THEME OF SILENCE IN SHASHI DESHPANDE’S NOVEL 'THAT LONG SILENCE' (Pages 31-38) by Miss. B. Divyasree* and Mrs. Paladutu Banulakshmi** in THE ENGLISH RESEARCH EXPRESS / ISSN:2321-1164 (Online); 2347-2642 (Print)

'Silence’ is the recurring theme in post-colonial literature. It is a form of communication. Not all silences sound same. Silence arising in the midst of a conversation can sometimes be comfortable and meaningful, whereas in other situation they remain an obstacle between the communicators. Shashi Deshpande, a well-known Indian Writer in English. This novel deals with the struggle of an educated Indian middle class woman for identity which is completely feministic. It brings out the oppression, suppression, and marginalization of women under patriarchal culture in Indian society. Shashi Despande focuses the self-Concept of Indian women and the importance of erasing the silence. She probes the psyche of Indian women and tries to find out the psychological reasons for the emotional instability and neurosis. That Long Silence explores the reasons and the consequences of alienation in the relationship between husband and wife. Deshpande brilliantly portrays the life of a middle class educated woman named Jaya, Who is caught between traditional and modern code of conduct in India. Shashi Deshpande represents the psychological journey of the quest for identity and self-actualization of Jaya in particular and other Indian proletariat women in general. She employs techniques like stream of consciousness and flashback to explore the psyche of the protagonist. The personal conflicts and the search for identity of the Indian women against the background of patriarchal culture gain a new dimension in hands of sashi Deshpande. Finally shashi deshpande’s protagonist Jaya emerges as a fully transformed New Women and efforts a paradigm shift, while the lower social class women are still struggling for emancipation. The attitudinal postures of Deshpande confine to the theory of Julia Kristina that, The consideration of feminist as marginality offers a position and not the essence, as they exhibit the courage to transcend the marginality and activate their epicanthic participation in life.ilence’ is the recurring theme in post-colonial literature. It is a form of communication. Not all silences sound same. Silence arising in the midst of a conversation can sometimes be comfortable and meaningful, whereas in other situation they remain an obstacle between the communicators. Shashi Deshpande, a well-known Indian Writer in English. This novel deals with the struggle of an educated Indian middle class woman for identity which is completely feministic. It brings out the oppression, suppression, and marginalization of women under patriarchal culture in Indian society. Shashi Despande focuses the self-Concept of Indian women and the importance of erasing the silence. She probes the psyche of Indian women and tries to find out the psychological reasons for the emotional instability and neurosis. That Long Silence explores the reasons and the consequences of alienation in the relationship between husband and wife. Deshpande brilliantly portrays the life of a middle class educated woman named Jaya, Who is caught between traditional and modern code of conduct in India. Shashi Deshpande represents the psychological journey of the quest for identity and self-actualization of Jaya in particular and other Indian proletariat women in general. She employs techniques like stream of consciousness and flashback to explore the psyche of the protagonist. The personal conflicts and the search for identity of the Indian women against the background of patriarchal culture gain a new dimension in hands of sashi Deshpande. Finally shashi deshpande’s protagonist Jaya emerges as a fully transformed New Women and efforts a paradigm shift, while the lower social class women are still struggling for emancipation. The attitudinal postures of Deshpande confine to the theory of Julia Kristina that, The consideration of feminist as marginality offers a position and not the essence, as they exhibit the courage to transcend the marginality and activate their epicanthic participation in life.Keywords: Silence, erasing the silence, husband-wife relationship, martial disharmony temporary withdrawal, quest for identity.