• Mr. Sudipta Das

The term "heart of darkness" is used to denote social-psychological-organizational darkness or the dark mindset of gender issues that is prevailed in every heart irrespective of caste, class, even educated and intellectuals in the 21th century Indian society. Patriarchy and caste system historically display itself in the social, legal, political religious, economical organizations of different cultures and most of the contemporary societies practice patriarchy even though not explicitly defined to be by their own institutes and laws. Ruskin Bond, an Indian author of British descent, one of such writers who protests a patriarchal society of the modern time, where the suffering of the women is passively explored. The Room on the Roof, the first novel of Bond, written at 17 and received the John Llewellyn Rhy's Memorial Prize in 1957. If this novel is studied from the female perspective, then it can be recognized that he criticizes the traditional social system, oppression, restriction in the marital life upon women, gender issue and dominant nature of the males over society and individuals. In this novel, the portrayal of women suffering is not very stark and naked, but tries to revisit the role and status of women through the projection of patriarchy. He depicts a society, where the women are seen as nothing but beings with no self-emotion, respect, or even existence in a different way with their attempt to come out of the system but failed and submitted to society. Even Bond starkly shows the dark aspect of caste system in the novel. Being an autobiographical novel, Bond's personal experiences have been expressed here in this novel. Ruskin Bond criticizes the patriarchal society, and how the system penetrates its seeds into society. In the novel the two important women characters - Missionary's wife and Mrs. Kapoor, through whom, Bond very clearly criticizes the darkness of the Indian society. They are trapped into the system and bound by their responsibility, duty to serve family, males. Their desires, personal feelings, emotions are shattered, or better to say that sacrificed to society. These subconscious dark state of mind and practices are well portrayed here.

psychological-darkness, malicious temperament, subjugation, marginalization, patriarchal organization.

"HEART OF DARKNESS THROUGH THE VAGUE LIGHT OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN INDIAN PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL, A ROOM ON THE ROOF BY RUSKIN BOND.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 7, page no.e513-e519, July-2023, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2307452.pdf

"HEART OF DARKNESS THROUGH THE VAGUE LIGHT OF WOMEN EMPOWERMENT IN INDIAN PATRIARCHAL SOCIETY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THE NOVEL, A ROOM ON THE ROOF BY RUSKIN BOND.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.10, Issue 7, page no. ppe513-e519, July-2023, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2307452.pdf