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A Study Of Gloria Whelan's Homeless Bird

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Devastation of Sanctity in Cultural Institutions: A Thematic Study of Whelan’s Homeless Bird ABSTRACT The paper makes an attempt to expose the gruesome reality of annihilation of sanctity in cultural institutions such as marriage, education and religion through Gloria Whelan’s novel Homeless Bird. These institutions crush women’s individuality and drive them to a subservient status rather than provide security to them. They intensify sufferings to women instead of ensuring happiness to them. Whelan represents women’s predicament as a widow through the character Koly. Koly, being a girl, is prevented from getting educated and has been given to a sick boy in the name of marriage. After becoming a widow, she undergoes many misfortunes which indeed hinder her empowerment. Whelan, the American writer who has been inspired to write an Indian story, recommends remarriage and education for women like Koly who have lost their husbands at a very early age. Keywords: Marriage, Education, Religion, Child Marriage, Dowry, Widowhood, Remarriage …show more content…

Gloria Whelan, an American author has made out a case for emancipation of women, who they think are subjected to all sorts of invidious discriminations. Even though people have accepted modern means of living, improved our lifestyle, Indian values and beliefs still remain unchanged. Gloria Whelan’s Homeless Bird has therefore become a sociological study of the Indian women for whom Women Liberation Movement is still a far cry, as they hold a mirror up to the social and cultural institutions like marriage, education, religion that crush their individuality and drive them to a subservient status. These institutions, instead of ensuring the happiness of individuals, intensify their suffering. In these institutions, it is the victim who suffers while the victimiser walks away with

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