Flaws and Hope: Reading the Thousand Faces of Night with Shades’ Habits of Hope Theory

Abstract

            Githa Hariharan in her maiden novel, The Thousand Faces of Night, has produced memorable women characters, who have been highly lauded by great critics and general public. Devi, the protagonists of the novel, is identified as an epitome of modern educated girl, who searches for her identity in the transition period of Indian society from conventional social practices to modern aspirations of a liberated woman. Eventhough, Devi is considered as a character, who suffers throughout the novel, she can also be seen as a woman with a determination to live. She has been enamoured with hope to face her challenges boldly. Patrick Shade, an American Psychologist, has brought out the theory, named Habits of Hope, which has provided a complete picture of the functioning of hope in human psyche. Hence, the application of the Habit of Hope theory on the life of Devi could unravel the mysterious pattern of the hope cultivated by her.