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From Possession to Presence: Masculine Identity in Anitha Nair’s Selected Novels-Mistress, Lessons in Forgetting, and Better Man
Subject area: Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities · Area of research: Indian Writing
DOI: https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I2-1722128
Abstract
Anitha Nair’s fiction consistently interrogates gender roles in contemporary Indian society, particularly the construction and transformation of masculine identity. This paper examines the evolution of masculinity in three of her significant novels: Mistress (2005), Lessons in Forgetting (2010), and Better Man (2013). Traditionally, male characters in Indian narratives are associated with authority, dominance, and possession. However, Nair destabilizes these conventions by tracing a gradual movement “from possession to presence.” In Mistress, masculinity manifests through the urge to possess women and art. In Lessons in Forgetting, this model fractures under the weight of trauma, guilt, and emotional inadequacy. Finally, in Better Man, masculinity is reconstructed through empathy, vulnerability, and relational responsibility. Through close textual analysis, this paper argues that Nair dismantles hegemonic masculinity and proposes an alternative framework where the “better man” is defined not by control but by emotional presence and ethical accountability.
Keywords
Anitha Nair, Masculinity, Indian English Fiction, Gender Studies, Possession, Presence, Emotional Identity
How to cite this paper
@article{1722128,
author = {M. Santhoshkumar, Dr. A. S. Mohanagiri},
title = {From Possession to Presence: Masculine Identity in Anitha Nair’s Selected Novels-Mistress, Lessons in Forgetting, and Better Man},
journal = {Iconic Research And Engineering Journals},
year = {2026},
volume = {10},
number = {2},
pages = {528-530},
issn = {2456-8880},
url = {https://www.irejournals.com/formatedpaper/1722128.pdf},
abstract = {Anitha Nair’s fiction consistently interrogates gender roles in contemporary Indian society, particularly the construction and transformation of masculine identity. This paper examines the evolution of masculinity in three of her significant novels: Mistress (2005), Lessons in Forgetting (2010), and Better Man (2013). Traditionally, male characters in Indian narratives are associated with authority, dominance, and possession. However, Nair destabilizes these conventions by tracing a gradual movement “from possession to presence.” In Mistress, masculinity manifests through the urge to possess women and art. In Lessons in Forgetting, this model fractures under the weight of trauma, guilt, and emotional inadequacy. Finally, in Better Man, masculinity is reconstructed through empathy, vulnerability, and relational responsibility. Through close textual analysis, this paper argues that Nair dismantles hegemonic masculinity and proposes an alternative framework where the “better man” is defined not by control but by emotional presence and ethical accountability.},
keywords = {Anitha Nair, Masculinity, Indian English Fiction, Gender Studies, Possession, Presence, Emotional Identity},
month = {August},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.64388/IREV10I2-1722128}
}