Significance of the Title That Long Silence

Here we will discuss the significance of the Title That Long Silence by Shashi Deshpande and prove it relevant by using some important related incidents.

Introduction of the Significance of the Title That Long Silence

Indian feminist author Shashi Deshpande’s fifth novel, That Long Silence (1988), won the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1990. The novel sketches the story of an Indian woman who resorts to silence all through her life amidst difficulties and finally breaks that silence. The Significance of the Title That Long Silence and its Relevancy is proved in this novel by Shashi Deshpande. The characters of this novel are related to the title.

Shashi Deshpande’s Eminence as a ‘Thoughtful Novelist:

Shashi Deshpande is one of the foremost novelists active in the literary arena. She has a cute power of observation of contemporary Indian society. “That Long Silence’ raises some very disturbing questions about some aspects of social life in India. It also has a role in bringing different aspects of the novel and various characters together in a bond of artistic coherence. As a result of it, the title of the novel assumes added significance. It is worthwhile to examine it at length to judge its appropriateness.

Jaya’s Silence Defines Her Dilemma:

The word ‘silence’ has most obviously been used in the novel for its protagonist Jaya. She is a modern, educated woman. She had been rebellious and questioning nature as an adolescent. She faces a dilemma when her husband expects her to play the role of dutiful wife. He had been suspended from service on a charge of bribery. He is now out of his sense of security. He expects his wife to support him openly. But she keeps silent over the matter. She poses to be a mere passive spectator.

Her silence is mistaken as defiance by her husband. He rather suspects that she is spreading the news of his misdoings among her relatives. Her husband, therefore, in a mood of extreme sorrow, leaves the flat, threatening never to return to her.

It is against this background that the expression “That Long Silence” gets currency. The very meaning of silence defines the self and soul of Jaya. It rather becomes the very synonym of Jaya. The title of the novel thus can be taken to convey the sheer helplessness, loss of self, passivity and mental enslavement of old conventions. The title is further enforced by the example of other characters who are destined to be chained similarly. Thus, Jaya’s Silence defines the Significance of the Title That Long Silence.

The Long Silence of Mohan’s Mother

One comes to know through Mohan’s sister, Vimla that his mother too passed her life in a long silence. Her husband, i.e. Mohan’s and Vimla’s father was a cruel-hearted person. He would have come late and insisted on his wife cooking food for him there and then. He never bothered to see what she had been engaged in.

The poor mother had to passively submit to his inhuman treatment. Often while cooking she would have painful feelings in her limbs. As a result, she would not be able to move them. Later we come to know that she was seeking the help of a midwife for terminating an un ated pres, Nancy. The medication administered to her led to her death in great agony and pain. Sne bore all her tragic fate in total silence and never uttered a Waziri pain or anger. Thus, the novel’s title applies to both Jaya and Mohan’s mother.

Vimla’s ‘Long Silence’:

Vimla is Mohan’s sister. Her fate is no different from her mother’s. She died of a most painful tumour in her ovaries. She was aware of the pain, but she refrained from seeking its cure. Rather she went on bearing the pain stoically. She was issueless and therefore she did not want to seek medical help. She feared that her ovaries would be removed and it would render her incapable of bearing a child. It is this long silence that the novelist seeks to capture in her portrayal of Indian society in her novel.

Kusum’s ‘Long Silence’:

Kusum is another character who maintains a long silence. She is a niece of Jaya. She has been deserted by her husband. She is taken by her relatives as a burden. Her children ridicule her. Later she dies unwept, unlamented, and unloved. Even after her death, even his parents never miss her at all. It seems as if Kusum walked through her life unseen, unheard. “That Long Silence of her life is also part of the story of the novel of that title.

Other Silences:

Jaya is not the only silence under focus. There is other silence too. We have references of the women in the Nair family. Asha, the wife of Jaya’s younger brother, Ravi can also be included while talking of the justification of the title of the novel.

The whole Nair family committed suicide by common agreement. They put the end of their lives because they could not face their poverty. Jaya’s younger brother, Ravi asks Jaya to patch up between him and his wife Asha. Or else, he would divorce her. The wife, Asha, is to be seen as somebody who has no role in the whole discussion. Her fate has to be decided without any consultation with her. The novel may not have given prominence to Asha’s silence. but it is very much the part of the novel “That Long Silence“.

Jaya Breaks out of the Silence:

It is Jaya in the novel who finally breaks out of the silence. She has to go through a process of soul-searching before she can assert herself. She is helped by the emotional support of her neighbour, Mudeta. Her act of confiding in Mukta releases the pent-up feelings of her heart and she can breathe easily. It is in this spirit that Jaya assures her son, Rahul, that all will be well and that Mohan will soon be back.

Jaya Evolves a New, Mature Self:

It is towards the end of the novel when Jaya seems to have evolved into a new and mature self. She has developed a sober outlook. She seems to have made certain discoveries about herself. In addition to this, she feels capable of defining her new role in the world. She tells herself, ” I will have to speak to listen to ease that long silence between us”.

Citing the examples from the Gita she says that she and Mohan are on equal footing. See would seek to forge that relationship on par with him and start life afresh. This newfound assurance would work to erase the silence between them. That way she would be offering to her other sisters a way out of the mould which suffocates them. She gives the final message that silence is a sure killer.

Conclusion: Significance of the Title That Long Silence

In short, one can easily see the significance of the Title That Long Silence. It not only brings together the sad stories of many characters but also takes one straight to the very heart of the matter. Therefore, the title “That Long Silence’ is suggestive and little given to the novel by Shashi Deshpande.

Key Facts

TITLE NAME:	That Long Silence
NOVELIST:	Shashi Deshpande
LANGUAGE:	English
PUBLISHED:	1988

NOTE

(This is the answer to the questions which are bellowed.)

1. Comment on the symbolic significance of the Title That Long Silence. OR

Give your views on the metaphysical and metaphoric significance of the title That Long Silence.

“Silence in the novel functions most meaningfully and artistically as a metaphor encompassing diverse implications.” Examine the appropriateness of the title of the novel ‘That Long Silence’.

FAQ