Table of Contents
In Custody Questions and Answers
Essay Type Questions with Answers
Q. 1. Significance of the title in “In Custody”.
Ans. Title is a very important part of a text. It gives an advanced idea about the whole text. So it should be very much suggestive and perfect. Now we can take an attempt to judge if the title of “In Custody” is appropriate or not.
The words, “In Custody” suggest such a place where a person or a subject is in security and has no possibility to be harmed.
Here, through the whole novel, we will see how the persons Nur and Deven, as well as Urdu language itself go to a place of security ,i.e, in custody.
At the very beginning of the novel, we notice that, though Deven Sharma, one of the important characters of the text, is a professor of Hindi language, he is highly passionate about the Urdu language. But the political society and his economic condition do not allow him to extend his knowledge about Urdu language.
Though he has a high social place for being a professor in Hindi language, he is psychologically displaced as he has no place of security to speak in his loving language, Urdu. He can’t practice Urdu language or Urdu culture. This sense of displacement turns him into identity crisis and alienation.
Home is not only a place to live. It is a place of security where one can do anything with their freedom. In this context, it can be said though Deven has a “home” with his wife and son, he is actually homeless. There is no assurance that there will not happen anything bad with him for practicing Urdu culture.
Equally, the character Nur, the representative of the class who love or use this language by birth, as well p, the representative of this language is displaced. Nur’s physically as well as economically piteous condition indicates symbolically the destructive condition of this language as well as the culture.
In spite of being one of the greatest poet of Urdu literature, his place and identity are in crisis as now he can’t continue his writing. Even, perhaps, he can’t celebrate their customs. At this point, he is definitely displaced and alienated.
The history of their root and their “culture ” are on the path of destruction. Though Nur lives with his wives at a “home”, he can’t live freely. For this reason, when Deven comes to take an interview of him, Nur suspects him as a spy of the government. Nur feels alienated in his own home, too. In this context, Nur is “Homeless”.
After his failure of repeated attempts of interviewing Nur, Deven finally gets an opportunity. Safia Begum, Nur’s first wife, hires a room and help Nur to go out through the back door of their house, though she takes money from Deven for this. Though the recording session comes to an end with failure, all these make Deven feel that his relationship with Nur has been fruitful.
But at the end of this novel, we see that though the characters of Nur and Deven and the subject of Urdu language had no place of security, when Nur agrees for the interview to explore the memoirs and the most valuable essence of Urdu literature to Deven, not only the language goes to in custody, but also Nur can die with peace and free mind. At the end of this novel, Deven also gets his home as he feels himself highly responsible to be the protector of Nur’s creation and eventually of Urdu language and culture itself. He gets his very longing things to achieve his “home” and probably, he can achieve a source of earning. Even, primarily we see Deven can’t spend time with his family, but somehow this language, perhaps, helps him to feel the importance of family. In this context we can say that Deven gets his “home”,i.e, place of peace. So, to conclude, we can say that this title, “In Custody” is suggestive and perfect.
Q. 2. How does Anita Desai present Urdu language in “In Custody”?
Ans. When a language is devoured and destroyed eventually by the more dominant language, the linguistic colonisation takes place. To carry on the repressive and oppressive colonial regime, the colonisation of the Mind is the most important thing and this is accomplished with the successful colonisation of the language. Language is the carrier of culture to put it after Ngugi wa Thiongo in Decolonising the Mind. Therefore, to destroy a community for ever, colonising the language of that community becomes the sole purpose of coloniser.
In post-partition and post-independent India, colonialism remained dominant though. The novel “In Custody” is set in post-colonial period. It is published on 8th October, 1984.
The colonisation of Urdu language by Hindi language and its subsequent piteous condition is the main issue in this novel.
The writer Anita Desai points out the original position of Urdu language through the character Nur (the representative of whole class of the lover of Urdu language) and Deven Sharma.
The Urdu language itself is homeless. The worshippers of Hindi language are desperate to destroy its existence. This language is not secure as the linguistic colonisers are ready to destroy this language as well as this culture.
This language has no particular place. It is displaced by the Hindi culture. We all know that a language represents one’s culture. For this reason, through the destruction of this language, the complete culture and history of their root are in the way of destruction.
Anita Desai draws the character Nur very significantly to express its original position in society.His pity condition actually indicates the pity condition of Urdu language. Even as Nur’s wife plans to kill him, equally the government is ready to destroy this language. Nobody is allowed to use and practice this language and customs that is shown through the character of Deven Sharma.
But ultimately, probably the Urdu language gets its deserved position when Nur agrees for the interview to expose the living memoirs of Urdu language and literature in particular, and Deven feels the responsibility to be the protector of the every documents, the life and essence of Urdu language and Urdu speaking community.
Q. 3. Comment on the character of Deven Sharma .
Ans. Characterisation is a very important part of literature. A perfect character not only expresses the theme of writing but also he/she reveals the mentality of the writer towards the text.
Through the character, Deven Sharma, Anita Desai not only points out the position of Urdu language and Urdu culture but also through this character, she shows the mental and social position of the people who love or try to practice this language.
Though Deven Sharma is established as a professor of Hindi language, his place is in crisis as if he practices Urdu language, he will loose his position as the professor. On the other hand, he is psychologically displaced as he can’t spend his life with his own willing. He is not psychologically pleased or secure. Urdu language is his love, but there is no assurance that if he practices this language, he will not be harmed. In this context, this character is psychologically displaced.
Despite having home with his wife and son, actually he is “Homeless” because he is not psychologically secure there. Home is there where a man can do whatever they want and can spend their life happily. But in case of Deven Sharma, he can’t practice his passionate Urdu language, even we see that primarily he could not spend his time with his family. He can’t give materialistic things that his wife, Sarala wants. His identity as a free human being as well as a successful husband is in crisis.
At the end of this novel, we see that through getting the documents of Urdu literature written by Nur from Nur, when Nur agrees for the interview, his identity goes to a secure place.
Probably, through getting these, he will be able to realize the meaning of his living and existence which is even indicated in the novel and eventually his economic condition may be improved to be able to fulfil his wife’s desires. Even it can be said that the Urdu language also gets a secure place, i.e., a “custody”.
So, to conclude, it can be said that Anita Desai draws the character of Deven very significantly and perfectly.
Q. 4. Comment on the character of Nur in “In Custody”
Ans. Characterisation is a very important part in literature. A successful character makes a writing more and more interesting and meaningful. In this novel, “In Custody”, Nur is one of the main character.
Nur not only is the representative of the whole class of people who love and belong to Urdu language and Urdu culture, but also he himself is the figure of Urdu language.
Nur’s pitiful physical and economical condition stands for the pitiful and destructive condition of Urdu language.
In this text, as Nur’s wife plans to kill him, equally the pitiful security is Urdu culture.
Though Nur has an established place as a famous Urdu writer, but now, he is completely displaced. Now, he can’t expose his talent ‘pen’. He has no mental stability and psychological security. He can’t practice this language without fear. The history of , i.e., his identity are also in the path of destruction.
his root, his cultureIn spite of having “home”, Nur is psychologically “Homeless”. There is no physical and psychological security. We all know that “Home” is just not a place of living — it’s a place of security. But in case of Nur, in his so-called “Home”, his own wife plans to kill him for his remaining money and material. On the other hand, we see when Deven Sharma comes to him for his interview, Nur becomes tensed and suspects Deven as spy of government who tries to destroy this culture. So it can be said that he doesn’t feel safe with his documents of Urdu language, in his own home.
Nur is very much aware about the safety of his loving Urdu language Urdu culture. Therefore, he primarily doesn’t agree to reveal the documents to an unknown man but ultimately when he can feel that Deven is the right person to keep the documents of Urdu literature safely he agrees for the interview to expose the existential essence of Urdu language and literature in particular through his writings and memoirs to Deven.
Probably, through the character Nur, Urdu language gets a secured position. It goes in “Custody”.
Q. 5. Show how people in post-modern India went through existential crisis through the degradation of friendship in In Custody.
Ans. Focusing on the hollow friendship between Deven and Murad and Murad’s self-centred capitalistic attitude to make profit by making Deven, his friend a scapegoat, Anita Desai, the author, has shown the existential crisis and absurd living through which people had gone through in post-partition and post-modern Indian society. In the explosive communal atmosphere where linguistic colonisation began to devour the existence of Urdu community by colonising its culture, only the perfect friendship among people might have brought solace and meaning in the absurd living. In the name of friendship, betrayal is continued. Instead of saving Deven from his impending danger, he capitalises Deven’s soul-felt desire to practice and meet Nur, the legendary Urdu poet, and convinces Nur to go to Nur to get an interview for Murad’s newspaper that will brought profit for Murad.
He projects himself as a great lover of Urdu language and culture and as someone who has madden desire to work hard for the recovery of Urdu language though he is opposite completely to his superficial projection.
He capitalizes Deven’s weakness for Urdu language by visiting the college where Deven works as a lecturer in the department of Hindi and sends him without giving money and the address of Nur.
When Deven fails to record the important interview session with Nur, Murad put all blame on Deven and paid not a single penny to Deven though Deven falls in the trap of financial debt in his effort to have an interview with Nur. Murad assists Deven
neither when Deven went to Nur for the interview recording of Murad for the benefit of Murad’s newspaper namely Awaaz nor after his failure to record the interview session.
, Murad has betrayed Deven also as he asked Deven to write book reviews on various Urdu writings without paying. But a little trace
Even earlier of heart felt friendship can be seen between Siddique, the lecturer in Urdu department and Deven, though not sufficient enough to recover Deven from his homeless and displaced condition in post-modern India.
The establishment of ideal friendship is seen, at the end of the novel, when Deven appears to be the custodian of his writings and eventually appears to be a great friend of Nur and Urdu language metaphorically as probably Nur will, probably, send all of his writings on Urdu literature in custody of Deven. Thus, Deven appears to be the real friend which people need most in post-modern India. To conclude, it can be said that Both Deven and Murad represent a whole class of people in the post-modern Indian society and through them, Anita Desai has shown the degradation of humanity and friendship that led people to go through identity crisis and existential crisis.
Q. 6. How does Anita Desai represent the existential dilemma in the post-partition Indian societies?
Ans. Anita Desai in In Custody has realistically portrayed the homeless and displaced and unbelonging condition of people in post-partition and post-modern Indian society with the desciption of linguistic colonisation, communal intolerance, all devouring capitalistic attitude, and suppression of voice which forced people to go through existential crisis.
She presents the existential crisis of people in post-modern Indian society by describing the lived reality of Deven Sharma, Nur, Sarla, Murad, Imtiaz begum and Siddique.
When people don’t find the meaning and purpose of their living they begin to go through existential crisis. The homeless, and displaced conditions lead people to existential crisis.
Communal intolerance and bloody rivalry between Hindu and Mohammedan community were the lived reality in post-partition India and it gets continued even in 1980s or 90s Indian society also.
The linguistic colonisation compelled Urdu speaking community and Urdu language to go through identity crisis facing existential crisis. Under the colonial dominance of Hindi language and Hindi speaking community, the Urdu went at the verge of oblivion for ever. The condition of Urdu language and Urdu speaking community is represented through the character of Nur whose unhealthy and disordered life style and chaotic description of house symbolically present the deadly conditions of Urdu language. They couldn’t practice their cultural activities with homely atmosphere. The surveillance gets continued over Urdu language and Urdu speaking community. In the university, Deven gets threatened to loose his job for shoeing his
passion and love for Urdu literature. The destructive condition of this language gets symbolically expressed with the deplorable condition of Urdu department in the college where Siddique is the lecturer of the said department. people goes through existential
Apart from Urdu language, Deven, as a common crisis because despite being passionate about Urdu language, he failed to study with Urdu language due to the socio-economic and political pressure on him. A language became the identity of a particular religion making it unavailable to the people belonging to other religion in post-partition India. Deven was forced to choose Hindi language Deven could not follow what he desires. It makes him psychologically homeless and alienated and displaced.
sarla couldn’t get whatever materialist things she desired in economic and political absurd situations make conjugal relationship a living hell. Even Imtiaz Begum went through her existential crisis for her aspirations. To conclude, it can be said through description of lived reality of characters, Anita crisis of people in post-modern Indian society.
Q.7. How did Deven become the custodian in Anita Desai’s In Custody.?
Ans. Custodian is someone who keeps something safe under his his constant effort, taking risks of losing jobs, to conduct the interview of Nur, and make a documentary to recover Urdu language from the course of oblivion, Deven appears to be a true custodian in In Custody. The novel “In Custody” comes to an end with the assumption that Nur, probably, will send his Urdu writings, the last surviving essence of Urdu literature and Urdu language, to Deven to keep this language safe by making Deven the custodian of Urdu language.
Despite having passionate craving for Urdu literature and languagefulfil his dream of making a career on Urdu literature due to the repressive socioeconomic and political aspects in post-modern India where linguistic colonisation aimed destruction of Urdu language and the whole community eventually.
at the When Murad offers Deven to take an interview of Nur, Deven passionately accepted it and lending money in lien, reached the house of Nur with the enlightened excitement of meeting his idol. Meeting Deven, Nur doubted Deven to be a spy of Hindi speaking community and has been sent by the Hindi speaking coloniser. Nur’s thinking of Deven as spy shows the homeless and terror-stricken condition of Urdu language and Urdu speaking community.
The Urdu speaking people, under the repressive apparatuses, couldn’t practice their cultural activities. Ngugi Wa Thiongo says in “Decolonising the Mind” that language is the carrier of culture. Language keeps the survival of community intact. If one’s language is destroyed, the whole community is destroyed which was happening in post-partition and post-modern India. Anita Desai presents this reality in In Custody. Under the colonial influence of Hindi language and Hindi speaking community, the Urdu language gets destroyed. In this destructive situation of Urdu language.
He visits Nur for the second time even after his disappointed experience in the first time. Out of his passionate love for Urdu language and literature, he takes money in lien from the college though he knew that he might have to loose his job if he fails. He even decides to bribe the first wife of Nur to conduct an interview so that he can make a documentary on Urdu language that will help him to keep its survival intact. Despite not having financial support from Murad, and psychological support from the college, Deven didn’t give up and went on trying to make the documentary by taking interview of Nur.
At the end, though Deven fails to record the interview session perfectly, and he was left with the burden of financial debts and the fear of loosing job, he felt some solace in him. Though it’s not mentioned in the novel, it can be assumed well that probably Nur will send his writings to Deven whom he believes to be the safe custodian of Urdu language that will carry the Urdu cult to put it after Ngugi wa Thiongo.
8 . Comment on the Magazine published by Murad.
Ans. Anita Desai ironically named the magazine published by Murad as “Awaaz”. Awaaz signifies raising voice against injustice and oppression. Awaaz speaks for the down trodden and subalterns. It gives birth to the formation of united group to protest the oppressors with the purpose of liberating subaltern people.
Murad is such kind of a character whose attitude is capitalistic. He is self-centred and wants to gain profit by hook or crook. He superficially projects himself as a great lover of Urdu language and culture. He wears a mask by pretending to be a great worshipper of Urdu language. He pretends to show how heart-broken he is to see the deplorable condition of Urdu language and will be very happy if anything constructive happens to recover this language from the course of oblivion. His naming the newspaper as Awaaz is his effort to make this magazine popular among people so that he can make profit.
In the context of post-partition India where communal intolerance and colonial attitude of the Hindi speaking community aided by the government to destroy the Urdu language, this particular magazine could have become a strong media to expose the brutality and totalitarian attitude of the Hindi speaking people. But what it becomes is opposite. Murad aims at earning money by making his magazine as medium. He doesn’t intend to Awaaz the hellish lived reality of people in post-modern Indian society.
Anita Desai uses Murad as the representative of all those people in the postmodern India whose target was to make profit by becoming a chameleon like figure. Anita Desai becomes critical with those newspapers which aimed to make profit instead of exposing the various aspects which forced people to go through existential crisis.
The magazine of Murad, Awaaz, must have exposed the socio-economic and political aspects which made people feel like homeless, displaced, and belonging to nowhere even in their birth place. Bit Murad didn’t do anything of that sort.
To conclude, it can be said that Anita Desai has ironically named the magazine as “Awaaz” edited by Murad to expose the capitalistic attitude of profit makers and to criticize the various magazines which didn’t do their duty as strong medium in postpartition India.
Q. 9. Analysis the character Murad.
Ans. In “In Custody” by Anita Desai, Murad represents every post modern human being with capitalistic attitude in post partial India. According to the storyline of this novel, though Murad seems a childhood friend of Deven, he is actually his fake friend who always puts Deven in trouble.
‘Murad’ means heart’s desire. Anita Desai denotes his name significantly as his heart desires for cheating others to fulfil his own interests, wasting money for immoral deeds etc.
It is expected that an ideal citizen would love his language, root,culture tradition. Therefore, probably, this name is ironical. Though Murad shows that his heart desires for worship the Urdu language which carries their root and culture, it is opposite of it. He pretends so to satisfy his own interests.
actually Murad is presented as an immoral human being. Since his childhood days in school he cheats and humiliates Deven in various ways. Later, he never pays Deven for He wastes his money for films and cigarettes.
There is lack of loyalty to friendship in Murad. He uses Deven as a machine to fulfil his immoral desires but never pays even a single penny in return of his (Deven) labour. It indicates that love and trust on friendship in in crisis in Post modern era. Corruption regarding relationship is running throughout Post partial India. Our identity and existence are in crisis as nobody can be trusted around us.
Though he pretends to be an unconditional lover of Urdu language, actually he uses this language only to make profits which is unexpected from an ideal citizen. Being a great manipulator Murad convinces Deven to record an interview of Nur which would bring more and more capital to Murad.
He is a spoil child who belongs in a rich family. His father abandons him for his immoral nature like spending lot of money for films and cigarettes.
Anita Desai draws this character as a wicker and deceiver. We see that he never pays for the book reviews by Deven for his magazine “Awaaz”. Even he blames Deven when Deven fails to record the interview session of Nur, the holder and carrier of this language, as well as of our culture and root.
Despite the dark shadow by him in Deven’s life, he becomes an indirect cause to change the life of Deven. Murad’s self centred attitude becomes a blessing to him. His Deven, an capitalistic attitude brings an opportunity to Deven of interviewing Nur insignificant human being in Mirpur becomes a custodian of Urdu language at the end.
Q. 10. How does Anita Desai present linguistic colonisation in In Custody?
Ans. How linguistic colonisation can make the culture and existence of a particular community endangered by colonising a the language of that particular community can be understood well by reading In Custody by Anita Desai. Anita Desai has presented the endangered condition of Urdu language by the colonisation of Hindi language in post-partition Indian society.
The language is the career of culture to put it after Ngugi wa Thiongo in Decolonising the Mind, Culture keeps the existence of that particular community intact by practicing the traditional dress codes, festivals, food habits, folk tales, mannerisms and way of expressions. Language, therefore, is the most important factor to keep the existence of that particular community alive. But what Desai indicates in In Custody is the emendous difficulties the Urdu speaking community has to face to practise their cultural activities.
If a language is colonised, it loses its essence and eventually is destroyed along with the identity of that speaking community few generation after.
The same thing was happening in post-partition India where the Urdu language and literature were going through the course of oblivion. The colonial Hindi language begins to oppress the Urdu language by giving a fatal blow to its cultural practices.
The indication of repressive ways the government was applying to destroy this living community can be traced by Nur’s considering Deven as spy who has been sent to Nur to destroy the last surviving essence of Urdu language.
Urdu language symbolises the Urdu culture and the whole Urdu speaking community. The deplorable condition of the house where Nur, the legendary Urdu lives stands for the deplorable condition of the Urdu language and community poet, itself.
How Urdu language has been marginalized can be well understood from the condition and acceptability of the Urdu department in the college where Siddiqui is a lecturer of Urdu language and literature.
Despite having passionate love for Urdu language, Deven has been forced to pursue a career on Hindi language. In post-partition India, language becomes associated with the identity of a particular religion. Deven, probably, being a Hindu had to face socioeconomic and political barriers to pursue Urdu language. Urdu language, probably, becomes associated with the identity of mohammedans. Due the communal intolerance, the Urdu language had to go through fatal blows.
For having passion for Urdu language and literature, even, the college authority threatens Deven to lose his jobs. This perfectly presents the endangered condition of Urdu language in post-partition India.
Murad’s attitude to capitalize the endangered condition of Urdu language to make profit also shows the deplorable condition of this language.
Desai in In Custody has used Nur as the epitome of Urdu language. Similarly, through Nur’s deplorable condition, Anita Desai symbolically shows the deadly condition of this language.
The novel comes to an end with Deven’s failure to record the essential part of Nur’s interview that indicates the marching of Urdu language one step more towards destruction. But it can be assumed that Nur, probably, will send his poems to Deven to keep under Deven’s safe custody so that this language and the community survive.
Q. 11. Comment on the setting of In Custody.
Ans. Setting for the exception. thematic concern of that particular novel. In Custody by Anita Desai is no Setting may be any significant historical time period or any fictional place. Anita Desai sets “In Custody” in post-partition and post-modern India. This setting of postpartition India in post-colonial Indian society helps the novelist to present the various socio-economic and political factors which forced people to go through existential crisis and identity crisis by making them feeling homeless, displaced and belonging to nowhere.
In post-partition India, the communal intolerance and riots become dominant making the culture and language of a particular religious community endangered. Anita Desai in “In Custody”, presents the evil impact of linguistic colonisation where Hindi language and Hindi speaking community aided by the government made the existence of the Urdu language and culture endangered. The setting in the post-partition India, therefore, becomes perfect as it focuses on this issues of linguistic colonisation and its subsequent impact on people from different religious section and linguistic community to make them feel homeless and alienated.
The novelist presents the setting of Nur’s house symbolically. She presents Nur as the legendary Urdu poet, as the epitome of Urdu language and literature. The deplorable and displaced condition of Nur’s house signifies the displaced condition and existential crisis of Urdu language itself. The deplorable home of Nur along with the plotting of killing him by his second wife, Imtiaz Begum, signifies the endangered condition of Urdu speaking community.
Not only the Urdu language, rather the communal intolerance and labelling the language as the identity of a particular religion in post-partition India deprived people from pursuing their preferred language and literature. It happens in case of Deven, the central character in the novel. The setting of Deven’s working place at Mirpur also significant.
For belonging to Hindu religion, socio-economic and political pressures, probably, prevented Deven from pursuing his career on Urdu language. He was forced to chose Hindi language though his love was for Urdu language.
In post-partition India, Urdu language becomes marginalized that shows the marginalized condition of Urdu speaking community also. This is presented by the setting and marginalized condition of Urdu department in the college at Mirpur where Siddiqui works as lecturer.
In this novel, Deven, Nur, and Siddiqui stand for a particular class of people in post-partition India in which this novel is set.
The setting of Mirpur where Deven, Murad, and Siddique stays and of Delhi where Nur lives is equally significant because it shows the existential crisis of people irrespective of their place.
Thus, to conclude, it can be said that the setting of In Custody is extremely significant as it strengthens the thematic concern of the novel.
12. Portray the character of Sarla.
Ans Sarla is the wife of Deven and the mother of his son, Manu. She represents every post modern human being who doesn’t get everything what they craves for. Sarla belongs into a dreamy world. She wishes to lead a luxurious life with “a phone, a frigidaire” which proves her as too much materialistic in nature.
Sarla becomes displaced and homeless as she cannot have her desired things to enjoy her life in the way she wants. Her identity as Deven’s wife falls in crisis as her husband doesn’t discuss anything with her which is expected in an ideal conjugal relationship. She starts to feel herself alienated.
Her immature nature exposes to us when we notice that she is not aware of the harsh reality – rather she creates a dreamy land around her. She dreams of colorful cinematic life forgetting reality.
She is not a perfect wife. Therefore, she never tries to feel the mind of her husband Deven. She never tries to feel the problems of her husband.
Even, situation makes her an enemy of Deven. She starts to become happy if Deven falls in trouble.
She confesses that she is not happy in her married life with Deven as it destroys her dreams regarding her luxurious life. She is a victim of patriarchy. Probably, nobody had asked her consent regarding her marriage.
She stands for mechanical human beings devoid of emotions.
She is an quarrelsome as quarrels with neighbours without any strong reason. It explores her psychological alienated and disturbed condition.
Being a loving and affectionate mother she fights with her husband, Deven when he behaves rudely with her son, Manu. She has the sense responsibility for family.
Through the characters of Deven and Sarla, Anita DeshaLi shows how the conjugal relationship is in crisis due to lack of understanding in post modern era. There is lack of emotion, love and faith.
Q. 13. Draw the character of Imtiaz begum.
Ans. Imtiaz begum who primarily was a prostitute, is the second wife of Nur who marries her falling in love with her intellect.
Begum means queen who is the controlling figure. Probably, her name is ironical as she never could control even her own life under patriarchal oppression. On the other hand, probably, Anita Desaii denotes this name significantly. Imtiaz begum becomes the ruler of her family and the controlling figure in the life of her husband. She destroys the patriarchal boundaries constructed for women and tries to enter in public sphere writing poetry.
She becomes homeless when as she never get her deserved honour for writing poetry.
She is a manipulative and cold like character who never loses her temper easily. This nature of her breaks the concept of patriarchal society who seems women as quarrellers.
She is not submissive to her husband in particular and under patriarchal in general. Breaking the boundaries constructed by patriarchy for women, she tries to enter in the field of writing which is completely male dominated, going beyond the domestic sphere. She becomes the controller of the family and the decision maker of the life of her husband. Therefore, she decides who would be permitted to take interview of great Urdu poet, Nur.
writing Imtiaz begum herself is very much confident regarding her knowledge Urdu poetry. So, at almost end of this novel we can see that she challenges Deven, patriarchal figure, that the quality of her writing is equal with the writings by males. She raises her voice to get equal judgement and treatment of her writings as the writings by males are judged.
She is undoubtedly creative in the field of writing Urdu poetries. She her individuality by becoming a great Urdu poet.
establish She becomes not only her own agency but also the agency on behalf of every woman to present feminine sensibility.
She demands her own autonomy to enter public sphere going beyond servicing home and nurturing children.
She challenges gender stereotyping and gender normativity. Therefore, she tries to establish herself in a male dominated field, i.e., writing poetry.
Probably, she is jealous of Nur’s popularity as she doesn’t get the same fame though she deserves it. For this reason, she doesn’t not permit the men to take interviews of Nur. It somehow indicates her villainous attitude.
******************************
RAED MORE…
An Introduction by Kamala Das Summary
An Introduction by Kamala Das Questions and Answers
THE INTRUSION QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
THE INTRUSION SUMMARY BY SHASHI DESHPANDE
THE GHOSTS OF MRS GANDHI QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS