"Playing with the Paradoxes of Life --Love and Death": Changing Forms of Patriarchy in K.R. Meera's Hangwoman

This paper offers a close reading of contemporary Indian feminist writer, K.R. Meera's epic novel Hangwoman (2014) that delves into the intricacies of patriarchy, examining its manifestations both in the public and private spheres. Although the title of the novel suggests it as the narrative of a female protagonist into a male dominated profession, her journey is intriguing and through the lens of various characters and their interactions, Meera unveils the nuanced ways in which patriarchal ideologies permeate and influence societal structures and individual lives. It investigates the overlapping, blurring, and melting of boundaries and the constant negotiations between public and private spaces. The current research sheds light on dominant forces of patriarchy in shaping the private as well as public worlds and also focuses on the cultural influences produced by such domination. It delves deep into how the protagonist Chetna, as an individual, strives to carve out a place for herself in the larger society while battling against patriarchal encroachments even in her domestic sphere. The argument here is underpinned by a close textual and thematic analysis of Meera's novel using feminist discourse as a tool. At the end, it traces how power dynamics, gender roles, and societal expectations shape the characters' experiences and relationships.