The Widows of Malabar Hill

Content Warning: This section includes discussions of racism, addiction, abuse, and violence. 

A major theme of the novel is The Struggle for Gender Equality and Women’s Rights. The Widows of Malabar Hill takes place in the 1920s, an era where women’s rights (especially the right to vote) became a global issue. For Perveen, the struggle to be taken seriously as a professional woman is a major part of her character arc. She is aware of how unusual her education and profession are: “The idea of a woman solicitor was a shock to many” (3). Though her family has supported her fiercely, encouraging her from a young age to value education over housework and to defy some of India’s traditional gender roles, she still feels the burden of pleasing them through her actions. For example, her father will not allow her to display an article written about her career, saying that it was “too much to throw in the faces of clients who needed a gentle introduction to the prospect of female representation” (6). Additionally, though her parents support her profession, they still expect her to abide by many gendered cultural norms, including not speaking to men without a chaperone and asking permission to be out late—something she rebels against when speaking to Cyrus alone, kissing him and sneaking out without permission to meet him.