Through all the incidents, Nair searches for deeper meanings in art and life. Nair's Mistress is set against the backdrop of the River Nila, the Ganges of Kerala. Many Kathakali writers and artists have lived and died there while some continue to live. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay On her education on women's liberation and gender roles in the family, Anita Nair clarifies in an interview with Sneha Subramanian Kanta: I don't know they believe that a woman's emancipation is linked to the roles she has to play in life. In fact, a wife/mother represents only one aspect of the woman in a relationship. However, even as a single woman, she is still a daughter, aunt, etc. So it would be almost impossible for a woman, or even a man, to be completely isolated from relationships. Nair's lover explains Radha's married life and she gets trapped in a love triangle. Nair's concept of a free woman surpasses the limits of economic or social freedom but refers to her attitude of mental and emotional well-being. Anita Nair describes how Indian women are exploited even in modern times by both individuals and society. Nair has revolutionary ideas on marriage, man-woman relationship and the concept of the new woman. Radha is a well educated woman. She works in a company where she falls in love with a senior manager, much older than her. Indeed, man uses his body. At a certain point she becomes pregnant and is aborted. Radha's father, who is aware of what she has experienced in her life, feels distressed because she is the only child of wealthy parents. He thinks marriage is the only solution that will ease his daughter's anguished temper. Her father finds no other way than marriage to save his daughter from depression and social scandals regarding her premarital affair. She is forcibly married to Shyam by her father. For her it is a marriage of convenience. In those days marriage was the ultimate goal for all Indian women. Radha is not happy with her married life. Shyam loves her but they are an unsuitable couple emotionally and culturally. Simone de Beauviour in her The Second Sex says: "The institution of marriage has spoiled the spontaneity of feelings between husband and wife, transforming feelings freely given into obligatory and stridently claimed rights" (445). She is completely dominated by her husband and her older sister. Though Radha is married to Shyam, she doesn't feel comfortable with him. She is forced to become a housewife and has to play the role of a traditional wife. Radha accepts her marriage with Shyam but cannot love Shyam. She doesn't protest every time Shyam makes love to her. She says, “When he responded to my touch and I realized he was trying to block out a memory, I closed my mind” (M 123). At the beginning of her marriage, patriarchy exists in several ways as she is not pregnant even after eight years of marriage. So she is defined as sterile by society. She is blamed by the society though Shyam is helpless. Shyams' dominant nature is to put an end to all his plans. Then Radha reacts with, 'I hope this doesn't undermine your position in society. Is there something I can do that won't do it? I wanted to teach in one of the elementary schools and you said it was too much work for not enough money. When I wanted to start a teaching course, you said the same thing. Then I wanted to open a nursery and you said you didn't want the house filled with screaming children. So I thought I would find something else to do that didn't involve making money, but that's also not right. Am I not entitled to an opinion? I'm your wife. Your wife, me.