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:

Men: has proper education, job, powerful

Women: weak, submissive, no education, no job.

            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

Women: A queen (controlled the Ladyland), a Lady Principal, inventors, brilliants, have proper education, seeking job, live happily outside.

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.