CHANGING ROLES OF WOMEN WITH TIME.

In India women have always suffered due to the patriarchal mindset. They have been discriminated since time immemorial. Since ancient times they had been following the roles assigned to them by the society- the role of a house-maker. The women were always expected to remain within the boundaries of their home and take care of their families. They had no identities of their own. Due to this patriarchal setup they have suffered a lot. However, with the passage of time, she has started identifying the latent power and potentials within herself. Women are trying to empower themselves and establish their identity to leave behind themselves their old marginalized lives. With time, Indian women have started to take small steps to empower themselves. They have begun to step into the frame. The four walls of her home can no longer hold her. She has developed the courage to step out of her house and face the world to create her own identity and live for herself. The Indian women are making themselves capable to stand on their own feet without depending on any man- be it there fathers, brothers, husbands or sons- for their status or power. Women have started realizing the hidden power in them. In a man?s world they are trying their best to give a tough fight to men. This article focuses the journey of the changing roles of women from submissive house keepers to empowered women creating her own identity through the eyes of two Indian authors- R. K. Narayan and Shashi Deshpande. R.K. Narayan?s The Dark Room portrays the beginning of this journey through its central character Savitri which is taken to another level by Daisy in R.K. Narayan?s The Painter of Signs where Daisy is seen as a symbol of change in the role of women in coming time and the journey reaches its zenith in Shashi Deshpande?s The Matter of Time where the mother-daughter duo Sumi and Aru sets an example that whatever the situation may be, women have the power to build themselves and overcome all the hurdles of their life. They go on to prove that women are not just made to manage their homes but they can create their own identity and break these stereotypical gender roles assigned by the society.