Women’s Bodies as Sites of Struggle: A Feminist Critique on Selected Pakistani Fiction

Abstract

This article explores the struggle of two female protagonists for their identity in the man-made world, where cultural and social norms have possessed them like demons. ‘Zaitoon’ in Bapsi Sidhwa’s The Pakistani Bride and the novelist herself as protagonist in Tehmina Durrani’s memoir My Fuedal Lord are the two characters chosen for this discussion. By applying Kristeva and Butler’s theories, this study reveals these women as trend setters of resistance against the patriarchal structures of Pakistan. The novels subject to discussion are firmly grounded in the lived experiences of women. These women’s bodies assume the central position in their struggle of self-assertion. In both the novels, the female characters experience their bodies as the battlegrounds, subjected to male control—sexually, physically and emotionally. The novelists position these women in opposition to culturally imposed norms that seek to dominate their bodies and reduce them to symbols of male honour. Their narratives expose a deep-rooted male obsession with the female body in a society where men determine women’s status, roles, clothing and behavior, both within the household and at the national level. This recurring theme in the works of Sidhwa and Durrani supports a feminist interpretation that challenges the patriarchal foundations of Pakistani society.