“outsideness when they are thrust out of the security of home. But to a great extent their experiences of displacement are portrayed, not so much as melancholic, but as necessary and even welcome. Recalling the reasons why he left for the West, Rai, Vina’s secret lover and the first-person narrator of the novel, calls Bombay a mother’s womb that he has had to stay away from in order to bring himself into being: “Many youngsters leave home to find themselves; I had to cross oceans just to exit Wombay, the parent body. I flew away to get myself born” (100).” (Chun-Yen Chen, 2010, p.51)
Hence, in conclusion, both works of literature in discussion offer a rich tapestry of female power. The two characters in discussion might be separated by milieus, circumstances and eras, but yet, there is unity in their diversity. What unite them are their strength and their power of enchantment. In worlds dominated by men, they mark their identities by not competing with them but by suitably complementing and supplementing them. Through the vibrancy and vivacity of their personalities, Qara Koz and Vina Apsara are valuable additions to the annals of feminist heroines. In a broader sense, they posit possibilities for human interpersonal relationships – of the intimate nature and otherwise.
Works Cited
Chen, Chun-Yen. “A Place That Is Other: Ethos of Groundlessness in Rushdie’s the Ground beneath Her Feet.” Mosaic (Winnipeg) 43.4 (2010): 51+.
Hitchens, Christopher. “Cassocks and Codpieces: Salman Rushdie’s Ebullient Historical Novel Manifests Both His Dexterous Erudition and His Bawdy Wit.” The Atlantic Monthly July-Aug. 2008: 135+.
Mishra, Pankaj. “The Ground beneath Her Feet.” New Statesman 9 Apr. 1999: 42+.
“Novel Views; Celebrated Novelist Sir Salman Rushdie Talks to Hannah Stephenson about the Break-Up of His Fourth Marriage and How Writing His Latest Novel, the Enchantress of Florence Helped Him to Cope with It.” The Journal (Newcastle, England) 19 Apr. 2008: 35.
Pirbhai, Mariam. “The Paradox of Globalization as an “Untotalizable Totality” in Salman Rushdie’s the Ground beneath Her Feet.” International Fiction Review (2001): 54.
Tripathi, Salil. “Age of Empires.” New Statesman 28 Apr. 2008: 57+.