Poststructuralist criticism on Sultana’s Dream
In viewing Sultana’s Dream by Rokeya Sakhawat
Sultana’s
Dream was written by Rokeya Sakhawat in 1905— in the era where the women in
Bangladesh, especially the Muslims women, are struggling under the male’s
control and colonialism. Suppressed under the parochial patriarchal systems,
Rokeya’s Sulatana’s Dream is a literary work that crafted as an alternative fairer
to the women (Lakhi, 2006). Born in an upper-class family, she did not obtain
proper education or went to school as her brothers did. Instead, she only received
religious education such as recital of Quran, learned Urdu as well as Arabic which
is assumed as the only “suitable” education of Muslim women in Bengal. Therefore,
due to the plague of gender inequality which women faced living in the society,
the main focus of this story is to highlight the disparity of women's right in
terms of education in patriarchal society.
We can see
how this story gives a great impact to the readers and society through the
manifestation of one-eighty of gender roles in a matriarchy society during that
era. In Sultana’s Dream, the role of man was changed and reversed to the women.
The narrator, in this story it is a she; encounters peculiar and odd
experiences in Ladyland. Women in the Ladyland are different from the reality. They
are more educated and superior over the men. They are portrayed and having the
role of man, such as working, getting proper education and many more. Moreover,
the women have invented a way of seizing the sun-rays, sophisticated air-cars and
produced water from the cloud. Traditionally, women in India did not obtain
their right to have proper education. Sister Sara successfully reversed the
customs when she highlights the importance of education living in male
dominated society. Besides, the purdah or zenana is still exists, but it is the
men who are locked up and deprived of their rights. Moreover, men are also
represented as having the characteristics of women in the Ladyland. It can be
seen in the excerpt “They mean
that you are shy and timid like men”. Towards the end of the story, Rokeya
depicts the hopes to change the fate of women in India through the
representation of gender inequality and what she against in her society.
(For further understanding, click on this link to read the full article of Sultana’s Dream http://www.womenwriters.net/summer06/sultanas.html)
How poststructuralist views Sultana’s Dream?
A patriarchal society consists
of a male-dominated power structure throughout organized society and in
individual relationships. Women are subjected in all aspects of life under
male’s authority. It is the men who are the leaders, head of the family,
decision-maker and many more. Meanwhile, women are remained and retained
submissive and lacking opportunities in the society. The main focus of Sultana’s
Dream is to emphasize the gender inequality in getting proper education. It is
undeniable that Sultana's Dream is best viewed by applying feminist criticism, however,
Poststructuralism theory can be used as another way to critic this story. This
injustice towards women has raised awareness among the prominent feminists especially
Rokeya Sakhawat. Murad (2014) applies the poststructuralist view on Sultana’s
Dream by asserting that Rokeya “casually dismisses the myths perpetuated by of
the time”. In addition, he added that Rokeya believes every aspect of
male-dominated society can be challenged if women were readily accept what is
more awaiting them than compliantly restricted to basic domestic duties, hence
status quo can be challenged thus their rights will be on the par with men. She
reversed the role of men and this is where poststructuralist made criticism on
the story.
Based on the diagram
above, the structure represents the reality in patriarchal society. As
mentioned earlier, in male-dominated society, men are given better treatment
and privileges compared to women. In criticizing Sultana’s Dream through
Poststructuralism theory, the Centre is the patriarchal society. The function
of the Centre is to hold the entire structures and keep the binary oppositions in
their proper side of slash. In this female utopia story, patriarchal society acts
as the Centre which regulates the norm between both genders. As males are
posited closest to the Centre, they are more rigid and motionless; meanwhile
the women are more flexible, have constant shifting and may experience play.
Example:
In reality:
Sultana’s Dream shows how Rokeya
challenged the norms of the patriarchal society by reversing the role of men
to women thus changed the society into matriarchal society. As the Centre which is the male-dominated
society is challenged, therefore the structures experience constant movement
and shaken up and this is when the deconstruction takes place. Derrida asserts
that all systems have the moments when their structures get shaken and their
solid elements in the structure experience play. Therefore, the reversal of men’s
role to women’s role has undergone the process of deconstruction. Based on
the Sultana’s Dreams, the men are represented such are:
Men: shy, timid, kept
in zenana (seclusion), jobless
In
conclusion, Sultana’s Dream applied post-structuralism theory by creating a
role reversal between male and female. It fits the idea of the center, the
binary opposition and exhibits how the women are experiencing play when their role are switched from
being submissive in patriarchal society into a powerful and assertive women who
lived in women-dominated society.
A patriarchal society consists of a male-dominated power structure throughout organized society and in individual relationships. Women are subjected in all aspects of life under male’s authority. It is the men who are the leaders, head of the family, decision-maker and many more. Meanwhile, women are remained and retained submissive and lacking opportunities in the society. The main focus of Sultana’s Dream is to emphasize the gender inequality in getting proper education. It is undeniable that Sultana's Dream is best viewed by applying feminist criticism, however, Poststructuralism theory can be used as another way to critic this story. This injustice towards women has raised awareness among the prominent feminists especially Rokeya Sakhawat. Murad (2014) applies the poststructuralist view on Sultana’s Dream by asserting that Rokeya “casually dismisses the myths perpetuated by of the time”. In addition, he added that Rokeya believes every aspect of male-dominated society can be challenged if women were readily accept what is more awaiting them than compliantly restricted to basic domestic duties, hence status quo can be challenged thus their rights will be on the par with men. She reversed the role of men and this is where poststructuralist made criticism on the story.
Example:
In reality:
Sultana’s Dream shows how Rokeya challenged the norms of the patriarchal society by reversing the role of men to women thus changed the society into matriarchal society. As the Centre which is the male-dominated society is challenged, therefore the structures experience constant movement and shaken up and this is when the deconstruction takes place. Derrida asserts that all systems have the moments when their structures get shaken and their solid elements in the structure experience play. Therefore, the reversal of men’s role to women’s role has undergone the process of deconstruction. Based on the Sultana’s Dreams, the men are represented such are:
In conclusion, Sultana’s Dream applied post-structuralism theory by creating a role reversal between male and female. It fits the idea of the center, the binary opposition and exhibits how the women are experiencing play when their role are switched from being submissive in patriarchal society into a powerful and assertive women who lived in women-dominated society.
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