Exigency Verses Empowerment in Jaishree Misra’s Ancient Promises

Abstract

Jaishree Mishra is considered to be one of the greatest Indian writers of English literature. She has written eleven internationally acclaimed novels in English. She has not claimed to be a feminist but she shows special interest towards women’s issues in Indian society. Mishra is a committed writer who breaks conventional stereotypes of Indian women through her protagonists in her fictional writing, ensuring that they are not vulnerable in all occasions. Her female protagonists are educated and determined in empowering their position in the patriarchal society they live in. She has dealt with post-colonial themes and concepts such as, gender discrimination and women subjugation. Janu in Ancient Promises has been introduced to readers as a young girl who has completed a secondary school education, and has been given in marriage to a man from Kerala by her parents. Janu’s identity as a self-respecting woman becomes in question after her forceful marriage. In this regard, how she escapes from the shackles of marriage and proves her identity as self-respecting women and mother after a great struggle against the patriarchal structures will be discussed further below.