The post independence period attained a certain maturity in delineating socio- psychological problems of women showing a steady development from modernism to post- modernism. The new opportunities for education and employment, the emergence of new socio-economic patterns and the privileges of new and equal political rights for women are slowly changing the traditional conception of role and the status of women in contemporary society. The contemporary women writers turned upon the literary scene competing with their men counterparts in writing fiction in English. Anita Nair's Ladies Coupe (2001) is a completely gynocentric text. It deals with the Brahmin heroine, Akhilendeshwari. She is a 45 yrs old spinster daughter, sister, aunt and the only provider of her family after her father's death. In this novel, Nair narrates the stories of six women who are travelling together in a ladies coupe of a train, each having a story to tell. The novel questions the status of women in a traditional bound social order that sees women exclusively in the role of an obedient daughter, a docile wife and a breeder of children. The journey in the novel ultimately makes them conscious of their self identity and dignity. This paper is an attempt to bring into focus the female self-discovery through various women characters in the novel.
Research Scholar, P.G. Department of English and Research Centre, Magadh University, Bodh-Gaya
