The New Indian woman: Who is she, and what is “New” about her?

SynopsisThis article explores the rapid evolution of the New Indian Woman, defined as an urban, educated, middle classed Indian woman, whose development has paralleled the equally rapid growth of the middle-classes in India. It explores the double-edged positionality of women negotiating their societal roles and places, within and without the family and home. The oeuvre of Deshpande is particularly edifying in such a study as the progression of her novels and character depictions (spanning decades) reflects, traces, and captures the rapid social and cultural changes which have been taking place in urban India as a result of swift economic development and expansion. The works of other contemporary Indian women writers are also discussed for their conceptualization of what constitutes the New Indian Woman. These contemporary writings highlight social norms which may have been expected to change, but remarkably, either have not, or else have simply assumed a new guise.