The depiction of Marriages in the stories of the Inner Courtyard.

The stories of the Inner Courtyard deal with feminine perspectives on various issues, of which the
institution of marriage is of prime importance. This essay will analyse the manner in which marriages
have been depicted in the stories through the three aspects of
parental pressure, gender
discrimination and the factor of compatibility in marriages
The prominence of parental pressure is seen in the story Chauthi Ka Jaura where the fact that Bi
Amma sees a prospective groom in Raahat , of whom she has no knowledge, just proves her
desperation to get her daughter Kubra married. The family sell off their assets and feed Raahat
lavish meals in the hope that he will marry Kubra. There is also a dominance of customs as the
mother, being a seam-stress wants to see Kubra in a trousseau, without analysing the practical
aspects of the match. Thus, through an ironic ending , the writer shows how parents actually bring
about the destruction of their own daughters by a rigid insistence on marriage, being impervious to the
peripheral realities. All this desperation leads to the death of Kubra due to malnutrition. The story
shows a subversion of the role of a mother as Bi Amma is indifferent towards the well- being of Kubra
and simply wants a match for her at any cost. The over dependence on marriage is due to the lack of
education and subsequent lack of financial independence.
If Chauthi ka Jaura was about financial constraints and social customs that dominate marriage, The
Meeting portrays the lack of choices presented to women. Sakina, 29, unappealing and unattractive
faces sarcastic and caustic remarks from her father for having been unmarried. The inability to get a
suitor is seen as a demeaning quality and one that brings down her dignity and self-esteem several
notches. To show how monotonous her existence was, the writer uses the images of the spiral
staircase and lot of repetition of words like round and round. In addition to this, the fact that there is a
tacit assumption that Sakina would give her consent to the match, just proves that a girl would have
little say or voice in matters like her own marriage. In addition , Sakina is faced with the prospect of
either marrying Mr Jamals son or spending the rest of her life suffering the taunts of her father, thus
showing the total lack of choices for women. Here again, the writer makes use of very effective
metaphors to portray the sense of Sakinas disappointment, she felt like a huge rock was making its
way to her.
The second aspect of Marriage is that of gender discrimination which is seen through couples like the
one in The First Party. The disparity in their backgrounds makes it difficult for them to see things from
the same perspective. Published in early 1950s, the story is set in the background of post colonial
India, when forces of globalization were at work and hence portrayed a society in a state of flux and
change. Through the use of color symbolism, red talons and motifs of light and darkness, the
writer brings out the internal conflict of the protagonist which is due to the contrasts in their cultural
backgrounds and value systems thereby becoming a source of conflict and anxiety. The theme of
male domination is seen through the fact that it is the wife who is expected to conform as is seen
through the husbands words Let me teach you or give me some time.
Though most of the marriages in the anthology would have evidences of male domination, in My
Beloved Charioteer, Ajis narrative exposes the one-sided relationship that a couple share in the
marriage. Through a constant switching between the past and the present , Ajis flashbacks show
how there was no gender equality and how marriage had a very superficial significance in her life.
The instances where Ajis husband would bring her saris of colors that she did not like, clearly proves
that she was the least important of the two. Thus the portrayal of women as lacking the power of
decision-making, victims of gender-role playing and the silenced lot is done very effectively.
In the Library Girl , the superior position of Talat's father is evident as the mother has no say in the
matter of the burqa. When she tries to question her husband about the stopping of Talats education,

he shouts at her calling her a fool woman". The writer uses a lot of vivid imagery and symbols to
portray the insubordinate status accorded to women. The use of negative diction like, Her eyes
were like crows trapped in the cage of her face, brings out their suppressed state and shows how
they were in fetters of customs. The burqa is a symbol of patriarchal oppression and thus the father
could be said to be an agent or instrument of this. The incident where Talat is given the burqa shows
the suppressed anger of both the mother and grandmother and proves that century-old traditions only
perpetuate the myth of male superiority. Here again the mention of the tomb in the basti foreshadows
a conflict between convention and modernity with the woman caught in the middle doing the balancing
act.
So far the marriages seen have all portrayed the woman as the inferior of the two genders and a
victim of convention and conformity. However, one marriage in which there is a mention of equality
is that of Aarti in My Beloved Charioteer. Aartis character is one of a recluse who refuses to let go of
the sorrow of her husbands death. There is a clear juxtaposition between the two marriages where
Madhavs and Aarti is the one based on love, equality and companionship. As Shashi Deshpandes
story was written much later, it voices the new, progressive woman who is slowly casting off the old
cloak of sacrifice and secondary status, stepping out of the duty-bound, stereo typical wife into a
marital world of companionship and fulfilment. The parallel narrative effectively captures the contrast
between the two marriages, while the constant switching between past and present shows how
marriages have evolved over the years.