Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedMarianne rejects the absolute,patriarchal discipline of the Professors’rationalism and even the irrational patriarchaloppressiveness of the Barbarians. Above all, sherealizes that, for the apparent contrast betweenreason and unreason, the Professors and theBarbarians could not be divided into twoextreme communities. They actually suggesteach other. The outsider resides within each ofthem. This is clearly indicated in the beginningpart of the novel when Marianne dreams of herbrother, who was killed by Jewel in an attack onthe Professors’ community many years beforethe attack in which Jewel was wounded:She recalled with visionary claritythe face of the murdering boy with hisnecklaces, rings and knife, although thememory of her brothers’ face was totallyblurred. Sometime she dreamed of hisdeath, one day, waking from this dream, sherealized the two faces had super-imposedthemselves entirely on each other and all shesaw was the boy killing himself or hisdouble. [HV–10]Marianne definitely feels that the ‘trueappearance’ of either side is the one that wouldcompletely remove the categorization of theother as ‘other’. In their actual appearance thedivision between them doesn’t exist at all. Forinstance, Marianne, the Professor’s daughterwho also has lived with the Barbarians, findsboth aspects within herself. The novel brings tothe forefront Marianne as an example of thecondition which opposes the Professors’ and theBarbarians’ concept of the binary opposition andantagonism. Lorna Sage observes that Heroesand Villains offers readers the “exhilaratingsensation of recognizing that the binaryoppositions [inside/outside, culture/nature,masculine/feminine] are themselves being calledinto question”.[Sage : 1977, P.19] Further, thequestioning happens in gendered terms. TheBarbarians as well as the Professors insist on theopposition and exclusion, basically due to themasculinism prevailing in their societies.Marianne, being a woman, exemplifies afeminine model that is not oppositional orantagonistic but reconciling and synthesizing.Towards the end of the novel, when Jewel iskilled and Donally also disappears, Marianneultimately declares that she will be “the tigerlady” and “rule” the Barbarians “with a rod ofiron” [HV–150].Further, there is an incident that occursafter marriage when Jewel having sex withMarianne, growls, “conceive, you bitch,conceive”. ‘Shocked into “the most lucidwakefulness”, Marianne asks him “Why?”[HV–90]. Jewel’s response to her is so shocking thathe feels that by perpetrating his savage clonesupon her would give him self-respect. Sheobserves the masculineness of his imagination asat once irrational and grotesque.Towards the final part of the novel, onthe southern coastline, she fantasizes aboutleaving the Barbarian community and livingalone with Jewel. She imagines about bringingup a new set of human beings whose rationalitywould wipe out the male sexism that now moveswomen to the secondary status. She visualizesreason as the foremost aspect in her struggle tooppose the identification of female as a negativeconcept in the binary opposition. In heradamancy on the absolute right of women toclaim autonomy and self-determination, on thepower of women to reclaim, she imagines theymight walk home alone in safety even in thenight. Carter explains that:At best, they might begin a newsubspecies of man… This fearless andrational breed would eschew such mysteriesas the one now forcing her to walk behindthe figure on the shore [the father of thechild], dark as the negative of a photograph,and preventing her from returning homealone. [HV–137]Marianne’s fantasy is not realized, but,her firm belief in reason, an important aspect ofher Professorial side, is never given for all. Shefinds out this truth in the Barbarian world. Herfirmness to absolute reason is again emphasizedsoon after her fantasy about raising a new subspeciesof human being:Upon the cliff, a white towerglistened like a luminous finger pointing toheaven. It was a lighthouse… To Marianne,it looked the twin of the white tower inwhich she had been born… Thus this towerglimpsed in darkness symbolized andclarified her resolution, abhor shipwreck,301 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1