GENDER INEQUALITY, CRISIS OF SELF-IDENTITY, AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN MEENA KANDASAMY’S WHEN I HIT YOU: OR, A PORTRAIT OF THE WRITER AS A YOUNG WIFE

Abstract

Marriage is a socio-cultural and legally recognized institution that establishes a sacred bond between two individuals, encompassing mutual rights and responsibilities. Many aspire to find an ideal partner through marriage; however, this aspiration often remains unfulfilled. In many instances, women bear the brunt of this disappointment, as they tend to make greater sacrifices to foster a nurturing home and family within Indian society. Meena Kandasamy’s works, particularly ‘When I Hit You’ and ‘A Portrait of the Writer as a Young Wife,’ stand out as significant contributions addressing the issue of marital sexual violence. This poignant narrative, presented from a first-person perspective, features an unnamed female narrator who experiences isolation following her marriage. She falls in love with a college lecturer and enters into matrimony, only to face numerous violent challenges imposed by her husband, ultimately prompting her to make the courageous decision to leave her abusive relationship. The author delves into various strategies for confronting violence and highlights how society often normalizes the abuse that women endure from their spouses. This narrative underscores the perpetuation of gender-oppressive ideologies and behaviors, regardless of an individual’s education, social class, or political beliefs. It serves as a cautionary tale about how a marriage that appears successful can, in reality, be marked by violence, oppression, and abuse, often unnoticed by those around it. This research paper will examine how the narrator, along with countless women in India, confronts issues of gender inequality, self-identity crises, and marital violence, drawing on the text ‘When I Hit You’ by Meena Kandasamy. Keywords: Communism, epiphany, existentialism, feminism, gender inequality, marital violence.