New Trends in Contemporary Literature in the Select Works of Anita Desai

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Spoorthy S. Fernandes
Bhuvana Ramachandran

Abstract

Anita Desai’s fiction marks a pivotal shift in Indian English literature, transitioning from traditional social realism to profound psychological introspection. Through a textual analysis of Cry, the Peacock, Voices in the City, and Clear Light of Day, the research highlights her use of fragmented narratives, non-linear time, and interior monologues to articulate complex female consciousness. These works depict the intense alienation and emotional isolation inherent in modern domestic and urban life, prioritizing subjective experience over external action. Ultimately, Desai’s validation of the “inner climate” establishes her as a significant architect of contemporary narrative trends and feminist sensitivity.

Article Details

Section

Research Articles

Author Biographies

Spoorthy S. Fernandes

Research Scholar, Department of Social Sciences and Humanities, Srinivas University, Mangalore, Karnataka, India.

Bhuvana Ramachandran

Assistant Professor, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial College, Kunjibettu, Udupi.

References

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Desai, A. (1963). Cry, the Peacock. Orient Paperbacks.

Desai, A. (1965). Voices in the City. Orient Paperbacks.

Desai, A. (1980). Clear Light of Day. Orient Paperbacks.

Mann, H. S. (1995). “‘Going to the Opposite Direction’: Feminine Recusancy in Anita Desai’s Voices in the City.” Postcolonial Literatures (1st ed) (M. Parker & R. Starkey, Eds.). Macmillan. pp. 155-75.

Narasimhaiah, C. D. (2002). Essays in criticism: Indian English literature. Sterling.

Prasad, A. N. (2010). New lights on Indian women novelists in English. Sarup.

Rao, K. R. S. (1976). Perspectives on Indian fiction in English. Abhinav.

Sharma, R. S. (1998). The feminist vision of Anita Desai. Creative Books.