Abstract

Anita Desai has incorporated novel elements into her writing, such as the study of human behavior. She is endowed with psychological insight and frequently looks within the mind rather than just presenting the world's surface attractions; her unfailing reserve is the imaginative realm. Cry, the Peacock, Anita Desai's work, has been hailed as an innovator in the area of psychoanalytical realism. It explores Maya, the protagonist, and reveals her insecurities, anxiousness, and peculiar behaviour. She paints a picture of an unfamiliar, lonely, and painful world. Maya is characterized as a frantic figure whose coming tragedy is repeatedly and suggestively hinted at. This article aims to illustrate the conflict between realism and imagination.

Key words: Realism, Imagination, fantasy, Introspection, Introversion, and Psychological analysis