The women in the pre-colonial times were innocent victims to the perpetual patriarchy in the society, were gripped in the clutches of tradition and womanhood, which resulted in their enslavement and neglect of their sexual desires. Ismat Chugtai’s Lihaf, published in 1942, deals with the sexual frustration of women and unconventional sexual relations as opposed to heteronormative ones. I intend to show that Chugtai's Lihaf examines the restrained and objectified existence of women in patriarchy, with a special reference to Begum Jan, owing to the restriction of movement and expression. The persistent oppression and neglect of her sexual desire leaves Begum Jan despondent and sexually frustrated and she subsequently explores the faculty of female sexual desire and a fulfilling companionship with Rabbu redeems her. The narrator in the story tells us of Begum Jan being 'given' in marriage to an old and rich Nawab and how she was 'installed in his house along with the furniture', establishing the fact that the patriarchal institution of marriage dehumanized women and paraded women like objects which lack desires and emotions. Begum Jan's parents probably thought of this unmatched marriage as a favorable economic option to fulfill the social obligation of getting their daughter married and for Nawab, it was a social stamp of approval and a means to conceal is homosexuality. The fact that narrator's mother did not allow her to play with boys and her belief of womankind being kept under lock and key, show how, in the story, even women have internalized the idea of systemic patriarchy. The Nawab imprisoned his wife in the house and did not let her go visit other people. He spared no time for her and left her to 'pine in loneliness’ whil... ... middle of paper ... ...e conventional boundaries of heteronormative desires by illustrating homosexual relationships to be normal and equally likely. Through her narrative, she tries to bring out the hypocrisy in the society wherein female sexual desire is restricted against male sexual desire as Nawab’s desire for the young boys is public but still he is considered ‘pious’ and how Begum Jan’s desire which is restricted under the Lihaf is laughed at and disregarded in social gatherings. In conclusion, we can say that the greater the oppression, the stronger is the need for rebellion and expression. Denial or repression of sexual urges may lead to unconventional relationships as the one between Rabbu and Begum Jan. Viewing such holistic relations as unnatural or unacceptable, especially in case of women, is absolutely unjustifiable because they are as normal as the man-woman relations.
The way in which Januarie bases his search for a wife on concern for his own salvation and economic interests is menacing as it is a foreboding image for the rest of the marriage. His main interest lies in what he should do to ensure he experiences Paradise both alive and dead and thus highlighting his selfish nature. The economic concerns he shows for the match not only highlight this, but also his threatening lack of emotion that he is prepared to commit to the marriage. Rather than a child, he hopes for an heir, seeing only economic opportunity in any offspring. His fiancée can hope for little love for herself or any children.
As the story begins, the narrator's compliance with her role as a submissive woman is easily seen. She states, "John laughs at me, but one expects that in marriage" (Gilman 577). These words clearly illustrate the male's position of power in a marriage t...
“Women are not only associated with and defined by the ‘inferior’ realm of flesh (while men represent ‘mind’ and ‘spirit’) but they also are told they must rise above their carnal appetites,” ...
In chapters 9 and 13 in “The Spirit of Intimacy” by Somé, she discusses how the Western society has constructed an illusion of romance. This illusion of romance is presented in our media such as television, movies, and social media. She believes that basing a relationship off of romance leads people to mask their true selves which eventually leads to issues in the relationships long term. By building a relationship based on a spiritual connection, it allows individuals to build their relationship from the bottom up, be honest with themselves as well as their partners, and helps people better understand their partners in order to have a happy and fulfilled relationship. Furthermore, Somé discusses homosexuality and how her village refers to gays and lesbians as the gatekeepers. They live on the edge of both the spiritual and the village world. The gatekeepers serve as mediators for men and women so they are able to better understand each other in their daily lives. There are two different groups of gatekeepers, one possess the ability to protects a limited number of gates including the elements such as water, earth, fire, mineral, and nature because they vibrate the energies of those gates. The second
Accordingly, I decided the purposes behind women 's resistance neither renamed sexual introduction parts nor overcame money related dependence. I recalled why their yearning for the trappings of progression could darken into a self-compelling consumerism. I evaluated how a conviction arrangement of feeling could end in sexual danger or a married woman 's troublesome twofold day. None of that, regardless, ought to cloud an era 's legacy. I comprehend prerequisites for a standard of female open work, another style of sexual expressiveness, the area of women into open space and political fights previously cornered by men all these pushed against ordinary restrictions even as they made new susceptibilities.
A lady is an object, one which men attempt to dominate. A man craves to get a hold of this being beneath his command, and forever have her at his disposal. In her piece “Size Six: The Western Women’s Harem,” published in 2002, Fatema Mernissi illustrates how Eastern and Western women are subjugated by the control of men. Mernissi argues that though she may have derived from a society where a woman has to cover her face, a Western woman has to face daily atrocities far worse then ones an Eastern woman will encounter. Moreover, Mernissi’s core dogma in “Size 6: The Western Women's Harem” is that Western women are not more fortunate than women raised into harems in other societies. Additionally, she asserts that though women in the Western world are given liberties, they coincide with the unattainable ideals of what is aesthetically pleasing. Furthermore, to strengthen her argument towards her wavering audience, Mernissi’s main approach in her paper is to get the reader to relate with her issue by means of an emotional appeal, while also utilizing both the ethical and logical appeal to support her thesis.
This story represents the suffering induced by the isolation. In the time period on which this history was reflected, it was socially tolerable for wives to be
Saikaku, Ihara. Life of a Sensuous Woman. The Norton Anthology of World Literature. 3rd Ed. Volume D. Ed. Martin Puchner. New York: Norton, 2013. 591-611. Print.
Additionally this is linked with De Groots’ argument on the representation of foreign females, stating that the oriental women were ‘socially marginal, sexually powerless and regarded by westerners as inferior and virtually prostitute’s’. Henceforth, any person who just falls out of the rigid column of normal such as Juilia Pastrana is subjected to discussions on defining the ‘normal and the
No greater degradation took place in the Victorian woman’s life than in the bedroom. The Victorian woman had no right to her own body, as she was not permitted to refuse conjugal duties. She was believed to be asexual: “The majority of women, happily for them, are not much troubled with sexual feeling of any kind” (Woloch 128). The inference is, if the husband did not demand the f...
All throughout the early part of history women were portrayed as the inferior sex, because at that point in time, women were seen as beings only born to have children. Men didn’t think that women were capable of being anything other than a typical housewife. It was unthinkable that women would actually need an education, let alone earn a living, or become a leader. These ideas are revealed all throughout classical literature. Rarely was a woman seen as doing anything but being dominated by males in some form, whether she was a man’s submissive devoted wife, a sexual object, or a woman being punished for wanting her freedom. We finally begin to see women trying to break free from these traditional expectations and barriers through the lives of Janie Crawford in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, John’s wife in “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Louise Mallard in “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin, and Songlian in Raise the Red Lantern by Su Tong.
Sen, Gita. "Subordination and Sexual Control: A Comparative View of The Contorl of Women- A View Across Cultures." Nalini Visvanthan, Lynn Duggan, Laurie Nisonoff, Nan Wiegersma. The Women, Gender and Development Reader. The University Press, 2005. 142-149.
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy tells the story of the communist state of Kerala and the forbidden love between two castes, which changes the lives of everyone. In the novel an ‘Untouchable’, Velutha is a carpenter and works at Paradise Pickles and Preserves for much less than he deserves because of his status as an Untouchable in the caste system. Velutha falls into a forbidden love with a divorced woman, Ammu who is associated with an upper caste Syrian Christian Ipe family. Marriage was the only way that Ammu could have escaped this life, but she lost the chance when marrying the wrong man, as he was an alcoholic and this resulted in them getting a divorce. Ammu breaks the laws that state ‘who should be loved, and how and how much’, as their affair threatens the ‘caste system’ in India, which is a hierarchal structure and social practice in India in which your position in society is determined and can’t be changed. Arhundati Roy portrays the theme of forbidden love within the caste systems and shows how they are t...
The eunuch is an integral part of the 18th century play The Mogul Tale, by Elizabeth Inchbald. He serves a historical role by being the Mogul’s advisor, watchman, and, most importantly, harem guard. Eunuchs are generally defined as castrated males and are thus excellent choices to guard the Mogul’s women – no fear of the guard taking the ladies for himself. Inchbald reinforces these noble positions by showing the eunuch as the Mogul’s “right-hand man”. But with the passing of time these traditional roles have died along with the people who embraced them. Eunuchs now exist in an India that has all but forgotten their position as protectors. They are now part of a larger, marginalized group that exists on the fringe of Indian society - the hijras1.
Sex has been a taboo subject for many generations in nearly every culture present in the world. Many seem to rely on the traditional idea that one should abstain from sex until marriage, while others evolved and began to exercise the idea of sexual freedom and are not held down by any certain beliefs or traditions. Leslie Bell takes an in-depth look into this complex situation by taking into account various psychoanalytical theories and first-hand experiences in order to make sense of this complicated subject. One can argue that sex becomes a much more complicated rather than a pleasurable experience for women due to the confusing standards that society has put in place, their upbringing from childhood to adulthood, and their overwhelming desire