LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 25:6 June 2025
ISSN 1930-2940

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Beyond the Page: Exploring Women's Rights and Representation and Writer's Mental Health in Literary Discourse

Ravindra Goswami and
Ravindra Kumar Singh

Abstract

This paper delves into the intricate relationship between women's rights, representation in literary discourse, and the mental health of the writers who craft these narratives. By analyzing the works of key feminist authors such as Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Meena Kandasamy, and Indira Goswami, the study investigates how women's struggles for autonomy and equality are reflected and refracted through the lens of both societal expectations and personal mental health challenges. Using feminist literary criticism alongside psychological insights, the paper explores how mental health influences not only the creative process but also the portrayal of female characters and feminist ideals. Ultimately, this research highlights the nuanced intersections of gender, mental health, and literary representation, offering new perspectives on both feminist discourse and the role of personal psychology in shaping literature.

Keywords:feminist literary criticism, women's rights, mental health, literary representation, gender

Introduction

Literary discourse has long served as a powerful medium for exploring societal issues, including the struggle for women's rights and representation. Throughout history, writers have used their works to question gender norms, critique patriarchal structures, and advocate for equality. However, less attention has been paid to how the mental health of these writers intertwines with their portrayal of women's rights and representation in literature. In this paper, I investigate how mental health influences both the creation of feminist narratives and the depiction of female autonomy, through a focused analysis of authors like Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, Meena Kandasamy, and Indira Goswami. Writers, particularly those advocating for women's rights, often grapple with profound personal and psychological challenges, which can manifest in their works. The pressures of societal expectations, coupled with personal mental health struggles, shape their creative voices and narrative choices. As feminist literary criticism continues to evolve, it is essential to consider the role of mental health in shaping both the authors' perspectives and the literary portrayal of gendered experiences. By integrating feminist theory with mental health discourse, this paper aims to reveal the deep, and often underexplored, connection between these two facets of literary creation. The works of Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf, for instance, are rife with complex depictions of women's roles in society, autonomy, and mental illness. Both writers struggled with their own mental health, and their internal battles are intricately woven into their literature, offering rich insights into how personal experiences shape their feminist messages. Similarly, contemporary writers like Meena Kandasamy and Indira Goswami navigate the intersections of gender and mental health in their exploration of women's oppression and autonomy in a postcolonial and cultural context.

This research, therefore, poses the following questions: How do writers' mental health struggles influence their representation of women's rights and feminist discourse? What insights can be drawn from their narratives that reflect both personal and broader societal struggles? Through a close examination of these authors and their works, this paper contributes to an interdisciplinary conversation, merging feminist literary criticism with psychological theory to deepen our understanding of both gender representation and the writer's mind.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Ravindra Goswami
Seth G.B. Podar College, Nawalgarh (Raj)
goswami.raaj23@gmail.com
&
Ravindra Kumar Singh
Associate Professor and Head of Department Department of English and American Studies, K. K. P. G. College, Etawah (U. P.)
ravdee@gmail.com
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