A STUDY OF MAN-WOMAN RELATIONSHIP IN TASLIMA NASRIN’S 'FRENCH LOVER' (Pages 50-57) by Dr. Geetha. S in THE ENGLISH RESEARCH EXPRESS / ISSN:2321-1164 (Online); 2347-2642 (Print)

The novel French Lover combines fancy and reality to depict the story of a women’s defiance of European racism, male chauvinism and her search for identity. Taslima expresses her thoughts and views through the protagonist Nilanjana. According to Taslima Nasrin a man-woman relationship is “A case for moral equality of women and men with an explicit acknowledgement of difference in women’s and men’s biological functions in society.” French Lover revolves around the protagonist of the novel, Nilanjana Mandol. It explains about the circumstances that prompted Nila to leave her married husband kishanlal, her lesbian relationship with her friend Danielle, rape by her husband’s friend Sunil, the death of her mother Monlina Mondol, her extra-marital relationship with a French man Benoir Dupont, the numerous complexities involved in man-woman relationships and portrays various roles of women in patriarchal society. A detailed study of the relationship between the female protagonist Nilanjana with other men is present in the novel French lover. The author has elucidated numerous complexities involved in man-woman relationships and portrays various roles of women in patriarchal society. Through this novel she has also presented the difficulties of migrants in the west and explains the thoughts of the female protagonist regarding her marriage, and financial independence. Keywords: women’s defiance, European racism, male chauvinism, search for identity, female protagonist, man-woman relationship, moral equality, extra-marital relationship, patriarchal society etc.