Abstract

The Dark Holds No Terror by Shashi Deshpande presents a true image of the state of women in traditional Indian households. The novel has a variety of women characters and shows their sufferings and subjugations for being women in our society. Deshpande’s The Dark Holds No Terror also attempts to highlight male chauvinism that propels men to refuse a subservient position in a marital relationship. The novel narrates the traumatic experience of Sarita (Saru), who enjoys a higher socio-economic status than her husband Manohar (Manu) with Manu resorting to marital rape and sexual exploitation to counter his inferiority complex. Saru has love from none in the novel. Manu, whose advances were once irresistible to her, behaved like a wild beast and she had to bear the violence of her estranged husband night after night. She also had a bitter relationship with her mother that made her childhood hellish. Words from her mother made indelible cuts in her heart, which bled throughout her life. Towards the end of the novel, Saru tries to recollect her shattered pieces of life and compromises with the situations that tormented her the most. This study aims to highlight the quest and assertion of identities of the characters of The Dark Holds No Terror. It also aims to emphasize the man-woman relationship in our societies and Saru’s hope of resettlement in the novel.

Key words: Sufferings, identity, marital rape, relationship, assertion.