A Study of the Depiction of Women in the Novels of Anand Yadav

Abstract

This research explores how women are portrayed across selected novels by Prof. Dr. Anand Yadav. Drawing from his rural and autobiographical works, Yadav offers a realistic look at the everyday realities of rural society back then—capturing the deep sorrows, poverty, household mistreatment, male dominance, family injustices, and the secondary role forced upon women. This study takes a closer look at the female characters in four key novels: Zhombi, Naangarani, Gharbhinti, and Natarang. In Zhombi, characters like Tara and Akani shed light on the intense domestic abuse and mistreatment by in-laws that women had to endure. In Naangarani, the character of Ghorabai highlights how little say women had when it came to marriage and personal freedom. Gharbhinti focuses on Sundara and Hirabai to bring out the heavy physical and mental toll of a woman's life. Meanwhile, Natarang tells the story of Darki, capturing the social stigma, poverty, sexual exploitation, and family struggles faced by an artist's wife. Even though these women belong to specific households, they truly represent the broader, shared grief of women across rural society. Ultimately, the way Anand Yadav portrays women serves as an honest, striking mirror of the inequality, injustice, and daily battles that defined rural women's lives.