Combating Alienation and Marginalization: A Study in Manju Kapur’s Difficult Daughters

Abstract

Modernization in human life signifies a life overburdened with materialism. In contrast to spiritual outlook of eastern hemisphere, materialism is the western lifestyle, which has become so dominant and captivating force in the past few decades that it has led human being to be only a part of “rat race†of “getting and spendingâ€. Emotions, feelings, mutual love and respect, moral values all seem to be eroded and man ceases to exist as a human being rather becoming more and more a robot without sentiment.
Renaissance represented Man as the center of all studies but in the so called modern era Money has become the center of all human activity. But it is a bare ironical truth that despite all the advances, prosperity and progression in material terms man is leading a doubly alienated life. He faces social, psychological and familial alienation; and at the same time remains self estranged. He is caught into his self devised web and has become the sufferer and the victim of his own institutions. Difficult Daughters is Manju kapur’s debut fiction where she portrayed three generations of Indian women on single canvas. This study investigates Difficult Daughters in the light of alienation and marginalization and protagonists attempt to overcome this isolation through entering into meaningful relationship.