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Abstract
‘To consent or not to consent’ is the situation of many married women in the Indian household who are subjected to marital rape. Due to the male dominated society, the recessive group faces loss of identity within the matrimonial circle. People in India believe in a common notion that once the girl/women are involved in marital vows, she becomes the property of her husband, losing her individual identity.When a woman leads a life in a patriarchal community, she is victimizedin the name of tradition, religion and culture. This can be noticed from the point of changing the surname to the financial, social dependence on the male members of the family. From the 20th century this issue of violence within marriage has gained international attention. In the novel ‘The Dark Holds No Terrors’, the protagonist Dr. Sarita endures marital rape for a long time and eventually and returns to her parental home from where she had walked out to marry Manu amidst severe family opposition. This paper focuses on marital rape, repercussions and possible solutions.