Subjugation to Self-assertion: Tracing Women’s Journey in Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies

Abstract

This article explores the women’s journey to overcome self-imposed limitations and the boundaries created by society in the novel Sea of Poppies through the perspective of feminist literary analysis. Further, it highlights women’s quest to find their strength and identity on their own. Amitav Ghosh, a renowned Indian diasporic author, often deals with a lot of historical events in India and Southeast Asia in his writings. In this particular novel, he focuses on the female journey towards self-realization and the way they draw themselves towards their goals. Through his writings, Amitav Ghosh presents the female subjugation, forced marriage and women’s conditions within the family and society. He creates unique and strong female characters in his novels and further illustrates the struggles and challenges they endure. In his works, Ghosh introduced memorable female characters and traces their journey of resistance. Among them, the characters Deeti and Paulette emerge as victims of social conventions who finally overcome those limitations and discover their true selves