FEMALE SLAVERY IN KAMALA DAS’S POETRY: A READING OF “THE OLD PLAY HOUSE”

Abstract

Since the last two decades, feminist writing has flourished globally. As a result of it, a vibrant and committed Feminist/Gender discourse has emerged to voice personal experience of those who are marginalized and oppressed in patriarchal society. Besides novels and short stories, poetry of the present literary area has also fore grounded the hitherto suppressed experiences of the female world.
In the post colonial period, the works of feminist writers in India have contributed substantially in creating a feminist consciousness in the society. Female writers in 1990s mirror a realistic picture of the contemporary urban Indian women. Among them Kamala Das also emerges as a dominant voice.
Kamala Das’s poems demonstrate a kind of shift to assertive feminism. She is very candid. With poignancy, she communicates her feminine urges, and showcases the troubled existence of a woman in the patriarchal society. She delves deep into the woman psychology and discovers male hegemony as one of the obstacles to the salvation of women.
In our reading of Kamala Das’s poem, ‘The Old Playhouse’, we make a foray to highlight female slavery as depicted through various symbols and images.