Challenging Patriarchy and Redefining Women’s Roles
A Liberal Feminist Analysis of One Indian Girl by Chetan Bhagat
Abstract
This research explores the representation of feminist themes in Chetan Bhagat’s novel One Indian Girl, focusing on the character of Radhika Mehta. Through the lens of Betty Friedan’s liberal feminist theory, the study examines how Radhika embodies feminist ideals by challenging traditional gender roles, pursuing a successful career, and asserting her autonomy. The analysis highlights Radhika’s struggle against societal expectations, her commitment to achieving professional success, and her quest for financial independence. The findings demonstrate that Radhika’s character is a powerful example of feminist empowerment, serving as an inspiration for women to pursue their ambitions and challenge patriarchal norms. This study underscores the importance of education, gender equality, and personal freedom in achieving true feminist empowerment.
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References
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Sundararajan, S. & Mohammed. A. (2022). Entrepreneurial opportunities for women. European Journal of Humanities and Educational Advancements, pp. 112-115.
Wise, D. A. (2005). Analyses in the economics of aging. University of Chicago Press.
Zala, M.G. (2021). Women’s struggle in her creativity shows in Sarah Joseph’s Short Story within Every Woman Writer. JournalNX - A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal, 42-43. https://repo.journalnx.com/index.php/nx/article/view/3554
Aravindan, A. V. (2019). An Indian Novelist Chetan Bhagat. International Journal of Scientific Research and Reviews, 8(1)(2279–0543), 454–459.
Bhagat, C. (2016). One Indian Girl. Rupa & Co. Publications.
Bhaskararao, T. (2022). Gender Equality and Women Empowerment. European Journal of Humanities and Educational Advancements, pp. 169-171.
Egbert, J., & Sanden, S. (2013). Foundations of education research: Understanding theoretical components. Routledge.
Fadilla, A. R., & Wiyatmi. (2023). Confrontation actions made by Javanese women in Mangunwijaya’s Durga Umayi: A Study of liberal feminism. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 6(1), 98-106. https://doi.org/10.32996/ijllt.2023.6.1.14
Gunawan, L. (2016). Kesetaraan dan perbedaan laki-laki dan perempuan: Kritik terhadap gerakan feminisme. Societas Dei: Jurnal Agama dan Masyarakat, 3(2), 288-313. https://doi.org/10.33550/sd.v3i2.39
Habiba, U. E., Khan, R. N., & Sharif, S. (2021). A marxist feminist study of male and female images in Chetan Bhagat’s One Indian Girl. Palarch’s Journal of Archaeology of Egypt/Egyptology, 18(10)(1567–214x), 3582–3591.
Hutahayan, R. J. L., Derick, K. C., Roling, N. D., Jeswin, O. R., Supriadi, B. O., Ang, M. W. (2024). Navigating hybridity and female empowerment in Anca’s Journey: A feminist and cultural analysis of migration and identity. Boanerges: Makarios Education Journal, 2(1), 52-63.
Kamini, K., & Komal, S. S. (2025). Women’s solidarity and betrayal in a repressive society. International Journal of Teaching, Learning and Education, 4(3), 41-49. https://dx.doi.org/10.22161/ijtle.4.3.6
Khan, M. S. (2020). Portrayal of women in Chetan Bhagat’s novels. The Creative Launcher, 4(6), 50–55. https://doi.org/10.53032/tcl.2020.4.6.08
Khosla, R., Banerjee, J., Chou, D., Say, L., & Fried, S. T. (2017). Gender equality and human rights approaches to female genital mutilation: A review of international human rights norms and standards.
Reproductive Health, 14, 59 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12978-017-0322-5
Kuiper, K. (2011). The culture of India. Britannica Educational Publishing.
Kulkarni, R. S. (2022). Policy and schemes for women empowerment in India: An Overview. European Journal of Humanities and Educational Advancements, 10 Mar. 2022, pp. 95-98.
Lerner, G. (1986). The creation of patriarchy. Oxford University Press.
Nirmalawati, W. (2018). A dillema of a post-feminist woman: A study case of One Indian girl. Academic Journal Perspective: Education, Language, and Literature, 6(1), 10-18. https://doi.org/10.33603/perspective.v6i1.1063
Parveen, S. & Khadija, P. T. (2021). Multicultural identity crisis in Bharati Mukherjee’s Novel Jasmine. The Creative Launcher, 6(1), 63-68. doi:10.53032/TCL.2021.6.1.08.
Pokharel, B. (2021). A Human not a woman: Radhika in Bhagat’s One Indian Girl. JODEM: Journal of Language and Literature, 12(1), 29–43. https://doi.org/10.3126/jodem.v12i1.38715
Rani, S. (2021). Women empowerment in India: Issues and challenges. International Journal on Economics, Finance and Sustainable Development, 3(9), 75-84. https://doi.org/10.31149/ijefsd.v3i9.2160
Riswan, M., & Banu, M. N. (2021). Liberal Feminist’s perspective on gender. http://ir.lib.seu.ac.lk/handle/123456789/6143
Rosalinah, Y., Subroto, I., Lestari, R. (2022). Feminism reflection through family communication in the main character of Little Women movie. Jurnal Khatulistiwa Informatika, 9(1), 14-20. https://doi.org/10.31294/kom.v9i1.12663
Sapkal, L. D. & Shete, P. G. (2022). Steps towards achieving gender equality. European Journal of Humanities and Educational Advancements, pp. 161-164.
Singh, B. R. (2016). Feminism in Chetan Bhagat’s One Night @ Call Centre. The Creative Launcher, 1(1), 127-130. https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=703876851017
Sivakumar, I., & Manimekalai, K. (2021). Masculinity and challenges for women in Indian culture. Journal of International Women’s Studies, 22(5), 427-436. https://vc.bridgew.edu/jiws/vol22/iss5/26
Sundararajan, S. & Mohammed. A. (2022). Entrepreneurial opportunities for women. European Journal of Humanities and Educational Advancements, pp. 112-115.
Wise, D. A. (2005). Analyses in the economics of aging. University of Chicago Press.
Zala, M.G. (2021). Women’s struggle in her creativity shows in Sarah Joseph’s Short Story within Every Woman Writer. JournalNX - A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal, 42-43. https://repo.journalnx.com/index.php/nx/article/view/3554
Published
2025-06-30
How to Cite
AGUSTIN, Dina; NURHAYATI, Sulasih.
Challenging Patriarchy and Redefining Women’s Roles.
Pioneer: Journal of Language and Literature, [S.l.], v. 17, n. 1, p. 140-153, june 2025.
ISSN 2655-8718.
Available at: <https://unars.ac.id/ojs/index.php/pioneer/article/view/6115>. Date accessed: 05 dec. 2025.
doi: https://doi.org/10.36841/pioneer.v17i1.6115.
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