Hegemonic masculinity maintains men's social dominance, whereas accentuated femininity highlights women's subordination. Historically, women have been seen as second class citizens. Anytime the term "Feminist" has been used, a storm has ensued. The purpose of this study is to analyze the ways in which the female gender is relegated to a secondary role in the books The Dark Room (1938) and Lamps in the Whirlpool (1997) by R. K. Narayan and R. K. Krishnan, respectively. The books' main characters, usually women, are portrayed as underdogs fighting for survival. This article will analyze the representations of masculinity and femininity in the two books. Author R. K. Narayan aimed to free oppressed women from male slavery in his writings by creating a new legal framework. In this research, we examine how his female characters challenge prevalent ideas about women in Indian society and construct new identities that recognize them as whole human beings.
Key words: The Dark Room, R. K. Narayan, Hegemonic masculinity.
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