The Palace of Illusions

In The Palace of Illusions, there are clearly defined roles for men and women. Men are exalted as warriors and statesmen while women are relegated to the domestic arts. Women are not respected intellectually. Dhri’s tutor notes, “As you know, being a girl, [Panchaali] is cursed with a short memory. Additionally, she is of an impulsive nature, a failing of many females” (24). From the very start of the novel, women are regarded as intellectually inferior.

Women are also considered the property of their husbands and must obey them unflinchingly. When it is time for Panchaali to marry, she has no say in the matter. Instead, she must respect the results of the swayamvar, a contest that her father sets up to determine her husband. When Panchaali learns that she will be married to five husbands, she says, “Like a communal drinking cup, I would be passed from hand to hand whether I wanted it or not” (120). Here, she is little more than an object of comfort and pleasure for men. Thus, her community consistently removes agency from women and reaffirms their position as second-class citizens.

Panchaali, however, actively subverts these power structures from the very start of her life. When she is born, Drupad names her Draupadi, which means daughter of Drupad. Panchaali notes, “But in the long run, it would not do. I needed a more heroic name” (5). Here, she is not content to simply be someone’s daughter. Instead, she desires her own identity. She actively seeks power and knowledge every day, which is why she sits in on Dhri’s tutoring sessions. Panchaali explains, “I was determined to learn what a king was supposed to know” (54). She studies books about law and governance, asserting her desire to lead and express her power. Even when she marries, she makes her voice heard in her marriages by actively participating in matters of government.

Panchaali further subverts traditional gender structures by embracing the masculine driving forces of violence and revenge. While women are traditionally seen as nurturers in her community, Panchaali eschews that role in favor of vengeance. Once she is exiled, her sole focus is revenge even though she always judged her father for being driven by revenge. At one point, she recognizes her own hypocrisy and notes, “I’d thought myself above the cravings that drove him. But I, too, was tainted with them, vengeance encoded in my blood” (195). Despite this revelation, Panchaali continues to actively work against the prevalent gender norms in her community.