Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

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Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedreciprocal abuse on the side of both thecharacters. In Mala’s eyes, Shanta isresponsible for her present status . It isbecause of Shanta’s silence Mala hastransformed into a prostitute–like-figure.“It’s the silence and the betrayal of thefamily that affects me the most. Like inthis case, the mother knew her daughterwas being sexually abused by her uncle,but still chose to keep quiet. It’s thissilence that makes the abused feelbetrayed.” 04 (Santhanam,2001) Her everyattempt towards doing some thing good isa counter movement making her tomemorize her past. For Mala rememberingpast experiences are like-It’s like taking off the bandages onYour face after a bloody car crashthat left your face all scarredbeyond recognition, as if youdid not have a face at all. To wakeup after many many years, as iffrom coma… And to let thebandagesCome off…and suddenly discovera whole new face again. All of asudden you feel that you areentitled to life. (CP II p.no. 33)be present in either man or woman.Sometimes, we also see in society, womenexploit men. That is why, the concept‘playboy’ came into existence.Dattani has presented real pictureof society. He points out that such thingsare happening with men and women ineach class, but because of the socialprestige, no voice is rest against suchissues. Dattani objects this attitude.According to him we should come outwith such problems and try to find outsolution to them.References1. Dattani, Mahesh, Collected playsVol. II (New Delhi: PenguinBooks India), 2005.2. Ibid.3. Ibid.4. Santhanam, Anitha. ‘ It’s theSilence that affects me most’.2001,http://www.maheshdattani.com5. Dattani, Mahesh. Collected playsVlo. II (New Delhi: PenguinBooks India) , 2005.The constant oppression andsuppression compels Mala to degradeherself, in terms of sexual relations withmany men, from a human being to abeastly creature. For Mala, each and everyactivity of uncle Vinay, such asconvincing Mala for marriage withDeepak, giving flat, these are weapons tokeep Shanta mum. Mala is going oncursing Shanta for her present condition.Suddenly, Shanta takes a piece of glassand injures her mouth. Here, we come toknow that Shanta is also the victim ofuncle Vinay.Finally, mother and daughtercome to terms with each other. UncleVinay embraces death. Mala is of opinionthat Vinay deserves death. In this way, theplay talks abut double exploitation of Malaand Shanta, but we can’t blame each manfor this. In the play itself, on one handVinay treats both women in devilishmanner, on the other hand, Deepak tries tosupport them. Actually, sexualgratification or lust is not confined to anygender, these are animal instincts and can339 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1
Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, NandedSimone de Beauvoir’s Woman as the Other – the Introductory Part ofThe Second Sex--Miss Asha S B3 rd Sem Student of English LiteratureJSS College,Dharwad (KA)Abstract: Feminism (of late called ‘womanism’) is aserious attempt to formulate the issues and find solutions togender problems. It was started by Simone De Beavoir inThe Second Sex (1949) and gained momentum in the1960s. The Second Sex, a Feminist classic by Simone deBeauvoir is a milestone in the history of feminism, whereshe discusses the social construction of woman as the other,which she believes to be the cause for the oppression ofwomen.God created man in his own image. Andthe Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall uponAdam and he slept; and he took one of his ribs,and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and therib which the Lord God had taken from man, hemade a woman, and brought her up to the man.And Adam said, - “This is now bone of mybones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called awoman. Because she was taken out of man”.They were both naked and the man andhis wife were not ashamed. And the eyes ofthem both were opened and they knew they werenaked; and they sewed fig leaves and madethemselves aprons. Woman is taken out of man(though it is the mother who gives birth to ababy). Adam names his wife Eve; God is male(‘created man in his own image’). Man iscreated first.It is said that those who mane theobjects, in fact, own them and those who rule theworld. Not only in the text given above but alsoeverywhere one can see a deep – rooted genderbias; the bias has become part of the historical/textual tradition.Whether it is the popular saying that tenmeasures of a speech descended of on the earthand men took only one while women took nineor the common belief that a baby girl startsspeaking earlier than a boy (may be women tooknine!), or the notion that boys are good atmathematics and girls at language there are allkinds of conceptions and misconceptions aboutthe sexes expressed through language/ literature.Feminism (of late called ‘womanism’) isa serious attempt to formulate the issues and findsolutions to gender problems. It was started bySimone De Beavoir in The Second Sex (1949)and gained momentum in the 1960s. She saysLegislators priests, philosophers, writers andscientists have striven to show that thesubordinate position of women is willed inheaven and advantages on earth’: she points outthat women are not a minority like the blacksand they are not a product of history like theproletarist.Feminism with history of over twocenturies – than as had its influence in all thefields – is a movement supporting equal rightsfor women.Simone de Beavoir’s The Second Sexpublished between 1920 and 1980 are some ofthe works that have had their great influence onthe Feminist movement till today. Among theseSimone de Beavoit’s Le Duxieme Sexe or TheSecond Sex published in 1949 stands out to bemost influential one.The modern feminist movement gets a sharpfocus in the writings of women whose works canbe classified as follows:340 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1
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