Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)

A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.5.Issue 2. 2017

http://www.rjelal.com; (April-June)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)

RESEARCH ARTICLE

MARITAL DISCARD IN NAYANTARA SAHGAL’S THE DAY IN SHADOW

SUDHA.P*1, Dr.S.SELVALAKSHMI2
1
Ph.D. Research Scholar, Karpagam University, Karpagam Academy of Higher Education, Coimbatore.
2
Assistant Professor, Department of English, Karpagam University, Karpagam Academy of Higher
Education, Coimbatore
*[email protected]

ABSTRACT
Nayantara Sahgal is one of the leading pioneers of Indo-Anglican Literature,the daughter
Vijayalakshmi Pandit is a novelist of politics. She is known as a successful political
columnist for different newspapers. Her writing is generally characterized by simplicity
and boldness. Sahgal has raised some basic problems pertaining to personal
relationship, and her portrayal of politics is just a part of her humanistic concern
because it reveals her deep insight into human psyche in all her novels. Sahgal has
emphasized the need of understanding the individual existence of others through the
exercise of love and freedom. This paper aims at analyzing Sahgal’s portrayal of
temperamental incompatibility in marriage leads to marital disharmony in her novel The
Day in Shadow.
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INTRODUCTION in her fictions to strike upward mobility by

Nayantara Sahgal’s growing reputation as a educating, asserting, and by gaining economic
notable Indian English writer solidly rests on her independence themselves, Jasbir Jain observes; “In
nine novels and eight non-fictions.Sahgal attempts almost every novel, Nayantara has a central woman
to project a nation’s consciousness through the character that gradually moves towards an
fragmentary consciousness of an individual. awareness of her emotional needs….” (Bai,K Meera
Her superb mastery of the medium of 22).
communication enables her to evoke not only the Title of the novel
surficial expressions of the ‘outer reality,but also the The title of the novel is a metaphor taken
subtle perceptions of the inner reality in to-day’s from the famous speech of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s
India.Her fecund imagination combines with her first Prime Minister, on the eve of the dawn of
intellectual resources in transforming her fiction into India’s Independence;
a faithful vehicle of individual and national I do feel…there is a magic in the moment of
sensibility. Sahgal’s literary sensibility achieves a transition from
satisfying novelistic quality in producing socially and The old to the new, something of that
magic which one sees
politically significant fiction.
When the night turns into day, and even
The novel, The Day in Shadow, deals with a though the day may be a cloudy one, it is
protest against the restrictions imposed on women. day after all…(pp.149-150)
The novelist, Sahgal portrays the women character

125 SUDHA.P, Dr.S.SELVALAKSHMI

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.5.Issue 2. 2017
http://www.rjelal.com; (April-June)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)

Theme of the novel compromise with him because she wants to lead a
The novel, represents the story of Delhi on peaceful life with Som.But she is not ready to lose
the threshold of unseen changes and a new breed of her individuality. However,the marital relationship
politicians far removed from the compassionating lacks in emotional, intensity and disharmony. More
attitude and approaches to life practiced by than marital prosperity, Simrit respects the certain
Gandhi.It is the story of Simrit, a daring lady who got values of life. But for Som, never loses a fair chance
divorced from her cruel male dominated husband, of making money.
Som, and she finds a new life with Raj, a staunch Simrit realizes that talk is the missing link in
believer in Christianity.Her marriage to a business her relationship with Som and tries in vain to engage
man against the will of her Brahmin parents has him in any meaningful dialogueShe is isolated and
fallen on rocks owing to the boorish character of ignored like a piece of furniture but used for physical
Som,her domineering and insensitive husband comfort whenever needed by Som. Som considers
whose sole for existence is money and success and physical intimacy as common activity that tends to
the power and glory that accompany them.. Simrit is satiate as far as his own self is concerned. It is not
different from other women. Simrit is a woman of physical incompatibility instead of the
inner strength. The relationship carries no sense of temperamental incompatibility which makes Simrit
partnership for her financial independence and her to break the bond with Som.
self-identity. Simrit has no other way than divorce.
Characters of the novel R.K.Dhawan makes pointed remarks,
The universe of discourse,characteristic of a “What forces Simrit]to rebel against the
Sahgal novel,presents to us a symbolic cross-section conventional security ofMarriage is her
of the Indian nationality. The novel is not only turn yearning for a free communication of ideas
With her husband…”(R.K.Dhawan 168)
around the character of Simrit but also Pixie, the
young widow, who is forced to Sumer Singh’s sexual Simrit is not happy even after divorce. Simrit ,who
exploitation and Shaila the former girlfriend of made a separate peace as a way-out of the violation
Raj,who does not remain in marital bondage with of her self-respect,opts for the divorce and
Raj because of some personal pressure between innocently signs on the dotted line of the “consent
them. The other characters who play powerful terms”-a document which Som intends as an
games throughout the novel are Sumer Singh, attractive noose around her neck.The release is thus
Brij,the sixteen-year old son of Som and Simrit,and a not joyful but dismal,for,it makes her an economical
chip of the old block after his father,Sardar Sahib,the wreck with a bleak outlook for the next nine
Senior Minister,aged and ailing in the Hospital and years.Lack of understanding and inability to strike a
Lalli and Vetter,the business partners of Som for sympathetic chord with each other leads Simrit to
some time. divorce from Som.After getting divorce from her
Sahgal brings into sharp focus the diversity husband; Simrit gains the friendship of Raj. His
of these human characters and enacts the variety of friendship helps her to come out of her shock.
their motives and mottoes in the drama of life in In the novel ,The Day in Shadow ,physical
New Delhi,the microcosm and nerve-centre of relationship is the carving of Som and the denial of
modern India. same on the part of Simrit is the cause of marital
Temperamental Incompatibility vs. Physical disharmony. There is no mutual understanding
Incompatibility between them. Som approaches Simrit for his
Simrit in The Day in Shadow is a scholarly physical needs. He has strong passions and strong
and independent woman. But she chooses her sexual desires. Although it is usual with middle aged
husband who does not consider her ideas and men, he begins to suspect her sexual powers and
feelings, she expects her husband to share her looks for reassurance from his wife.Simrit always
feelings both as a husband and a friend. She has no longed for for the experience of
ego problem with Som.She tries to adjust and

126 SUDHA.P, Dr.S.SELVALAKSHMI

Research Journal of English Language and Literature (RJELAL)
A Peer Reviewed (Refereed) International Journal Vol.5.Issue 2. 2017
http://www.rjelal.com; (April-June)
Email:[email protected] ISSN:2395-2636 (P); 2321-3108(O)

intensity,depth,devotion and partnership in Rao, A.V.Krishna. “Nayantara Sahgal: A Study of her

marriage but in vain. Hence, their marital life comes Fiction and Non-Fiction”, 1954-
to an end. 1974.Madras:M.Seshachalam Co.,1976.
Self-Identity and Call of new found love
To Simrit, the terms of divorce settlement
are harsh and involve heavy responsibility of taxes.
She overcomes all the misfortunes heaped on her by
Som and decides to lead a new life with Raj, who is a
Christian converted, a member of parliament and
not a conservative. Raj understands the enormity of
the consent terms and helps her to retain her lost
moorings, emotional as well as intellectual.He loves
Simrit,not as he did as a youth only to be
disappointed,but as a mature middle-aging
bachelor; for he discovers in Simrit the kind of
person that would soothe and sustain his restless
spiritHis quest for transquillity and fulfillment thus
culminates in his discovery of,and attachment
to,Simrit,the up-rooted mother of several children
but a woman of culture . Simrit finds a similar
sympathetic soul outside her marriage in Raj.
Conclusion
To sum up, Nayantara Sahgal’s marital
morality is revealed in her works is based on
honesty, mutual respect, consideration,
understanding and freedom. She attacks selfishness
and pretense that subsequently result in marital
discard. What Sahgal wants to emphasize in all her
novels is that physical relationship cannot stand for
permanent endurance unless buttressed by the
quiet understanding or friendship.
References
Arora, Neera. “Nayantara Sahgal and Doris
Lessing”, New Delhi.Prestige Books, 1991.
Bai, K.Meera, “The Concept of New Woman’s
Voices”. New Delhi.Prestige Books, 2000.
Jain, Jasbir, “The Aesthetics of Morality: Sexual
Relations in the novels of Nayantara
Sahgal”.The Journal of Indian writing in
English, 6 No.1 Jan, 1978.
Jha, Akhileswar, Modernization and the Hindu Socio
– Culture. Delhi: B.R.Publishing Corporation,
1978
Prasad ,Amarnath. “New Lights on Indian Women
Novelists”, Vol.1.New Delhi: Sarup and
Sons,2003.

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