Write a detailed note on the themes present in The Binding Vine.

 The Binding Vine has several themes that can be broadly separated for discussion such as the theme of rape, human relationships, women’s bonding, and death and fear. The theme of death and agony runs as a current all through the novel; the theme of rape gives rise to women’s issues and pushes the novel towards a feminist discussion, the theme of human relationships works on the social as well as metaphysical levels and makes the reader brood over man-woman relationships; and finally the theme of women’s bonding gives a psychologicalslant to the novel. 

The Theme of Rape

In her interview with Lakshmi Holstrom, Shashi Deshpande narrates how she chanced upon the theme of rape for her new novel, The Binding Vine. She relates an incident that happened in a hospital where her husband was working. They were staying next to the nurses’ quarters at that time. There was a particular nurse whom they used to see coming and going everyday. She was a very pretty, attractive woman, a radiant kind of person. She was raped and was found lying unconscious in the basement of one of the hospital buildings. She never recovered consciousness.

Shashi Deshpande incorporates the above incident in her thematic structure. But, she is an astute writer and she does not weave the story only on one theme. In order to give it depth she tackles the problem from two dimensions. Along with Kalpana’s case, she takes up the case of Mira.

Theme of Feminism

Before we find out the feminist theme in The Binding Vine, let us give some thought to feminism in general. Feminism can be simply defined as a socio-economic political movement started in the West in the 18th and 19th centuries. It demanded right to property, right to vote and other legal rights. Later, women demanded equality and raised many more issues concerning women’s status in the family and society. Of late, many feminists are voicing their concern for women’s silence, their marginalization, and abuse of the female body.

When we study The Binding Vine in the light of these issues we discover that Shashi Deshpande subtly shows women’s submission, their lack of voice, the society’s attitude to their suffering and the abuse of a woman’s body, through the various women characters. But, she also shows the changes in social perception. For example, Urmi certainly has more choices than her predecessors like Mira, Akka or Inni. Here we pause for a while and ask, “Is Shashi Deshpande a feminist writer?”

The Theme of Love, Marriage and Sex

Marriage is the oldest institution of human society,on which have hinged social discipline and a sense of security. But of late, this institution has come under scrutiny. Particularly in literature, the writers are questioning it. Shashi Deshpande does not repudiate it. She upholds it and at the same time she shows us its weak spots. There are several married couples whose lives come under her scanner. Urmi-Kishore, Vanaa-Harish, Mira, Akka and their husband, Inniand her husband i.e. Urmi’s father, Shakutaiand her husband and Sulu-Prabhakar. These marriages are not described in the novel but there are many probing questions and revelatory remarks to show how satisfying or dissatisfying they are or were.

The Theme of Human Relationships

Shashi Deshpande’s novels generally centre on family relationships

In The Binding Vine human relationships are explored with all their possible pros and cons—husband-wife, mother-daughter, male-female, mother-child, woman- woman bonding and human bonding. Thus, the central theme of the novel is the “binding vine” of relationships that ties us together. We cannot shrug it off because it is love that is the binding vine.

Human relationship means building bridges between situations and across people. Man-woman relationship is based on the bridge of understanding and a common well being. There is an undercurrent of love and affection that gives meaning to it. When love becomes selfishly blind, the bond loosens and misery follows.

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