Anantha Murthy’s novel Samskara has achieved translated recognition nationally and internationally as a modern classic of Indian literature. Though it has generated much critical comment, insufficient attention has been given to its gender representation. Discussions of the novel’s gender politics have either focused on its positive representations of feminine beauty and initiative or have taken a bleak view of its sexist arrangements. Re-scrutinising the novel’s gender representation through culturally coloured lenses, this article uncovers other sites of gender discrimination and identifies a subtext that can offer a more positive inflection to Samskara’s gender politics.
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