Why were women prevented from reading navels in the beginning of twentieth century in India ? Explain any three reasons.
(1) In Europe, images of women reading novel silently, in the privacy of the room became common in European painting. In India, when women began reading or writing novels many people feared that they would now neglect their traditional role as wives and mothers and homes would be in disorder. Thus some people were worried about the ill-effects of novels. Thus women were prevented from reading novels due to the following reasons : The concerns about women suggest that they should stay away from novels because they were easily corruptible or could be influenced. Their divine purpose was to become mothers and lead a happy life. They should not ruin their life by going crazy after despicable novels. By reading novels, women would dwell in imaginary world and forget their duties. (2) Effects : Some parents kept novels in the lofts in their houses, out of their children’s Young people often read them in secret. Older women – some of whom could not read – listened with fascinated attention to popular Tamil novels read out to them by their grandchildren – a nice reversal of the familiar grandma’s tales.
