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The works of women writers had always been undervalued due to patriarchal
superiority. In the Indian society, the experiences of women were not considered
much compared to the perceptions and experiences of their male counterparts. Women writers had mostly presented a narrow canvas of themes like domestic issues, experiences of in-law’s place, difficulties in adjustment in post and pre-marital status, sexual harassment at work place, dejection and so on. With the advent of feminism, women have strived hard to achieve their identity. ‘New woman’ has emerged in their writings—talking like males, defying male dominance, discussing her work-life experiences, adjusting her personal and professional life in a far better way than her spouse and rising much beyond issues of stale feminism. When a diasporic woman sets to write, her experiences are paid more attention. It is so as to confirm whether she has to present similar themes, poignancy, common traits of characters or whether the new land has brought a radical change in her position.
This paper discusses the stories in Arranged Marriage authored by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. It deals with the roles of women in India and America, the dilemma to adapt to new ways of life or to cling to the old traditions. Her stories are considered to be semi-autobiographical as most of her stories are set in California near where she lives.
The stories are full of women, pursuing an identity for themselves. The book focuses on family-arranged marriages—a century-old tradition in India. It focuses on the Indo-American women caught between two conflicting cultures. The following examples will throw light on how Indian immigrated women experience contradictions in every walk of life as they are torn between the Indian cultural expectations and American life.
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