Psychological Conflict in the Fiction of Anita Desai

While going through the fiction of Anita Desai, what impressed me most is the manner how she peels off layer after layer the inner self of her protagonists and places it before the reader in a very vivid and realistic manner. Many a time the reader gets so much involved with these protagonists that he not only participates but also shares their joys and sorrows; moments of anguish and concern. This psychological aspect of Desai’s work has interested me most. The present work was initiated with a two fold purpose in mind i.e. (I) to pin-point and explain some of the psychological conflicts which the major protagonists undergo at certain points of time under different situations of their life and (II) to analyse the language of these conflicts at certain level. I personally believe that the in-depth study of language can help in better understanding, greater appreciation and enjoyment of any literary work. Only the reader can judge, how far I have succeeded in this humble attempt.