INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,

MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)

ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue III, March 2025

www.ijltemas.in Page 1

Patriarchy and Gender Roles in Shobhaa De's Second Thoughts and

Easterine Kire’s Life on Hold

Dr. Tayenjam Rajesh Singh., Ms. Alo A Yepthomi

Assistant Professor, Department of English, St. Joseph University, Nagaland

and women play in the society. The role that they’re expected to partake by the societal norms. The role that is differentiates and

distinguishes them as men and women. This research aims to analyse the patriarchy and gender roles in Shobhaa De's Second

Thoughts and Easterine Kire’s Life on Hold. Judith Butler suggests gender is not the result of nature, but is socially constructed.

Male and female behaviour roles are not the result of biology but are constructed and reinforced by the society through media and

culture. She argues that there are a number of exaggerated representations of masculinity and femininity which cause ‘gender

trouble’. “There is no gender identity behind the expressions of gender; that identity is performatively constituted by the very

‘expression’ that are said to be its results.” (Butler)

Keywords: Patriarchy, Gender roles, women, marriage, men

I. Introduction

Shobhaa De (1948- present), popularly known as India's ‘Jackie Collins’ is one of the top bestselling authors of contemporary

refers to a society in which every family or household runs under the authority of men. The man is the head of the family and

every decision are made based on his approval.

Gender Roles on the other hand was coined by the Sexologist John Money. He says that Gender roles are “all those things that a

person says or does to disclose himself or herself as having the status of boy or man, girl or woman, respectively.” Aristotle

writes that “the male is by nature superior and the female inferior, the male ruler and the woman subject” (Poetics 1.1254b).

Hence it is believed and assumed all over the world that man is the powerful being while women are the weaker gender who has

to be under the authority of men.

Marriage is the most significant custom in an individual’s life. It is considered as sacred by many religions. Indian parents often

view marriage as a social obligation, and may pressure their daughter to many early to fulfil this obligation. It is still a prevailing

view held by the male-hegemonic society that a daughter must be married off as early as possible as her destiny is limited to

and hurt. Through the character of Maya, De has portrayed the life lived by almost all the women in traditional arranged marriage

setting in a male-dominated society.

In the prologue of the novel, Second thoughts, there is a description of a corpse lying prone on the platform, with none of the

thousands of people walking past it barely noticing it. Maya’s mother Chitra herself was too preoccupied with counting their

luggage to bother with, that she also didn’t seem to notice the dead body lying on the grimy platform. This scene is a metaphor to

what is about to unfold in the novel. Every woman in every household is too occupied with their own problem brought by the

expectations laid down on them by the male-dominated, patriarchal society that they have no time in noticing another’s

mummified kitchen.

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,

MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)

ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue III, March 2025

www.ijltemas.in Page 2

The scene is followed by the conversation between Maya and Chitra about the motive behind their visit to Bombay. Maya, being

an independent minded, educated woman is stunned to learn that her mother intends to set her up with a man named Ranjan.

of his choice while women stand in queue wishing to be chosen by the man seeking for a wife.

Chitra seems to be very concerned with the fact that the Maliks might find Maya’s complexion dark and tries to dress her in

clothes with the colours that might make her look fair enough, revealing the society where woman has to be perfect in all aspects

while being a man is enough for a man in itself . She goes on to keep a watchful eye on Maya’s appearance before they met with

the groom’s family, wiping away her smudged kaajal with a spit on Maya’s brand new handkerchief.

The Maliks’ household wasn’t different from that of Maya’s Calcutta home and when on their return back home, she mentioned

Ranjan. She goes on to say, “If Ranjan had helped the servants, he’d have been thought of as a sissy. Men do not undertake

housework- especially foreign- returned men.” (De 9)

This shows the role of men in a patriarchal society. Men who help in the household or are soft-spoken are often shamed and

The ‘Bholi bhali ladki’ belting out from the car-stereo followed by Maya’s falling in love with Bombay is also a symbolism to the

innocent women unaware of the trap of the institution of marriage that drains all of their happiness out, filling them with the

compulsion of never ending compromises and sacrifices in a patriarchal community. They are supposed to get used to the

lifestyles at their parents’ home as an unmarried woman as well as at their husband’s after marriage. “Life isn’t a picnic, you

know. And you aren’t in Bombay on a holiday. As a married woman, you have to learn to deal with responsibilities.” (De, 29)

The sole role of the woman is to take care of the family and to do all the chores by herself without any complaints. It is as though

their only reason for existence is to merely look after the house and nothing else. When Maya suggest that they have a part time

cook, Ranjan is displeased. “A cook? Just for the two of us? And I don’t even come home for lunch. That’s absurd. We don’t

need one. If we do get someone, what work would that leave you?” (De, 30)

In patriarchy, women are supposed to have least contact with her own parents and family while they have to try to strengthen her

wanted to say that I had worked in Calcutta, done household chores, but I had never been made to feel like a servant. A menial. I

didn’t have a problem about doing my own housework. It was Ranjan’s attitude that hurt me. The bank provided him a fairly

generous allowance and we could well have afforded full-time help. But Ranjan was adamant. (De 50-51)

Ranjan proudly exclaims that when he was living in the States, he did all his work himself as though he had done something

honorary, something that’s expected of women as a bare minimum. Ranjan reminds Maya that a housewife’s duty is to stay at

home and make sure everything is tip-top and that is where true happiness lies. He goes around commanding Maya to get him his

socks, shirt, water and so on as though she was his personal slave.

The woman of the house has to function like a robot, taking in instructions and doing precisely what is being told. Ranjan’s

critical eye surveyed even Maya’s appearance and would comment things like “blouse doesn’t match”, “saree petticoat showing”,

“complexion looking greasy “, “kaajal smeared”. He expects Maya to be perfect both in appearance as well as in household

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,

MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)

ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue III, March 2025

www.ijltemas.in Page 3

she would be questioned about it and be delivered a lecture on economics. She also has to maintain accounts in a diary about the

amount spent on specific things for kitchen use and she is again scolded like a kid if there’s an expenditure on expensive food

mother gave her as a gift. Ranjan also uses terms like ‘Me’, ‘My home’ as if Maya has nothing to do with their home or his life.

When Maya insists on taking some classes like pottery, Ranjan interrupts her and reminds her that housewives don’t have extra

on Maya’s complexion, calling her dark. All these instances shows that the role of a man in the society is like that of a dictator

while women has to bear all the torments and obey their demands and commands.

Maya bitterly recalls her mother’s advice, that marriage involves sacrifice and that all the sacrifices has to be undertaken by the

woman. The sooner one accepts, the happier one would be. It is the woman’s job to care and look after any sick family member

and Ranjan, though a mama’s boy always has pain in one part or the other of his body, excusing himself to sit comfortably at

home when his mother got ill. Maya on the other hand had to take care of her mother-in-law despite her tiredness, even to the

extent of being warned by her husband with his ‘don’t-you-dare-let-me-down’ expression, commanding of her stay with his

mother all the time.

Ranjan is very entitled as every man in a patriarchal society. Their role is to sit and order around, getting their wishes fulfilled by

the woman of the house. Even when Maya is busy in the kitchen and he is idly sitting in front of the TV, he wouldn’t dare get up

even if there is telephone or doorbell ringing as those job was Maya’s responsibility.

III. Patriarchy and Gender Role in Life On Hold

Life on Hold, by Easterine Kire, revolves around the character of Nimenuo whose life goes through a series of unpleasant

Even as a child, boys have big demands such as Zeu wanting to have a new racing car, while Nime is silent and wishes to study

hard to help her mother when she grows up. Boys have camps out with fathers or uncles but girls like Nime, never gets the

opportunity to do so. When the school arranged an Easter break, the children were divided into small groups. The girls fetched

firewood and water while boys helped their teachers set up five shelters. Such is the roles placed on each gender in the society

where men and boys are related to strength and leadership while women to completely opposite aspects.

A woman’s role is to merely look after their husband and children. Nime’s mother stayed at home and looked after her children

like many women of her age. Just like Maya, even Nime barely visits her parents as her husband complains of the travel expenses.

Both the characters of Maya and Nime feel like a caged bird, having no sense of freedom, and always being monitored and

controlled by their husbands.

You know, it costs me 300 rupees to send you home to your family that is quarter of a day’s Labour. And then I can’t send you

However, if Zutuo showed him a drawing he had made, Abeiu would be very interested and praise the boy.” (Kire, 95)

In a patriarchal society, though women may always be seen through a sympathetic lense, men are also not less burdened in this

societal setting as they are supposed to be the breadwinner and provide for their families which are not always easy. Ranjan

works tirelessly to provide for his family. In the same way, Pusalie works hard to provide for his family. In the process, he falls

heavily in debt, even to the extent of losing his mind. Zeu on the other hand is anguished as he now has to take care of his

widowed mother that his father is no more. He battles his thoughts as life in the society was becoming competitive with very less

chance of employment both in government as well as business sector.

IV. Conclusion

Though, the role of men and women in the society is very distinctive, both genders have their own share of hardships and sorrow,

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN ENGINEERING,

MANAGEMENT & APPLIED SCIENCE (IJLTEMAS)

ISSN 2278-2540 | DOI: 10.51583/IJLTEMAS | Volume XIV, Issue III, March 2025

www.ijltemas.in Page 4

issues in her relationships, Maya who is devastated by her married life and lacks of physical and emotional comfort from her

husband feels lonely at home. In both Seconds thoughts and Life on Hold, women are always running to take care of everyone in