Abstract

In twenty first century with changes in many facets of life books for children also have changed from simple stories that are rich in morals and traditions to those that reflect the new changing society. Children’s literature from India is not yet recognized around the world, but it is certainly spreading its wings. Writers of children’s literature produce books, both traditional and contemporary, that reflect Indian reality in content, style, visuals and production. Childhood is a very important period in the formation of character and for the emergence of a value structure in the life of a human being. This paper is focused on the presentation of a new girl by a children novelist Kashmira Sheth. Keeping Corner is the powerful and enchanting novel juxtaposes Leela's journey to self-determination with the parallel struggle of her family and community to follow Gandhi on the road to independence from British rule. The setting of the novel is before 1947 when India was struggling for independence from the colonizers. Freedom fighters like Gandhiji were struggling for getting ‘Purna Swaraj’ in India. In this research paper, it is discussed how the girls also faced ‘interior colonization’ from the patriarchy before independence. They were victims of different traditional evils like child marriage and child widowhood. The girls like Leela fight against the traditional customs and inequality of gender and tries to get ‘purna Swaraj’. Gandhi’s pursuit of freedom from colonial control is consistently shown to inspire Leela’s own pursuit of freedom from patriarchal constraints. Gandhi is struggling for freedom of the nation and Leela is struggling for liberation of self and women in general.

Key words: Interior colonization, oppression, patriarchy, gender equality, new Indian girl.