Politics of Women Subjugation: A Comparative Analysis of Nadeem Aslam’s Leila in the Wilderness and Rooftop Dwellers by Anita Desai

Abstract

Women in the traditional social order and system have always been considered subservient to men. In patriarchal society, women from different sections of society are the product of utter marginalization and mental anguish. Women belonging to any particular arena from traditional to Post- modern, confront multifaceted problems which serve as a major predicament for them. The purpose of this paper is to probe deeper into the social context of two different countries i.e. Pakistan and India with the help of two different writers that how the lives of women in domestic and public sphere are colored by the predominant significance of patriarchy. It brings into limelight that the lives of women are constrained and circumscribed by the social and moral decorum of chauvinistic society. The research would be qualitative in nature focusing on the textual and discourse analysis of two different short stories i.e. by Nadeem Aslam and Anita Desai. The research would be descriptive and exploratory in nature illustrating the predominant features that act as a cornerstone of portraying the women perturbed state of mind and brings the meaningful existence of women on the canvas of society. As the thematic and stylistic concern of this research is feministic in approach, so the Theory of Sexual Politics by Kate Millett is used in order to peep into the subject matter of women subjugation which brings repercussion on the physical and mental outlook of docile females in a most comprehensive way at different levels. Theory of Sexual Politics is interwoven with multifaceted dimensions which gives the cursory glance on how women are maltreated in the wide social spectrum at different levels. Moreover, this research would be a fruitful attempt because it throws light that how the nefarious realities of two different societies i.e. India and Pakistan are carved on the fabric of literature by medium of short story and gives a reconciliatory note on female emancipation from the shackles and manacles of men dominance.