The Use Of Silent Feminism By Suchitra Bhattacharya Female Characters

Suchitra Bhattacharya's female characters are subtly feminist in nature. They are quietly woven into the societal matrix. Her female characters do not need to be loud to arrest the attention of the reader. 

Through her characters, Suchitra Bhattacharya holds a candle through feminism through small activities. The undutiful wife who has foregone societal norms, the courageous girl child navigating a new family, and the unfaithful wife, her novels underline small insignificant acts carefully woven into a larger picture. Women in Suchitra Bhattacharya’s novel impress what silent feminism looks like. 

Suggested Reading: Five Strong Female Characters In Suchitra Bhattacharya’s Novels

Novels Depicting Suchitra Bhattacharya Female Characters That Embody Silent Feminism 

Trishita and Toya from Eka (Alone)

Eka by Suchitra Bhattacharya brings us a story about a family that’s breaking to build itself again. We are introduced to two women characters Toya and Trishita. Trishita leaves her husband Ayan for his nomadic nature. She remarries a man called Siddharta post-marriage who seemed to do well for himself financially. This put Trishita’s financial worries at bay. As usually happens with children of divorcees, Trisha has a difficult time accepting her stepfather, Siddharta. She is not able to accept her stepbrother Laltu initially. We see Toya embracing uncomfortable feelings to become more accepting and grow throughout the novel. It takes courage for a child to navigate the world alone, with a new set of faces as a family than those that they grew up seeing. 

Mitali from Ramdhanu (Rainbow)

Suchitra Bhattacharya’s novel Ramdhanu which was later adapted into a motion picture of the same name brings to us, Mitali and Gogol. Mitali is the mother of a five-year-old Gogol who is desperately trying to get her child Gogol admitted into one of the best schools in the city. However, much to the despair of Mitali, Gogol keeps getting rejected at admission interviews. Mitali enrols herself and her husband in a coaching class that coaches parents to give school interviews. Eventually, however, Mitali is forced to feel Gogol’s emotions and see the world through her five-year-old child’s lens. She learns that nature, animals, and child's play mean more to Gogol than caged textbook education. Ramdhanu brings forward to the audience the growth of a mother. This is significant because Indian society portrays parents as infallible creatures, cleansed of errors. 

Rumi from Alik Sukh (Unreal Happiness)

Alik Sukh by Suchitra Bhattacharya is a Bengali psychological thriller. It was later turned into a motion picture of the same name in 2013. Apart from your usual adrenalin thrill, this novel brings to us another reason to pick it up, Rumi. Rumi’s character of a wife is fascinating to absorb in a feminist light. In Indian society, women are advised to stand with their husbands every step of the way. However, we see Rumi isolating her husband for his wrongdoings. She alienates her husband for his crimes and refuses to support his wrongdoings. This makes Rumi appealing from an ethical point of view. 

Riti from Chhera Taar (Broken String)

This novel by Suchitra Bhattacharya introduces us to the character of Riti. The reader finds Riti grieving over the child that she has lost. This has embittered her relationship with her spouse Shubhomoy. She drowns her sorrows in writing poetry and working hard at her boutique. She engages in an extramarital affair and realises that she still has feelings for her husband Shubhomoy. The delightful fictional reporting by Suchitra of a woman in grief and discovering love makes Riti’s character impactful to the audience. What society deems as a misstep worked well for Riti to help her realise who her heart years for. The audience navigates the complexities of human relationships along with Riti and watches her character develop throughout the novel.