Understanding Women Subjugation Through Mahasweta Devi’s Bayen (1976-77)

Abstract

Mahasweta Devi continues her fight on the subjugation of women in the patriarchal society. Through the play, Bayen explores the hypocritical shades in the community that prioritize superstition more than the human being. The play Bayen advocates for the minimum rights of women that are taken away by social forces. These social forces have separated a mother from her son in the patriarchal society is explained with eye-catching attention. One of the striking features of all the plays, chiefly Bayen, is the use of mythology by the writer to foreground her views. The Indians have great respect for their mythology, and it helps the writer form a framework for contemporary reality. Mahasweta Devi as a social activist and writer, is insightful in the choice of myths. For her, mythology becomes a vehicle that could reach the common person.