|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stree: Upekshita
Despite the changes that have taken place in Indian society, the Indian woman continues to languish and be seen as a subject that is a creation of mythology, with a history of subjugation and stereotyped social responses. Today, a number of readers might feel that there is nothing revolutionary about the book but then this response itself is a tribute to the contribution made by de Beauvoir to give a new direction to the attitude of the world. Translating such books is never easy, but the Hindi translator, Dr Prabha Khaitan has done justice to her subject. She has not only steered clear of the common failing of rendering a transliteration of the original text but has also done it in a way which is not alien to Indian readers. Just as the kind of book Simone de Beauvoir wrote could only have been written by a woman, its faithful translation could only have been done by a woman who could understand the suffering of women and resist the temptation of being pedantic. The title of the book, Stree: Upekshita, places the theme and subject of the book in the Indian context. It would be fair to say that the book, which not only deals with the physical and psychological existence of woman, but also bares some truths about her which might be stored in some dark recess of a reader’s consciousness but of which the reader may be unaware. There is little doubt that long after having contributed to the emancipation of the western woman, the book is bound to influence Indian readers, especially at a time when the forces of revivalism are asserting themselves. The book has been reasonably priced and is a must-read book not only for women but enlightened men, too. |
IT has taken an inordinately long time to come in
paperback in Hindi but the wait has been worthwhile for the readers. It
would be an understatement to say that Simone de Beauvoir’s The
Second Sex, ever since its publication in French in 1949 and English
translation in 1953, has captivated the imagination of only the women.
The poignant yet analytical history of the oppressed woman has opened
the eyes of the men too, thereby hastening the process of attitudinal
change, which was the hallmark of the 20th century western world.
