RE-SHAPING THE SELF: N THE SHORT STORIES OF ALICE MUNRO AND SHASH DESHPANDE Thesis submitted to the Pondicherry University for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PN1LOSOPHY in ENGLISH BY H. KALPANA Department of English PONDICHERRY UNIVERSITY MARCH 1995 To my mother indira my father c s rao my husband prakash my son nikhil with all my love Contents Page Certificate Declaration Note on Documentation Acknowledgements vii Abstract Preface xiv I--MAPPING OUT f Brief Sketch of Munro and Deshpande, and Their Works 4 Feminine Identity 6 The Short Story Genre and Women Writers 10 Postcolonial Literary Background 20 Postcolonialism and Feminism 24 The Concept of Universal Sisterhood 29 11--A MAN AND A WOMAN Silent Sufferers Women in a Predicament Power Relationships Extra-marital Relationships Women Jilted Male Narrator Independentmree Women 111--PROVIDENCE Dead/Absent Mothers DominantPassive Mothers Distanced Mothersmaughters Independent Mothers IV--VOICES Family Ties Sibling Relationships Friends Others V--SUMMING UP: THE PHOTOGRAPHERS Works Consulted Dr. P. Marudanayagam Professor and Head Department of English Pondicherry University Pondicherry 605 0 14 CERTIFICATE This is to certify that the dissertation entitled RE-SHAPING THE SELF: FEMININE IDENTITY IN THE SHORT STONES OF ALICE MUNRO AND SHASHI DESHPANDE, submitted to the Pondicheny University in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPW in English, is a record of original research work done by Ms. H. Kalpana during the period of her study 1992 - '95 in the Department of English, Pondicherry University, under my supervision and guidance and that the dissertation has not previously formed the basis for the award to the candidate of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or any other simiiar titles. Pondicheny Date: 30-3-45 (Dr. P. MARUDANAYAGAM) w~@p:~54:!?@ 4y,gj ,st, kb .P BEJ~oyGc: iru QJ# ?; a7{gh rnt[.&J * ;*-!a;\4 iY;u, in;,A:G P g ;$/ ;' :" in "*" "r . ,b. "" :. ,!I ' H. KALPANA, M. Phil Research Scholar Department of English Pondicherry University Pondicheny 605 014 DECLARATION - I hereby declare that the dissertation entitled RE S THE SELF: FEMININE DENTITU IN THE SHORT STORIES OF ALICE 0 SIIASHI DESWANDE, submitted to the Pondicheny University in partial llfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of DOCTOR Of PHILOSOPHY in English, is a record of original research work done by me under the supervision and guidance of Dr. P. MARUDANAYAGAM, Professor and Head, Department of English, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry 605 0 14 , and that it has not previously formed the basis for award of any Degree, Diploma, Associateship, Fellowship or any other similar titles. Pondicheny - Date: 3s 3 45 ~ l - Signature (El. KALPANA) NOTE ON DOCUMENTATION The thesis follows the MLA format of parenthetical documentation, namely, the author-date system. The short stories, however, are documented by referring to the collections (abbreviated format), and the page numbers. Footnotes are used throughout the doctoral thesis to clarify and suggest any point of view that may arise in the main body of the thesis. Works consulted are cited at the end of the thesis. The short story collections of Alice Munro and Shashi Deshpande have been abbreviated as follows for convenience: 19 6 8 Dance ofneH appy Shades (1988)-------D- HS Toronto: McGraw Hill Ryerson Ltd. 1971 Lives of Girls and Women (1 983)-----------L GW New York: Plume (Penguin Group). 1974 Something I've Been Meaning To Tell You (19 90)-- -SIB Toronto: Penguin. 1978 Who Do You Think You Are? (1981)------- WDY Toronto: Penguin. 1982 The Moons ofJupiter (1983)-----------------M OJ England: Penguin. 19 8 5 The Progress of Love (19 8 7)- ----------------P OL New York: King Penguin. 1990 Friend of My Youth. .......................... FOY Toronto: McClelland & Stewart Inc. Deshpande' s works 1978 The Legacy .................................... Leg Calcutta: Writers Workshop. 1986 The Miracle and Other Stories -------------M ir Calcutta: Writers Workshop. 1986 fiwastheNightingaIe-------- ------------ - ---G ale Calcutta: Writers Workshop. 1986 If was Dark .................................... Dark Calcutta: Writers Workshop. 1993 The Intrusion and Other Stories ------------I nt New Delhi: Penguin.