Postcolonial Feminist Theory: An Overview - Igcollege.org

Proceedings of National Seminar on Postmodern Literary Theory and Literature , Jan. 27-28, 2012, Nandedexpanding the same, she says how unlike Jewsor Black or the Proletarians, women cannotthink of exterminating their oppressors.‘The bond that unites her to heroppressor is not comparable to any other’. Thisway, despite bringing about a comparison, sheconcludes how the problem of the subjugation ofthe woman is all together a different one.Speaking of the gender relation, deBeauvoir refers to the industrial revolution andthe entrance of women into productive labor andits consequences. She states how men dreadcompetition from women and consideremancipation of women as menace and want thesubmission of women to continue which is attheir benefit.She draws several examples from thecontemporary society highlighting the attitude ofmen towards women. Along with it she pointsout at the changing situations under whichwomen have entered the workplace that wasformerly restricted only to the men. But the maleego continues to treat her as the Other by citingthe quotations from Aristotle and St. Thomas.“Since the ancient times satirists and moralistshave delighted in showing up the weaknesses ofwomen”, saying so de Beauvoir makes clearhow women have been pushed to the peripheryfirst and them is justified to be fit for the sameplace.vertical and the oblique, and perfection andimperfection.this way, dealing with the concept ofwoman as the other, de Beauvoir analyses itconsidering the different perspectives –interrogating, comparing finally coming to herown conclusion with a justification of her point.Throughout the essay, she challenges theconventional notions with which the womenhave been made to accept their marginalization.With every new question that she raises, shesends a clear message that women should rejectthe traditional restraint of the patriarchal society.Bibliography• Contemporary Literary Theory : AStudent’s Companion, by NKrishnaswamy, Farmer professor,CIEFL, Hydrabad.• The Second Sex – Simone de Beauvoir.• Biography – Wikipedia.Speaking of the social discrimination,she points out how even the most sympathetic ofthe men cannot completely comprehend theproblems of women. Speaking of all those whohave been sympathetic towards women, shementions Montaigne, Diderot and J S Mill. Butat the same time highlights the fact that none ofthem has championed the cause of women.Drawing towards the conclusion shegives a call to start afresh discarding the vaguenotions the superiority and inferiority; the343 PLTL-2012: ISBN 978-81-920120-0-1