Social Exclusion and Resistance: Gendered Struggles in P. Raja’s Short Stories

Abstract

P. Raja is an Indian English-language writer whose short stories engage with caste, class, and gender in complex ways. His tales, with their colourful characterizations and pain-felt portrayals of everyday lives, throw light on the interplay of social exclusion and, more specifically, gender-based discrimination. This paper examines how P. Raja's stories depict the gendered struggles of marginalized women and their resistance to societal structures that enforce exclusion. An analysis of select short stories will show how women act as catalysts for change and illustrate the strength to endure oppression, focusing on the resilience of the characters. By applying feminist literary theory, this study examines Raja’s subtle representation of gender roles, subversion, and empowerment in rural and urban India. In the end, it discusses how Raja's work contributes to gender equality and social justice in contemporary India.