Modernity in Modesty: The Politics of Clothing and Choice in the Works of Sudha Murthy

Abstract

The things Sudha Murty writes about occasionally reverse an efficacious transformation of cloth into dignity, resistance, and cultural continuity. This paper attempts to analyze how her female protagonists in Mahashweta confront social realities with respect to modesty as embodied in attire: remnants of inherited value but also signs of emerging new agency. As seen in the works of Three Thousand Stitches, Wise and Otherwise, and Dollar Bahu, Murty seems to re-interpret modesty not as submission, but rather as a conscious choice worthy of consideration-clothing in itself becomes an expression of silent dissent, multiple identities, and emotional resilience in a rapidly metamorphosing India.