Depicting Struggle and Strength in Rural India: A Critical Study of The Village by the Sea

  • Unique Paper ID: 201224
  • Volume: 12
  • Issue: 12
  • PageNo: 3399-3401
  • Abstract:
  • Anita Desai is regarded as one of the most distinguished Indian English writers of the post-colonial period. Her contribution to modern Indian English fiction is remarkable, which has earned her recognition as an important literary figure both in India and internationally. Through her creative and distinctive narrative style, she explores new dimensions in fiction while addressing significant social issues present in contemporary Indian society, including both rural and urban contexts. In her works, Desai portrays the conflicts experienced by her characters as they struggle with the harsh realities of life. She also closely examines their inner thoughts and emotions, thereby revealing the psychological complexities of human nature. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the thematic structure of Desai’s novel The Village by the Sea, which is considered one of her notable literary achievements. The novel presents the story of a rural Indian family that endures severe hardships but ultimately reunites happily through the determination and courage of the two young protagonists, Hari and Lila. The story’s main Focus is shown to be the subject of survival, struggle and resilience. Furthermore, through this novel, Desai also addresses several important social concerns relevant to contemporary Indian society. Her powerful thematic focus, deep exploration of human experiences, and effective narrative techniques significantly contribute to the success of the novel and highlight her originality and excellence as a writer of fiction.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{201224,
        author = {S Mohamed Jubair and C Shabharishwaran},
        title = {Depicting Struggle and Strength in Rural India: A Critical Study of The Village by the Sea},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {12},
        number = {12},
        pages = {3399-3401},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=201224},
        abstract = {Anita Desai is regarded as one of the most distinguished Indian English writers of the post-colonial period. Her contribution to modern Indian English fiction is remarkable, which has earned her recognition as an important literary figure both in India and internationally. Through her creative and distinctive narrative style, she explores new dimensions in fiction while addressing significant social issues present in contemporary Indian society, including both rural and urban contexts. In her works, Desai portrays the conflicts experienced by her characters as they struggle with the harsh realities of life. She also closely examines their inner thoughts and emotions, thereby revealing the psychological complexities of human nature. The purpose of this research paper is to analyze the thematic structure of Desai’s novel The Village by the Sea, which is considered one of her notable literary achievements. The novel presents the story of a rural Indian family that endures severe hardships but ultimately reunites happily through the determination and courage of the two young protagonists, Hari and Lila. The story’s main Focus is shown to be the subject of survival, struggle and resilience. Furthermore, through this novel, Desai also addresses several important social concerns relevant to contemporary Indian society. Her powerful thematic focus, deep exploration of human experiences, and effective narrative techniques significantly contribute to the success of the novel and highlight her originality and excellence as a writer of fiction.},
        keywords = {Rural Survival, Socio-economic Inequality, Migration, Environmental Awareness, Modernization Impact, Family Responsibility, Psychological Realism, Rural Development.},
        month = {May},
        }

Cite This Article

Jubair, S. M., & Shabharishwaran, C. (2026). Depicting Struggle and Strength in Rural India: A Critical Study of The Village by the Sea. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 12(12), 3399–3401.

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