Author(s): Jyoti Kumari

Abstract: Working women is not a recent phenomenon but in India they still face a bias and prejudice against them. This prejudice and stereotyping can also be traced into the works of literature. This paper aims to analyze the depiction of some of the working women’s characters in the early Indian English novels by R.K Narayan. It will try to throw light on the patriarchal ideology in the narration and projection of working women’s characters in the select novels. How women are often put under certain labels which work for patriarchy and specifically working women who do not conform to this ideology, have to face more social prejudices. This paper will examine these biased patterns which are prevalent in RK Narayan’s select novels. It will showcase how a working woman is perceived by the society and also how the writer deals with these patriarchal ideologies.

Keywords: Family, Indian English Fiction, Patriarchy, Working Women, Workspace.

Article Info: Received: 31 Jul 2022; Received in revised form: 20 Aug 2022; Accepted: 25 Aug 2022; Available online: 31 Aug 2022

DOI: 10.22161/ijels.74.46