Constructing Womanhood: A Critical Analysis of Female Identity in Pakistani Short Stories

Abstract

Men are the subjects and women often the objects of patriarchal societies. To explore this construction and representation of 'other' being associated with the female, the present study analyses a group of short stories by Pakistani writers through the ideas of Beauvoir presented in her work 'The Second Sex'(1949). Binaries are represented and usually reinforced through literature where women are subject to discriminatory treatment at home or in a professional setting. Pakistani literature also reflects such instances where women are positioned as subservient. These dynamics are illustrated in the selected Pakistani short stories, which show how societies and culture influence women's actual experiences. Therefore, Beauvoir’s (1949) idea of women as others is applied in these Pakistani stories in the context of a larger feminist conversation about identity, construction and oppression. Textual analysis and close reading are used to interpret these short stories. Through close reading, the study examines how selected texts represent women facing suppression and social exclusion. They struggle to find their individual selves within strict boundaries. They undergo oppression and accept the roles imposed by society. The present study affirms the relevance of Beauvoir's feminist ideas to the South Asian context. The finding demonstrate how Pakistani literature reflects and illustrates the limitations imposed by patriarchy on women.