-daughter relationship in Indo-English fictional works by selected women authors from 1970 to 2000

Abstract

This thesis researches the fictional portrayals of the conflicts, active and present in mother-daughter relationships, in the works of Indian women authors in English, within the last three decades. A brief socio-historical study of urban Indian women from the onset of the 20th century backgrounds the theoretical framework of the relevant discourses foregrounding the analysis of the fictional narratives. The critical tools of feminist psychoanalysis and postcolonial literary theory have been used to analyse the novels and delve into the underlying causes of the interpersonal conflicts and tensions between women. This study does not attempt to claim that fiction mirrors reality; but it does assert that the authors incorporate within the texts certain elements of the prevalent socio-cultural discourses as well as traces of past historical and present political evolutions. The research concludes that within the fictional context, generational and inter-familial tensions and conflicts between women could be resolved and reduced to a great extent, if the women are liberated from the constant pressure of having to function within the dictates of the Indian patriarchal traditions.