Socialization and Gender Consciousness in Shashi Deshpande's Novels.

The word 'gender' zeroes-in on not only grammatical use but beyond its grammatical periphery. In the context of Shashi Deshpande's novels, it stresses on culturally imposed role on women as different from sex which is biologically determined. The novelist emphasises on the theme that gender as differentiated from sex, has nothing to do with biology; gender is a social and cultural construct. A creation of patriarchy, it serves the male flair for domination, and is not based on mutuality but on oppression. Shashi Deshpande's women have been daughters, wives, mothers and mistresses. These are the roles that demand different kinds of responses from women in the name of honour, dishonour, right, wrong, but always in the context of men's in lives. The writer portrays these mythical characters to the contemporary situation and probes into the sensitive, but untroden corners of their heart. The responses are amazing, as amazing as to expect a replay of the mythical 'perfect women' image today. She makes a sincere attempt at reinterpreting the meaning of different roles that a woman plays in life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]