Research Paper :- The Role of Women in the Final Solution

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One is not born,but rather becomes, a woman 

The Role of Women in the Final Solution by Mahesh Dattani

Abstract :

This research paper discussed female character of “FINAL SOLUTION” by Mahesh Dattani.Described female characters similarities and dissimilarities in the play.

Key Words :

Final Solution , Female, Religion, Communial , Post-Feminism , Mahesh Dattani

Introduction :

Mahesh Dattani is an Indian director, actor, playwright and writer. He is born at 7 August 1958. He is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Akademi award.He wrote such plays as Final Solutions,Dance Like a Man, Bravely Fought the Queen, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Tara, Thirty Days in September and The Big Fat City. His plays have been directed by eminent directors like Arvind Gaur, Alyque Padamsee and Lillete Dubey.In " Final Solutions " play Mahesh Dattani described the female character like,

Hardika

Smita 

Aruna

Dattani has made a magnanimous effort to highlight the atrocities done towards a woman. However, he doesnot act as a moralist to his audience. There is no didacticism in his plays. He simply holds mirror to the society. He emerges as a realistic dramatist. The ending of his plays leaves his audience introspective.He has attacked a number of social evils and abuses. He emerges as a pioneer who would awake the conscience of a nation afflicted with gender bias, patriarchal authority etc.They make the realization that women are not a shadow of male. Today ,woman is making her spaces. She has a better understanding of realization of identity both inside and outside the family.This three female character suffering from communial & religious issues.Some of similarities in that characters and Some of dissimilarities in the female character of the play.

What is Feminism ?

Feminism is a range of social movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. It's about respecting diverse women's experiences, identities, knowledge and strengths, and striving to empower all women to realise their full rights.Feminism largely arose in response to Western traditions that restricted the rights of women, but feminist thought has global manifestations and variations.Feminists have also worked to ensure access to legal abortions and social integration, and to protect women and girls from rape, sexual harassment, and domestic violence.Changes in female dress standards and acceptable physical activities for females have often been part of feminist movements.Equal rights, sensitisation towards women, an unbiased approach and a world devoid of patriarchy is the demand of a feminist in 2021.

 

In this applied post- feminism theory for better understanding of Final Solution's female character. Postfeminism may also present a critique of second-wave feminism or third-wave feminism by questioning their binary thinking and essentialism, their vision of sexuality, and their perception of relationships between femininity and feminism. postfeminism theory is sometimes confused with subsequent feminisms such as fourth-wave feminism and xenofeminism.

              Mahesh Dattani has tried to convey the message that the solution of such communal attitudes is forgiveness , generosity and realisation . The generosity of Smita and the realization of Bobby are the only possible ‘Final Solutions' to save the nation from the cloud of disharmony and violence. It is the false assumptions presented by the communal elements of religion that create bias and hatred for other community.Life is meant for peace and brotherhood . Mahesh Dattani gave message magnificently without being didactic. ( Dr.Madhur Kumar )

            In this play writer described directly or indirectly presented the utter truth of life. Deals with the theme of communalism . In the play writer applies religion consciousness and the prejudices towards different religions. Described reflection of contemporary social- political issue in the "Final Solutions " play. “Hardika still has resentment against Muslims due to the events that had happened in her life following the partition and thus she protests against Bobby and Javed‟s presence in her home. Through the character of Daksha the audience is slowly able to know the two factors that are the source of Hardika‟s animosity. The first was the murder of her father in hometown, Hussainabad, which became a part of Paksitan during the partition. The second reason was that the physical and mental abuse she had to endure when her husband Hari and her in laws found out about her friendship with her Muslim neighbour, Zarine. Her son Ramnik is a secular Hindu and much more hospitable to the boy. But Ramnik‟s kindness is partly driven by the guilt he feels over running the business his father established by cheating Zarine‟s family after partition. “ ( Mr.Dhiren Parma ) 

The play is woven fine with political allegory , religious diversity, evolving social matrix of new reality of Indian society.And moves to a solution of pluralism against the eclipsed voice of hatred and riot. ( Prakash Bhadury )

                  In Final Solutions, Dattani tries to investigate that the reactions to communal prejudices are closely associated with gender difference. Women like Hardika, Smita and Aruna even in their feminine grace and silence can better retaliate to their oppressors. It shows women can think beyond their physical conscience on the matter like communal violence. Aruna and Hardika are no longer interested in their sympathies, Smita too subsequently develops suspicion and resentment for Javed and Bobby. Through the anger of these three women, Dattani suggests that at mental level women are more closely related to communal and religious identities and have a deeper realization of the humiliations done in the name of religious fanaticism. The anger of these three women is an example of independent thinking. The history of horrors of partition that implies the loss of family and personal relationships have deep impressions on the mind and sensibility of women.( Dr.Pankaj Kumari )

              According to SUCHISMITA BHATTACHARY A Dattani has always given importance to women in his plays. The women in his plays are sometimes meek, submissive, calm and cool in nature. Whereas sometimes they are intelligent, brave, courageous and protest when required. In this particular play Dattani talks about three different women who represent three different generations. Hardika represents the first generation, Aruna represents the second generation and Smita represents the third generation. Hardika, is also known as Daksha in the play, who has seen the partition of India and the communal tension as well. Hardika even talks about her father’s dream of an independent India. Hardika is such a woman who did love the Muslims until they killed her father in a communal riot.

Character of Daksha :-

             Hardika is the mother of Ramnik .She is also known as Daksha in the play when the play revolves around the past. Daksha writes down everything in her diary because diary is her best friend. She has also one Muslim friend Zarine. She love to listen Noor Jahan and Shamshad Begum.She represents a woman who is imprisoned within the four walls of the house in an independent country like India. She is newly married bride and is a lover of music. She loves the songs sung by Noor Jehan, Shamshad Begum and Suraiya. Her dairy shows her miserable condition as a married woman in a typical Indian society as she says: 

 “All my dreams have been shattered ... I can never be a singer, like Noor Jahan. Hari’s family is against my singing film songs. His parents heard me humming a love song to Hari last night. And this morning they told him to tell me… I am just a young girl who doesn’t matter to anyone outside her home.”

Character of Aruna:-

    

          Aruna, wife of Ramnik Gandhi, is a typical Indian house wife who is a Godfearing person as well. She has spent her whole life in pooja path and she doesn’t like to compromise with anything that is related to her God. Aruna is typical Gujarati woman. Blindly trust on God • She forced her daughter to do same thing. Not so much open minded. She believe in untouchability. She deny Javed and Bobby to touch the water for Pooja.

Character of Smita :-

Smita is a girl who believes in liberal ideology. She does help her mom in her pooja work because she loves her mom but she doesn’t personally support all the things from heart. Rather at one point of time she gets tired of her mother’s prejudices and conveys her feelings to her mother. 

 “Please, mummy, don’t try so hard! You are breaking me. Ever since I was small, you have been at me to go to the temple, make garlands, listen to you reading from the Gita. I love you, mummy, that’s why I did that. I listened to u and I obeyed you. I tolerated your prejudices only because you are my mother. Maybe I should have told you earlier, but I’m telling you now, I can’t bear it! Please don’t burden me anymore! I can’t take it! (CP, 213)”

Smita, Gandhi’s daughter talks to her friend Tasneem whose hostel was the centre of blast. Smita, a girl of liberal ideology views the whole situation as an individual and constructs an ideology beyond the ideology of religious and racial prejudices. She reveals her feeling to her mother:

It stifles me! yes! May be I am prejudiced because I do not belong. But not belonging makes things so clear. I can see so clearly how wrong you are. You accuse me running away from my religion. May be I am embraced, Mummy. (Act III, 57)

Similarities in Female character:-

Dissimilarities in Female Character:-

Conclusion :-

In the character of Smita, Hardika and Aruna, Dattani admits that women have greater consciousness and deeper realization of communal and religious identities.Women are not a shadow of male. They have their own individual identity.Women can think beyond their physical conscience on the matter like communal Even she has the better realization than male in every aspects of life.They retain their awareness in society. Now they are very much aware about their position, their desires and their dreams.Women have the quest for the improvement of social status.Woman is ready to accept the challenges of Inter-community. Smita who is a young girl represents the dynamism of new generation.Anger of the women in the play is the representation of independent thinking.

Work Cited :

Dattani, Mahesh. Final Solution . 2009.

Kumari, Dr. Pankaj. "Post-Feminist Analysis of Female Character in Mahesh Dattani's Final Solution ." 2016.

Parmar, Mr. Dhiren. "Mahesh Dattani's Final Solution : an Analytical Study ." International Journal of Humanities and Social Science Invention (2019): 6.

Yousulf, Afshana. "A Study of Feminist Consciousness in Mahesh Dattani's Final Solution and Tara." JETIR January 2019: 4.