International Journal of Development in Social Sciences and Humanities

One of the most exciting features of English literature today is the explosion of post-colonial literature– literature written in English in formerly colonized societies. Post-colonialism is an umbrella term inclusive of all discourses that challenge the dominance of all kinds of hegemony in all walks of human life. When two cultures sharing unequal power confront each other, the weaker culture seeks different alternatives to meet the situation. Anita Desai's Fasting, Feasting is a novel of contrast between two cultures, the one, Indian, known for its pious and longstanding customs representing 'fasting,' and the other, American, a country of opulence and sumptuousness epitomizing 'feasting.' The paper shows how authentically the writer represents the deplorable status of women in Indian society.