Evolving Feminist Discourse in Indian Literature: Resistance and Strategies

Abstract

Feminist literary discourse in India has evolved through a dynamic interplay of social struggles, cultural negotiations, and intellectual strategies aimed at challenging patriarchal structures. Rooted in both colonial and postcolonial contexts, Indian feminist writings emerged as a powerful counter-narrative to male-centered traditions that historically marginalized women’s voices. Beginning with early reformist writings in the 19th century and extending to contemporary Dalit and marginalized women’s literature, Indian feminist discourse highlights resistance to multiple forms of oppression—patriarchal, caste-based, and economic. Writers such as Ismat Chughtai, Mahasweta Devi, Kamala Das, and contemporary Dalit women authors illustrate how literature serves both as a mode of protest and as a strategy for reclaiming subjectivity. These texts resist silencing and invisibility by foregrounding women’s experiences of sexuality, labor, violence, and empowerment. The strategies employed include reinterpreting myths, asserting women’s agency in the domestic and public spheres, and engaging with intersectionality to reflect caste, class, and gender dimensions. By doing so, feminist literature in India constructs a critical discourse that not only contests patriarchal authority but also envisions alternative social realities. The evolution of feminist literary discourse thus reflects a broader political and cultural movement toward gender justice and social transformation.