Female Marginality in Contemporary Pakistan: A Feminist Critique of Feryal Ali Gauhar’s An Abundance of Wild Roses

Abstract

Through a close reading of Feryal Ali Gauhar’s novel, An Abundance of Wild Roses (2024), the paper explores the intricate themes of female marginalization, environmental degradation, misogyny, gender-based violence, and cultural stereotypes. This research paper focuses on the complex issues experienced by contemporary Pakistan’s women. This study will analyze the novel through the lens of feminism. The study will further elaborate on how the female characters encounter tragic fate followed by oppression and physical torture in a patriarchal society. The study reveals the harsh realities of contemporary Pakistan in which Gauhar articulates the struggles of her characters against the backdrop of social turmoil. The study aims to explore marginalized women in Northern Pakistan. The study will contribute to paving the way to unfold the representation of women and their traditional role in Pakistani Anglophone fiction produced by other male and female writers signifying the difference between their engagement with the issue of female marginality, patriarchal structure, and oppression.