Negotiating self and society: Gender, culture, and colonial legacy in selected novels of Anita Desai

The present study, “Negotiating Self and Society: Gender, Culture, and Colonial Legacy in Selected Novels of Anita Desai,” explores the complex representation of women’s identity within the socio-cultural and postcolonial framework of modern India. As one of the most prominent voices in Indian English literature, Anita Desai intricately portrays the psychological and emotional landscapes of women who struggle between personal aspirations and societal expectations. This research examines selected novels to analyze how female protagonists negotiate patriarchal structures, cultural traditions, and the lingering impact of colonial ideology. The study adopts a postcolonial feminist approach to investigate themes of alienation, identity crisis, cultural displacement, and resistance. Desai’s women characters often inhabit confined domestic spaces, yet their inner consciousness reflects a subtle form of rebellion against oppressive norms. Through psychological realism and symbolic narrative techniques, Desai presents the silent suffering, fragmented identities, and evolving selfhood of women caught between tradition and modernity. The colonial legacy further complicates this negotiation, influencing social hierarchies, gender roles, and perceptions of self. By situating Desai’s fiction within postcolonial discourse, this paper argues that her novels reveal not only personal conflicts but also broader socio-historical tensions embedded in Indian society. The research ultimately highlights how Desai redefines female subjectivity and agency in a transitional cultural landscape, offering a nuanced critique of patriarchy and postcolonial modernity.