Analysis Of Manju Kapur's Novel Custody

Manju Kapur’s fifth novel Custody reflects the contemporary Indian female scenario through the protagonist. The modern notion of globalization and liberalization has made women more conscious and confirm about their space, self-identity and overall satisfaction in their life. To seek the overall satisfaction they dare to break the traditional shackles of the patriarchal and traditional set up existing in the society. The Custody set in a metropolitan city with environment of globalization and financial liberalization of the decade of nineties. The novel explores how materialistic world affects the psychological world of the human beings. In this novel, Manju Kapur has dealt with the women issues like infidelity and infertility and its consequences …show more content…
She explores how the fallout of the marriage institution makes effect on life of the members of institution, especially children. Divorce is one of the dark sides of the family institution that has a long impact on the lives of characters. Mithu Benerji remarks in his review of Custody, “Custody is a novel that is true to the universal angst of modern marriage, with its burden of individualism” (Benerji …show more content…
Kapur is keen enough to capture the lives of wealthy, urban middle-class Indians with their unsettling secrets, dis-functional relationships, their longing for wealth, freedom and space. The novel explores multi- concepts like marriage, freedom, extramarital affairs, infertility, infidelity and sufferings of children, divorced parents and the indifference of Indian judicial system. Manju Kapur explores the selfish world of an individual’s where the concept of mutual understanding among people is replaced by exploitation, manipulation, victimization, alienation, distress and suffering. Each character resembles with present day scenario that today’s individual goes