The paper explores the representation of female agency in Mahasweta Devi’s The Mother of 1084, a politically significant narrative situated within the Naxalite movement in Bengal. The study examines the simultaneous suppression and shaping of women’s identities through the protagonist Sujata’s journey of grief and awakening within patriarchal structures. Sujata’s understanding of her oppression in both domestic and political contexts converts her grief into a manifestation of self-awareness and subtle defiance. The different female characters – Nandini, who is rebellious; Tuli, who follows the rules; and Somu’s mother, who survives without fighting back – show the different ways that women can make choices in oppressive systems. The paper contends that Devi’s depiction of “existence” and “exit” functions as a crucial metaphor for establishing women’s autonomy within patriarchal and class structures. Devi’s nuanced exploration of motherhood, grief, and solidarity highlights that female agency is neither uniform nor universal, but rather dependent on socio-political and personal circumstances.
Ashique Rashul (Mon,) studied this question.