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Since
March 2002
An International,
Registered & Referred
Monthly Journal :
Research Link - 135, Vol - XIV (4), June - 2015, Page No. 40-41
Impact Factor - 2014 - 1.8007
ISSN - 0973-1628  RNI - MPHIN-2002-7041 
E nglish Literature
Neurotic Woman Protagonist in Bharati Mukherjee's Wife
A neurotic is either pampered from birth or are subjected to utter negligence.
Further, if anyone's psychological needs are not fulfilled, he tends to abandon his real
self. Neurosis begins when the real-self is forsaken. A path breaking study in the field of
studying neurosis in the writings of Indian Women Novelists was done by M. Rajeshwar.
Other notable scholars who have made notable contributions to the study of neurosis are
Sigmund Freud, Karen horney and Abraham Maslow. Definition of neurosis is attributed
to Freud. Horney defines neurosis as “functional derangement caused by disorder of the
nervous system or by something in the subconscious mind.” (Horney : 1988 : 166).
DR. ANJAN KUMAR
N
eurosis has been variously defined by many critics.
But to be precise, neurosis may be defined as deviation from
normal pattern of human behavior. Amongst many reasons
why a person becomes neurotic, the most important one is
not being allowed to face the realities of the world. A neurotic
is either pampered from birth or are subjected to utter
negligence. Further, if anyone's psychological needs are not
fulfilled, he tends to abandon his real self. Neurosis begins
when the real-self is forsaken. A path breaking study in the
field of studying neurosis in the writings of Indian Women
Novelists was done by M. Rajeshwar. Other notable scholars
who have made notable contributions to the study of
neurosis are Sigmund Freud, Karen horney and Abraham
Maslow. Definition of neurosis is attributed to Freud. Horney
defines neurosis as “functional derangement caused by
disorder of the nervous system or by something in the
subconscious mind.” (Horney : 1988 : 166).
Dimple Dasgupta, the chief protagonist in Bharati
Mukherjee's Wife suffers from neurosis. She deviates from
normal pattern of behavior. Her deviation from normal pattern
of behavoir originates from (i) her feeling of disapproval of
being called Nandini by her in - laws, “My mother wants to
call you Nandini. She doesn't like Dimple as a name. What
will you call me Nandini” Dimple …. Said (8) and (ii) things
do not happen in her life as she has desired. Dimple Dasgupta
has always cherished a desire to marry a person of her choice
and settle down happily. She thought of marriage as
something destined to bring prosperity and liberty“Marriage, she was sure, would free her, fill her with passion.
Discreet and virgin she waited for real life to begin” (13).
For Dimple the name Nandini has no significance. Her
disliking for name and house signified the abnormality of her
psyche. Even the much desired marriage would not make her
happy. Dimple's talking to herself with the mirror image is
most ironical “Dimple Basu” , she repeated ; “Dimple Basu
is happy woman” (21). Even the members of Amit's family
appear to Dimple as disgusting and unaccommodating ; “why
doesn't your sister like me ?” (21).
Marriage had not brought her all those glittering thins
she has aspired for. Her husband, too, is not the man she had
desired. After marriage she had to move to her husband's
apartment. Dimple disliked the apartment. For her, “The
apartment is h-o-r-r-i-d” (18). She was unable to enjoy the
mating process with her husband because of her disturbed
mind, “Sometimes in bed she thought of the baby lizard she
found in her pillow case” (21). Her expectations of happy
married life used to be spoiled sometimes by her negative
feeling about her own-self, “she worried that she was ugly,
worried about the sitar shaped body and rudimentary breasts.
She thought of breasts as having destinies of their own,
ruining marriage or making fortunes” (4). Her mother always
consoles her “Stop worrying”(4), she used to say “Worrying
makes them shrinks !”(4). Such perpetual negative feelings
of denigration and devaluation of self contribute to make her
neurotic. Her neurotic demands made her a self-effacing
woman. She was so disappointed with life that she thought
of killing herself, “She looked in the bathroom for her father's
iron blades. She thought of death” (11).
Amit wanted his wife to be a dutiful woman. Amit upon
his return form the office asked for a fresh lime and water.
Which Dimple had not prepared. Amit cried ; “But you know
I like fresh lime and water when I come back. You know this
Principal & Professor (Department of English), G.R.Patil College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Dombivli, Thane
(Maharashtra)
 Research Link - An International Journal - 135  Vol - XIV (4)  June - 2015  40
little thing means a lot to me” (23). Dimple hated to be a
dutiful wife. The novelist has rightly to please. He expected
her like Sita, to jump into fire if necessary”(23). Dimple dislikes
all these traditional behavior of a wife. She even begins o
dislike he child she was bearing in her womb - she thinks that
nobody had consulted her, “before depositing it in her body”
(31).
She always feel neglected by her husband. She tells
Amit “I feel very tired these day. I mean, I don't have the
energy to bake the chicken every fifteen minutes” (110). But
as usual Amit does not care to her worries. He gaives a flat
reply, “It's probably because you eat so little” (Ibid). Heated
exchange of talks take place. She bursts out : “I feel sort of
tired inside and all you can do is read the paper and talk to
me about food. You never listen ; you have never listened to
me. You hate me, Don't deny it, I know you do you hate me
because I am not fat and fair” (Ibid). She didn't know why
she behaved like that. She tried to find the reasons for her
miserable predicament but she was unable to reach at any
conclusion :
After he (Amit) had left the room. She gave herself
what she thought was probably half an hour, then switched
on the table lamp, took a piece of paper and a ballpoint pen
out of a drawer in the night table and listed the reasons why
she was unhappy.
1. The plants were dying
2.
3.
4.
5.
It was no use … “(179-80)
She begins to betray her husband. She tries to find a
husband substitute who would assuage her pain and grief.
She seduced milt, the brother of her landlady. She allowed
Milt to enter her bedroom. Milt took all liberty with Dimple ;
“Milt bent over Dimple and put his huge hands on her
shoulders and brought his face very close to (she noticed
that he had acne scars on his nose) and she stood very still,
leaning slightly against the wall, not sure if he was about to
kiss her and what she should do if he did kiss her on the
check or mouth” (168).
Anit notices the change in her “But now you just want
to stay at home and you don't have to watch television.
What is wrong for God's sake ?” (176). But Dimple gave Amit
an evasive reply, “there was nothing wrong ?” (176). When
the neurosis in Dimple becomes uncontrollable, she kills Amit.
To conclude, a neurotic person has to be taken care of
very carefully. Any willful attempt to rectify such a person
may prove disastrous. The actions of the neurotics need to
be watched carefully and accordingly a solution has to be
found out.
(2) Freud, S. 1923. The Ego find the Id. Hogarth, London,
1923.
(3) Fromm, Erich. Escape from Freedom, 1941 rpt New
York : Hall, Rinehart and Wirison : 1964.
(4) R.K. Srivastava, Perspectives on Anira Dcsai-Introduction
: New Delhi : Atlantik Publisher and Distributors, 2001.
(5) Mukherjee, Bharati, Wife, Houghton Mifflin, US, 1975.

References :
(1) Karen. Horney. Neurosis and Human Growth, Routlege
and Kogan Paul, London, 1951.
 Research Link - An International Journal - 135  Vol - XIV (4)  June - 2015  41
Since
March 2002
An International,
Registered & Referred
Monthly Journal :
Research Link - 135, Vol - XIV (4), June - 2015, Page No. 42-44
Impact Factor - 2014 - 1.8007
ISSN - 0973-1628  RNI - MPHIN-2002-7041 
E nglish Literature
Thematic Patterns in the Novels of Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison writes about a negro community with a fierce possessive poetry
and sympathy. Her voice transcends colour and creed and she has become one of
America's outstanding Post-War writers and a great storyteller. Her works reflect an
inter linkage in various thematic concerns and the shifts of emphasis which becomes
visible from one novel to the other. The various aspects of her treatment of the themes
of sexism, classism, racism and man-nature relationship and the implied purpose of
the writer, the method adopted and the degree of success achieved by her as an artist
will be the essence of this discussion.
KAMLA CHAUDHARY
T
oni Morrison, the well known Afro American writer,
is widely acknowledged as a gifted novelist who has handled
with precision and penetrating psychological insight the
complex subject matter relating to the situation of Black
American. She talks about a society which is marked by many
insensivities and obtuseness in its treatment of the individual
on account of inbuilt biases rooted in cross materialism, racism
and gender differences.
Being a black woman writer, Toni Morrison has written
about Afro-American community living in persistent conflict
with the forces generated by the modem industrial civilization
of the western world. These forces operate upon the black
community as pressures from outside, but even more importantly
they have also been deeply internalised with in the collective
psyche of the community influencing ambitions which generate
subtle and complicated inner tensions and anxieties. All literature
is considered in one way or the other as an exploration and
definition of the complex relationship between an individual
self and the society in which he or she lives.
A close look at the works of Afro-American women
writers, shows that they have to face the conflict and confront
the interaction between restrictions of racism, sexism and
class that characterize their existence in a modern industrial
social environment whatever their individual personalities,
backgrounds and talents may be. Toni Morrison's works have
been considered by the critics to be deep rooted in the history,
mythology and traditions of the Negro society in America.
Many critics like Mickey Pearlman, Barbara Chiristian, Patricia
Waugh, Dorothy H Lee, Darwin T. Turner, while analysing
the works of Toni Morrison have discovered the chief
concerns of the writer and their discussion provides us a
wide range of relevant references and perspectives. The
conclusion which has generally been arrived at by the critics
is that in the writings of Afro-American women writers like
Toni Morrison, Literature gets deeply implicated in the
working of the society and cannot be treated as a pure
expression of an individual's fantasy. This is a valid point for
understanding the writings of Toni Morrison in a proper
perspective.
The critical neglect of important themes in novels of
Toni Morrison is the result mainly of the critics almost
exclusive preoccupation with bringing out the author's
perception of the obscure regions of the feminine
consciousness, the feminine world of introspection, the
moods of private illumination and the precarious journey to
self knowledge. Her works have been described by the critics
as women-centred studies only. She has been treated mainly
as a black feminist whose main concern is gender based
themes illustrating mainly the woman's world. This excessive
critical interest in only the feminine world in her novels has
tended to divert the attention of her critics away from
Morrison's larger concerns with issues affecting the whole
human race, This has also resulted in critical failures to
examine her treatment of the male, both black and white
This imbalance in Morrison's criticism needs to be
rectified all the more because the effort by the author to
excavate the deeper layers of the repressed self really
involves the conflict of classes, clash of value-systems,
interaction of two distinctive streams in American culture
and contradiction between private or the buried life and the
apparent life. All these themes get powerfully revealed in the
excavating exercise done by the novelist.
Associate Professor (Department of English), Government Post Graduate College, Sector-1, Panchkula (Haryana)
 Research Link - An International Journal - 135  Vol - XIV (4)  June - 2015  42
A brief look at the criticism available on Morrison's
novels so far thus shows that it suffers from a number of
limitations, inadequacies, gaps and imbalances. Those critics
who have discussed the theme of gender bias have found it
convenient to neglect such issues as that of class or man
and nature relationship. Similarly, the studies dealing with
issues of class have often ignored her treatment of the issues
of race and gender. It is indeed surprising there is hardly any
study in which man and nature relationship is treated in a
coherent manner.
This critical analysis therefore will be an attempt to
remove the imbalances and fill up the gaps in Morrison's
criticism in order to arrive at a more fair analysis and
assessment of various aspects of her fictional art. For a
detailed critical examination of the 'Thematic Patterns in the
novels of Toni Morrison' the various important themes as
sexism, classism, racism and relationship are identified for in
depth discussion.
Her novels The Bluest Eye and Sula illustrate the
growth of the theme of sexism as the stories develop. While
dealing with the theme of sexism, Toni Morrison explores the
field of women's world. The two important dimensions of the
theme of Sexism in Morrison's novels are the exploitation of
women in the male dominated world and the condition of
black woman in Afro-American society. She stresses in her
novels that Sexism must be struggled against in the black
communities and there is also a very strong inter-relation
between sexism and racism.
This particular experience of black women has a history
and legacy of slavery in its background. A slave woman was
expected to have no will of her own and had no physical or
psychological strength in a society where strength was a
masculine word and they also suffered for their lack of beauty
where beauty was a synonym of women.
But Toni Morrison's exploration of the impact of sexism
on the lives of black women presents the characters who are
complex and dominated by psychological tensions. But at
the same time these characters appear to be in quest for self
knowledge and a fire burning in them to be alive. In both
Pecola and Sula's desire to have self knowledge, sexuality
becomes the instrument and the vehicle. Pecola's rape by
her own father shatters her all images and this act of sex at
the age of twelve is an act of terror which leads her to the
world of madness. Sula's knowledge of herself is largely
dominated by her attitude towards sex. She is ultimately
damned and alienated. Toni Morrison's female characters
are sometimes eccentric and not normal because of their
experience as black women but still they make an effort to
win and triumph over the obstacles in their path of self
knowledge and freedom.
The second important theme which we find in her
novels is the conflict between classes. The theme of class
conflict in Toni Morrison's novels has various dimensions
which are based on the conflict of two cultures i.e. rural and
urban culture, conflict of colour i.e. white and black and
conflict between middle class and lower class that has the
economic status in its background.
From the first novel The Bluest Eye in which she deals
primarily with the theme of conflict between the western
ideals of physical beauty and romantic love and the black
community's perception of it, she moves to a gallery of man
and woman as in Song of Soloman and Jazz in conflict with
parents, relations, social values and class. This is the most
critical conflict which we find in Tar Baby between the values
of Jadine, who is a product of urbane culture, materialistic in
views and individualistic, and Son who still feels bound to
his rural and cultural roots. Jadine escapes to New York
which she sees as a black woman's town but Son is still
attached to Eloe where one may not find the urbane facilities
but surely freedom and fraternity. Jadine who lives for herself
does not find any future in Eloe. At no point does either Son
or Jadine act with the other to resolve this group dilemma.
This conflict of class is further illustrated in Sula where
two friends Sula and Nel who belong to the same society but
still follow different cultures and different paths. Nel Wright
lives in the black society and follows the path which the
society has decided for her but on the other hand Sula goes
out in the world, decides her own way of life and in search of
herself she creates her own pattern of life.
Another important dimension of class conflict is the
conflict between middle class and lower class. The Negro
community is being broken down in to two classes, a stable
self-speaking middle class and the lower class in which there
is nearly total disorganization. Milkman in Song of Soloman
who belongs to middle class does not want to meet his poor
relatives and does not even visit the locality where his poor
relatives live.
The conflict between white and black class is also very
important which is present there in almost all the novels of
Morrison. The Bluest Eye and Sula are novels of poetic realism
about growing up poor, black and female in a male dominated,
white middle class society. Closely connected with the theme
of class conflict is another important idea - Racism which we
find in Morrison's novels.
The Negro writer's awareness about their race and
Negro Nationalism is a part of the world wide struggle against
the American imperialism. Toni Morrison feels that by
achieving a balance between Negro Nationalism and the
larger world around them, dominated mainly by the whites,
they can achieve a true universality.
Toni Morrison and other Negro writers feel that Negroes
have to suffer racial oppression in America not because of
different racial characteristic but because of the chauvinistic
racism of the white in America. This life of segregation and
separate group tradition has given rise to a number of different
responses by the blacks. Toni Morrison has tried to present
the issue of race conflict in all of its dimensions and depths.
In The Bluest Eye the simple theme which is presented
by the novelist is the innocent desire of a black girl for blue
eyes. But at the deeper level the novel offers insights into
 Research Link - An International Journal - 135  Vol - XIV (4)  June - 2015  43
the distortions caused by racism in the life of both the victim
and the victimizer. She has however treated the whole theme
with tremendous understanding of human nature and does
not appear cynical even while exposing the sinister face of
racism.
In Song of Solomon Toni Morrison presents the theme
of the quest for family roots which in fact is a search for
Afro-American cultural heritage. In this novel Morrison gives
various examples which shows how the Afro-Americans feel
drawn towards their own race and culture and the attitude of
the whites towards this flight. Mr. Smith is an African who
believes he can flap his arms and fly away from the
oppression. There is a woman who dangles from her ear a
box containing her name which is a symbol of her identity.
Solomon's son Jake is renamed Macon Dead by a drunken
union soldier who ignores the importance of a black man's
name and identity. The inter-racial problem is thus one of the
major themes of this novel. In the novel Tar Baby Mr. Street
a white is presented as a good character and the
interdependence of the two races have been underlined.
In her novels Sula, The Bluest Eye, Tar Baby and Song
of Soloman besides the theme of racism, sexism and class
conflict the theme of man and nature relationship is also an
important element in the thematic design.
The conflict between man and nature is intensified by
modern industrial civilization and the novelist's view point is
to seek viable means within the present day conditions to
restore the harmony between man and nature and achieve a
synthesis between the two. According to African philosophy
nature has got spiritual value and it has to be respected by
man. Any conflict with nature and reckless exploitation of
natural resources ultimately leads to alienation of man
suggesting thus that man and nature are complimentary. Her
holistic concept of life gives a place of great importance to a
harmonious relationship between man and nature.
Her first novel The Bluest Eye is divided into four
sections, each named after the season in which an event
takes place. This suggests a close correspondence between
patterns of human life and those of nature.
In Morrison's second novel Sula the land 'Bottom' is a
symbol of black community's life and the attitude of whites
towards blacks. Throughout the novel the nature images of
fire, water, wind and earth are closely linked to the eternal
presence of death. Iva does an unnatural act of burning her
only son which leads to a series of effects. Her entire family
is scorched by her act. In breaking a taboo Eva provokes not
only human disapproval but nature's wrath as well.
In the novel Tar Baby nature again plays an important
role. Much of the novel is set in Isle De Cha Chavelier. Here
at this place nature is presented as both lush and menacing,
working against human control. The ant soldiers invade the
candy kings green house and Jadine falls into quicksand
after a picnic on beach shows nature's working against man.
So, we find that man-nature relationship constitutes
an important component of her dominant ideas presented
through her fictional works. So in the novels of Toni Morrison
we find that the writer is concerned about the collective
aspirations of the Negro community to move from bondage
to freedom. These aspirations are always woven into the
experience of the individual character as a subtle vitalizing
presence. The writer makes us feel that this saga of liberation
has not yet been completed, the liberational aspirations have
taken subtle and devious forms and they have been
accurately discerned by a sensitive writer like Toni Morrison.
So in her novels, besides this journey towards liberation,
Toni Morrison analysis the complexities of class, race and
gender and shows how they affect Afro-Americans still
struggling for liberation. All these themes reinforce each other
and coexist and provide her novels subtle structures. This
critical study of complete design and pattern of all the themes
can lead us to new assessment about Morrison as a novelist.
This can further provide a more balanced and comprehensive
perspective on her art and vision of life.
References :
Primary Sources Toni Morrison's works, Novels :
(1) Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York : Penguin Books
USA Inc, 1991.
(2) Morrison, Toni. Sula. London: Pan Macmilan Publishers
Limited, 1993.
(3) Morrison, Toni. The Bluest Eyes. New York: Simon &
Schuster Inc, 1972.
(4) Morrison, Toni. Jazz. London: Pan Macmilan Publishers
Limited 1993.
(5) Morrison, Toni. Tar Baby. London: Pan Books Limited,
1991.
(6) Morrison, Toni. Song of Soloman. London: Pan Books
Limited, 1993.
Secondary Sources :
(1) Barton, Rebecca Chalmers. Race consciousness and the
American Negro. Copenhagen: Arnold Busch, 1934.
(2) Bell, Bernard. The Afro-American novel and its Tradition.
Amherst: The University of Massachasetts Press, 1987.
(3) Christian, Barbara. Black Feminist Criticism :
Perspectives on Black Women Writers. The Athene Series :
Pergaman, 1985.
(4) Evans, Maried. Black women writers [1950-1980] A
Critical Evaluation. New York : Anchor Press, 1984
(5) Locke, Alain.et al. The Negro in American Literature.
New York: Signet and Mentor 1952.
(6) Mckay, Nellie Y.ed. Critical Essays on Toni Morrison.
Boston : G.K. Hall& Co., 1988.

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