Undoing Gender in Anitha Nair’s The Better Man

Abstract
The article begins by giving a brief introduction to the novel The Better Man by Anita
Nair. The article discusses how Vatsala defies the expected patriarchal norms by
asserting control over Prabhakaran’s property and remaining materialistic. A
discussion is also carried out on how she shuns the traditional role of a woman as a
nurturer and expresses resistance by being a nurturer to herself. The article further
discusses how Vatsala deviates from expected heteronormative gender norms by
having an extramarital affair with Sridhar and through her act of killing her husband
for the sake of lust. The reason behind Vatsala’s act is also discussed. The article also
examines how Meenakshi reverses the expected role of a woman by asserting
economic independence and by becoming the man of the house (i.e., the breadwinner
of the family). The article evaluates how Anjana expresses resistance in her own way
by choosing to live as a spinster. It also discusses how she transgresses societal norms
by having an affair with a much older man. Further discussion is carried out on
Parukutty’s resistance through words and actions against her husband Achuthan Nair
and highlights the consequences she faces. The article concludes by summing up how
women characters undo gender norms and highlights how justice has been
established