Deconstructing the Female Psyche: A Gendered Reading of Shashi Deshpande’s The Dark Holds No Terrors

Abstract

The perception of women as subordinate—biologically, psychologically, or socially—to men has long been embedded in patriarchal thought, though it lacks factual basis. Shashi Deshpande, through her literary voice, critiques these deeply rooted structures. Her work portrays the female as a product of, and a response to, male-dominated systems. Feminist literature, especially since the 1960s, has aimed to liberate women from patriarchal control and envision a more equitable cultural paradigm. Deshpande, a leading voice in Indian feminist fiction, uses The Dark Holds No Terrors to explore the internal conflicts of a professionally successful woman negotiating societal expectations and personal trauma. This paper aims to examine the psychological turmoil and gendered identity crisis experienced by the protagonist, drawing upon Simone de Beauvoir's existential feminist theory as articulated in The Second Sex.