THE INNER COURTYARD: Stories by Indian Women...

THE INNER COURTYARD: Stories by Indian Women edited by Lakshmi Holmstrom (Virago Press / Trafalgar Square: $13.95; 204 pp.). This intelligent anthology chronicles the changing status of women on the subcontinent during the 20th Century. In the earlier stories, the female characters are little more than chattels of their husbands, fathers and brothers. Lalitambika Antarjanam’s “Revenge Herself” combines a ghost story with a devastating portrait of a high-caste woman who stooped to conquer but found no satisfaction in her victory over oppressive social mores. Ismat Chauthi sums up the traditional position of women in Indian society in “Chauthi ka Jaura” (the name of a special wedding garment), in which a young girl watches her older sister ruin her health in a desperate attempt to win a husband. Together, these well-chosen stories depict the gradual emancipation of women in India, although the most recent stories make it clear that the process is far from complete.