The Subaltern Voice and Gendered Experiences in Anita Nair’s Lessons in Forgetting: A Feminist Perspective

Abstract

Post-modern writer Anita Nair is a well-known novelist, playwright, and essayist. Inspired by the idea of “subaltern” put out by Spivak and Gramsci, Nair concentrates on the heroine, Meera, who personifies the hardships of women caught in subservient positions within a society run under male dominance. Anita Nair’s Lessons in Forgetting has female protagonists navigating patriarchal systems that marginalise and subjugate them. The story shows how patriarchal societies limit women to domestic responsibilities by means of male control and manipulation, therefore stifling their activities and ambitions. The paper looks at how Meera loses her sense of self and becomes emotionally and financially reliant on her husband, Giri, even though she is educated and competent of independence. Nair’s book questions these power relations by highlighting the psychological and emotional abuse women experience as well as by honouring their possibilities for self-realization and empowerment.