Patriarchal influence and discrimination in Mahesh Dattani’s Where There’s A Will

Abstract

HASMUKH. Why does a man marry? So that he can have a woman all to himself? No. There is more than that. What? May be he needs a faithful companion? No. If that was it, all men would keep dogs. No. No. I think the important reason anyone should marry at all is to get a son… (CP 475)   

Hasmukh’s words embody the true face of patriarchy and gender discrimination that prevails in a patriarchal society. A collection of individuals constitutes society. However, it is not a mere collection of individuals but the existence of intricate connection among them. Society is always dynamic and ever changing. An individual cannot live alone without co-operation and assistance of the great multitudes. The play Where There’s A Will is rooted in the Gujarati familial value system. Dattani pictures the family ethics of Gujarat in his play. He chronicles the follies and prejudices of Gujarati society.