Roots and Shadows is an English-language Indian novel, written by Shashi Deshpande in 1983.
The novel focuses on Indu's interactions with others in her large family and the manner in which this helps to resolve their future and her own personal crisis.
Characters First generation
Akka – The female matriarch of the family Indu's grandfather Old Uncle - Indu's grandfather's cousin
Second generation
Narmada Atya - Indu's aunt Anant Kaka - Indu's uncle Govind - Indu's father Madhav Kaka and Sumitra Kaki - Indu's aunt and uncle Vinay Kaka and Kamala Kaki - Indu's aunt and uncle Sunanda Atya and Vasant Kaka - Indu's aunt and uncle Saroja - Naren's mother
Third generation
Indu - Govind's daughter and the main protagonist Naren - Saroja's son and Indu's illicit partner Jayant - Indu's husband Hemant - Anant kaka and kaki's children Sumant - Anant kaka and kaki's children Padmini - Anant kaka and kaki's children Sharad -Anant kaka and kaki's children Sunil - Madhav kaka and Sumitra kaki's children Lata - Madhav kaka and Sumitra kaki's children Geeta -Madhav kaka and Sumitra kaki's children Vithal - the adopted Brahmin boy
Fourth generation Vishwas - Hemant's children Sanju - Hemant's children
Themes Marriage Joint-family system Infidelity Class and caste relations Feminism Modernism
Analysis and criticism The work has been widely analysed and criticized for its feminist orientation. It has been a source for many thesis and papers on the role of women in society of today. The work is widely appreciated for bringing out the joint family system in Indian society.
References