Gender and Tara

Andharia Darshangi's Assignments
Friday, 6 April 2012
Gender Discrimination in Mahesh Dattani’s “Tara”

Name: Darshangi Andharia Paper: E-c-202: Indian Writing in English Topic: Gender Discrimination in Mahesh Dattani’s “Tara”

SEM: 2, part 1 Year: 2011-2012

Submitted to, Dr.Dilip Barad, Bhavnagar University, Bhavnagar.

Gender Discrimination in Mahesh Dattani’s “Tara”

Mahesh Dattani is an Indian director, actor and writer. He wrote the plays like Final solution, On a Muggy Night in Mumbai, Tara and 30 days in September. He is the first playwright in English to be awarded the Sahitya Academy Award. “Tara” was first published in 1990. This plays is talks about the family tragedy in which the members of the family are suffering. It shows gender difference in Indian society.
Chandan is thinking in London about his past life and he wants to write a play. He had already given the title to the play that is “Twinkle Tara”. They were Siamese child and after the operation they are physically separated but mentally they are joined. There is a difference between sex and gender, it is related to biological term and gender is given by society. Throughout the play Dattani has used this difference of male and female. Even in our primary’s lesson we had one lesson that “Ram khir kha” and “Sita kam kar.” It shows in the play when Tara talks to Roopa about her father and son, she says that

“The men in the house were deciding on whether they were going to hunting while the woman looked after the caves.”

Women have not their own identity in the society. If she is more capable than the man though she will not permitted by her family to go for work. For example Mr. Patel says to Chandan,

“I was just thinking …… It may be a good idea for you to come to the office with me.”

Why Mr. Patel tells only Chandan to join the office. Why not Tara? Because she is girl? Even Chandan says that if Tara will come then and then I will come. She is more capable than me for office work but Mr. Patel don’t allow Tara to come at office.
The play is about issues of class and modern life style and values. Patel and Bharati are educated parents but they crested discrimination in the play. Even Bharati’s father, a resourceful person, is also considered to be one of the factors in this misfortune. She offers her kidney to give a new charge of life to Tara. She knows the reality that after giving the kidney she will not survive but she wants to sacrifice because of her mistake, now she realize the truth and that is why Patel is not agree to donate her kidney. Mr. Patel knows the reality of his wife.

Dr. Thakkar occupies the one on the highest level throughout the play. Tara and Chandan are conjoined, Siamese twins who must be separate to survive. The dichotomy between the twin ‘gendered’ selves is recognized and a physical separation is made through surgery. He is aware that the third leg would stick on better to the female half, yet becomes party to the decision. Tara never got a fair deal, not from nature and not from human being.

Bharati address Tara as “My lovely, beautiful girl and my twinkle Tara.” Bharati is pathetic victim of patriarchy. She was exceptionally conscious for her own sake.

Tara was more enthusiastic and full of jest and spark of life. She had high aspirations which she could not achieve because of her handicapped state while the boy had given the second leg. Why not Tara? Because she is girl? Is being girl in the society a curse? Even this biased thing was done by the woman. Why woman can’t understand the problem of other girl? Always woman have to sacrifice for the man in the society.

The social system in which the girl child has to live and to die. Tara is killed by social system, which controls the minds and actions of the people. At the end of the play, we see Chandan apologizing to Tara in the most moving of all the lines

“Forgive me, Tara

Forgive me for making it

My tragedy.”

Posted by darshangi andharia's assinment at 01:10
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7 comments: 1. ranjan6 April 2012 05:11
A very well-written post. I read and liked the post and have also bookmarked you. All the best for future endeavors
IT Company India
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Replies 1. darshangi andharia's assinment8 April 2012 23:57
Thank you for reading my blog. I hope it will help you somewhere in your work.
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2. komal7 April 2012 03:17 hiii..Drashangi.. you wrote very well about gender discrimination and how society differentiated their behavior with girl child and boy child. And it was very nice blog and understandable.at last you said that girl child died by the social system but can you explain how it was related in the case of Tara's death?
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Replies 2. darshangi andharia's assinment9 April 2012 00:18 yes it is related to Tara's death also because from the beginning she is suffering.And it is because of patriarchal society in which they are living.Tara has not given the third leg because of Bharati's wrong decision.She sacrifice for her brother and dies.Her death is not natural death but at some extent it is murder by society. 3. komal9 April 2012 00:39
Thank you Darshangi..
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3. namrata vyas7 April 2012 03:55
Hi Darshangi,

In today's modern world women have opportunities to progress.

" Dattani's descriminating genders descriminates gender in itself."

If you compare men is superior to women than you are accepting inderectly the fact that men are superior. Share your views please.
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Replies 4. darshangi andharia's assinment9 April 2012 00:32
It is true that now in modern time women have freedom to do whatever they wish.But it doesn't mean that each and every woman get the chance to fulfill their wish and we can not put our hands on our eyes cause in many areas i can see the harsh reality that women'are still suffering one or the another way.And if I am not wrong than the writer of the play has described the same thing in the play and look at the blog carefully i have very clearly put writer's idea.According to your question I may say that surely if you look at towards your society how many women are free to do what they wants to do???
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Blog Archive * ▼ 2012 (10) * ► November (5) * ▼ April (5) * Gender Discrimination in Mahesh Dattani’s “Tara” * Cultural Studies * Culture and Anarchy * Tradition and Individual Talent * Themes, Motifs and Symbols in ‘Wuthering Heights * ► 2011 (5)
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