Feminism and Maitreyi Pushpa: Evaluating "Faisla" and "Lalmaniyan"

Abstract

The paper, entitled Feminism and Maitreyi Pushpa: Evaluating "Faisla" and "Lalmaiyan" could be seen as a meticulous evaluation of two of Maitreyi Pushpa's short-stories (taken from a 1996 collection, entitled Lalmaniyan) from a vantage feminist perspective. The selected stories throw light on the plight of women in rural India, the workings of rural politics, and women being the victim of it, as portrayed in "Faisla", through the character of the female protagonist , Vasumati . On the other hand the short story, entitled "Lalmaniyan" presents the denigration of dance as an art form in a restricted Indian context. It is here that Maitreyi Pushpa defends 'lalmaniyan' as a dance form , and upholds the people involved as potent representatives who keep their cultures and traditions alive- the makers of 'Indianism'.