SUDHA MURTHY’S FICTION: FEMINIST ETHICS AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN SELECTED WORK

Niyati S  Vadher; Ruchi V Joshi

doi:10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i11s.2026.8265

Authors

Niyati S Vadher Research Scholar, School of Arts & Humanities, Dr. Subhash University, Junagadh, Gujarat
Dr. Ruchi V Joshi Assistant Professor, School of Arts & Humanities, Dr. Subhash University, Junagadh, Gujarat

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29121/shodhkosh.v7.i11s.2026.8265

Keywords:

Feminist Ethics, Human Rights, Resilience

Abstract [English]

Sudha Murthy’s Gently Falls the Bakula (Murthy, 2006), Wise and Otherwise (Murthy, 2002), and Three Thousand Stitches (Murthy, 2017) serve as powerful narrative interventions that expose systemic human rights violations ranging from the Devadasi system and domestic emotional abuse to elder neglect and educational exclusion (United Nations, 1948). Through a feminist ethical lens, this study explores how Murthy’s characters embody compassion, resilience, and moral resistance within the Indian socio-cultural framework (Gilligan, 1982; Noddings, 1984). By situating her narratives alongside the works of Arundhati Roy, Mahasweta Devi, Alice Walker, and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Roy, 1997; Devi, 1997; Walker, 1982; Adichie, 2003, 2014), the research underscores Murthy’s distinctive contribution to feminist literature blending indigenous ethical traditions with global feminist discourses on justice, empowerment, and dignity (Chakravarti, 2003; hooks, 1990).

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