Breaking the Silence: A Feminist Study of Patriarchal Oppression in Anita Desai’s Cry, the Peacock

Abstract

Anita Desai's Cry, the Peacock (1963) is widely regarded as one of the pioneering works of Indian English fiction that foregrounds the psychological and emotional realities of women living within patriarchal social structures. Through the tragic story of Maya, Desai explores the devastating effects of emotional neglect, gender inequality, and the denial of female subjectivity in a male-dominated society. Maya's intense sensitivity, loneliness, and psychological deterioration are not presented merely as symptoms of individual instability but as consequences of a patriarchal system that silences women's voices and disregards their emotional needs. This paper examines the novel through the lens of feminist literary criticism, drawing upon the theoretical perspectives of Simone de Beauvoir, Kate Millett, and Elaine Showalter to analyse the intersections of patriarchy, marriage, gender identity, and psychological oppression. It argues that Maya's fractured sense of self emerges from the unequal power relations embedded within patriarchal marriage, where male rationality and authority are privileged over female emotion and self-expression. The study further explores Desai's use of symbolism, stream-of-consciousness narration, and psychological realism to expose the invisible forms of violence experienced by women in domestic spaces.