A Multidisciplinary Research Journal - Devanga Arts College

stream. Because of their conflict with Men, Society and their conflicts in themselves what to do
or what not to do out of the given choices or alternatives, they are upset with their role-confusion
and fall victim to abnormalities.
Many times conflicts in the form of what to do or what to do out of the given choices or
alternatives, become sources of frustrations and stresses that ultimately lead to the
development of abnormality and behaviour disorders. The Central idea behind any conflict
thechoices to make-is the inability to determine what is good or bad, desirable or
undesirable. Sometimes the conflicting situations are loaded with extreme anxiety, feeling
of threat, insecurity and indefiniteness. Under such stresses, one is likely to fall victim to
abnormalities or mental disorders. (Mangal 84)
The author Sivasankari points out in the preface to the novel thus:
One’s acquirement of new habits in an unfamiliar society is
Sometimes good but many times disastrous. (Over-dose,1)
Nirmala’s acquiring of now habits leads her to the elopement with Manohar’s friend.
Unlike Mary who wants to be quite active, Nirmala wants to remain passive, willing to pray the
role of a traditional woman. When she is compelled by her husband to indulge in the social
activities much against her nature and traditional brought-up, she is psychologically affected and
loses her balance. Her married life is shattered and ends in a failure. One day when she returns
home late night, being dropped by Anand, Manohar’s friend, Manohar asks Nirmala “ are you
not ashamed of yourself ?” Nirmala replies:
Why should I be ashamed of myself. If at all I am a smoker
and drunkard, it is because of you; All this is because of you; (Over-dose.32)
Nirmala, and Sudha do not know how to assert their rights and establish their identities
without sacrificing their cultural stands. To acquire a new culture is a welcome move but is
should be well-adapted to the known cultural stream.
Culture enlarge itself by adopting different culture modes. If an
individual does not understand the new culture, he suffers in
his own life. (Bhusan Vidya 760)