The Anatomy of Inequality: Gender, Class and Identity in the Fiction of Cauvery Nambisan
Author : S Janani and Dr. L Sangeetha
Abstract :
This paper examines the representation of gender, caste, class, and identity in the fiction of Cauvery Nambisan. As both a practicing surgeon and a novelist, Nambisan occupies a unique place in Indian English literature. Her narratives are marked by an observational clarity that resembles the diagnostic precision of medical practice. Through novels such as The Scent of Pepper, The Hills of Angheri, The Story That Must Not Be Told, and Mango-Coloured Fish, she exposes the structures of inequality that shape everyday life in India. Rather than presenting idealized images of rural or urban society, Nambisan reveals how patriarchy, caste hierarchy, and economic disparity influence personal relationships, professional aspirations, and moral choices.
This paper employs theoretical perspectives such as intersectionality, subaltern representation, and gendered space to analyze how Nambisan’s characters negotiate identity within restrictive social systems. The matriarch Nanji illustrates the burden of tradition within a clan-based society, while Malli’s journey as a doctor reveals gender bias within professional institutions. Similarly, the depiction of urban slum life in The Story That Must Not Be Told highlights the invisibility of the poor, and the psychological struggle of Shari in Mango-Coloured Fish demonstrates the pressure placed upon women within middle-class marriage culture.
By bringing together these narratives, the study argues that Nambisan’s fiction maps the “anatomy of inequality” in contemporary India. Her works show that identity is not a fixed state but a continuous process of negotiation shaped by social structures and personal resilience.
Keywords :
Cauvery Nambisan, Indian English Fiction, Patriarchy, Intersectionality, Gender Identity, Urban Inequality, Rural Healthcare, Feminist Literature, Social Hierarchy, Cultural Tradition.
