About the Book: Influence of English on Indian Women Writers Voices from
Regional Languages
This book reveals English as culture, politics, lifestyle and social change in
the context of Indian women.
English as a symbol of modernity in India was first accessed by men, giving them
a new image of masculinity while Indian languages were 'feminized—seen as meant
for women. Among upper-caste women, English was a vehicle for social reform and
for lessening seclusion, invisibility and economic dependence. For the so-called
lower castes, the language was aspirational, indicating emancipation and
empowerment possibilities, and threatening upper-caste dominance. English formed
its own language of gender and made womens voices