Author: Dr Mamta Bisht

Abstract: This paper examines the impact of familial love and relationships on the development of women's identities in Indian-Bengali families, as depicted in Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's novel Oleander Girl(2012). Similar to other feminist authors, she advocates for feminism through her literary contributions and social activism. Feminism has been dealing with different reasons for the marginalization of women in the patriarchal social structure, but to discuss the condition of women in the smallest unit of society, that is, the family, would throw light on the role of the family in the development, transformation and making of the personalities of women. Women in the world had to navigate society to find their place, but in country like India where family has a huge role to play the struggle starts at home. The research article primarily emphasizes the characteristics of Bengali individuals, given the novel's context of an Indian-Bengali family.

Keywords: Bengali women, Family, Feminism, marginalization, patriarchy

Article Info: Received: 24 May 2026; Received in revised form: 23 Jun 2026; Accepted: 27 Jun 2026; Available online: 30 Jun 2026

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.113.88