Consequences of Ishita's Infertility in Indian Patriarchal Society: An Analysis of Manju Kapur’s Custody through Third World Feminism

Abstract

The major goal of this research is to examine the phenomena of female exploitation in patriarchal culture via a thorough examination of the character of Ishita in Manju Kapur's novel Custody from the standpoint of third-world feminism. Additionally, this research aims to examine the implications of divorce, alienation, identity crisis, and uncertainties of matrimony within the context of upper-middle-class urban Indian families. The novel Custody portrays the story of Ishita, a young Indian woman who is compelled to divorce due to infertility. The novel provides a dramatic illustration of the consequences of divorce, broken marriage, and remarriage within the context of upper-middle-class urban Indian families. Ishita's character undergoes a stage of isolation, loss of individual identity, and a sense of alienation. This research employs the postcolonial version of feminism to scrutinize the female protagonist characters Ishita and Sagun. The study attempts to investigate a number of third-world/postcolonial concerns, including linguistic dominance, broken marriages, alienation, despair, suffering, and gloom. The findings of this research indicate that the novel Custody by Manju Kapur is an outstanding representation of the consequences of divorce, broken marriage, and remarriage within the context of upper-middle-class urban Indian families. Ishita's character undergoes severe psychological distress, and her journey is to assert her motherhood, a task complicated by patriarchy. The research concludes that third world feminism is a useful tool for analyzing the sense of female manipulation and domination in patriarchal society.