Patriarchy in Perumal Murugan’s One Part Woman

Abstract

This paper tries to examine how patriarchy oppresses female sexuality by viewwing its very purpose to be motherhood in Perumal Murugan’s One Part Woman. The novel set in Tiruchengode, a rural village in Tamil Nadu, is a poignant tale of Kali and Ponna, a childless couple. They try every possible way to get pregnant, putting their marriage at stake. Since they fail to perform the duties assigned by the society, they are constantly criticized and are deemed to be unfit. Their inability to ‘perform’ this predetermined roles, puts their entire life under risk.