The correct answer is 2. I and III (Where Shall We Go This Summer? and Cry, the Peacock).
Here's why:
Anita Desai’s works often deal with themes related to the inner lives of her characters, many of whom are women grappling with emotional, psychological, and societal challenges. In her exploration of women’s lives, Desai portrays how they struggle against societal norms, cultural expectations, and personal crises.
Where Shall We Go This Summer?
This novel revolves around the character Sita, a young woman who is deeply troubled by the societal pressures and her own emotional turbulence. The story addresses themes of emotional alienation, societal expectations, and the conflict between personal freedom and cultural norms. Sita, in the novel, is a representation of the suppression and oppression many Indian women face, especially in terms of societal roles and expectations.
Cry, the Peacock
This novel features Maya, the protagonist, whose life and psyche are deeply affected by her marriage and the constraints it imposes on her. The novel explores themes of loneliness, emotional suppression, and mental breakdown, highlighting the oppressive roles women are forced into by marriage and family. The themes of repression and emotional oppression are central to Maya’s character, making this novel also a strong representation of the suppression of Indian women.
The Zigzag Way
This novel is more focused on the experiences of a man, the protagonist, and his journey of self-discovery, rather than being about the oppression of women. While it includes historical and cultural elements, it does not primarily focus on the suppression or oppression of Indian women. Therefore, it does not qualify as a correct answer to the question.
Baumgartner’s Bombay
This novel tells the story of an outsider, an expatriate, and is more concerned with issues of identity, displacement, and the immigrant experience. It does not specifically address the oppression of Indian women as a central theme.
Thus, Where Shall We Go This Summer? and Cry, the Peacock (I and III) are the novels that most directly deal with the themes of the suppression and oppression of Indian women, making option 2 the correct answer.
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