DEDICATION

To my beloved parents and respected teachers who have always showered me with blessings and
inspired me in all my endeavors.

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 DECLARATION

I hereby declare that the research work entitled “Subalternity of Women in the Indian

Subcontinent: A Comparative Analysis between Anita Desai’s Clear Light of The Day and Bapsi

Sidhwa’s Ice-Candy-Man” has been carried out under the supervision of Associate Professor Dr.

Fahmida Haque, Chairman, Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences,

Bangladesh University of Professionals in fulfillment of the requirement for the Degree of

Master of Arts in English Literature and Cultural Studies. I have prepared this thesis based on

original research findings from the selected novels along with references from different

published literatures. This has not been submitted in part or full to any other institution to any

other degree.

March 2021

Sumaeta Marjan

Roll no.: 2015301014

Registration No.: 1030012000014

Session: 2019-2020

Department of English

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Bangladesh University of Professionals

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank Allah (SWT) for giving me the opportunity and strength to carry out

this research work with sincerity and good health. This thesis would not have been complete

without the cordial supervision and assistance of many individuals. I wish to express my

gratitude to these people for their utmost support throughout.

First, I would like to acknowledge the writers Gyatri Chakravorty Spivak, Anita Desai

and Bapsi Sidhwa whose ideologies and texts have been my inspiration to and content of my

thesis.

Then I would express my sincere gratefulness and respect to my supervisor Associate

Professor Dr. Fahmida Haque, Chairman, Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Social

Sciences, Bangladesh University of Professionals, for her profound supervision, expert

suggestions, valuable advices and encouragement in completing the research.

I am also indebted to my other faculty members Associate Professor Dr. Md. Mohoshin

Reza, Assistant Professor Most. Farhana Jannat, Assistant Professor Muhammad Nurul Islam,

Assistant Professor Subrata Chandra Mozumder, Assistant Professor Nusrat Zahan Chowdhury,

Assistant Professor Sidratul Moontaha Mitul and Assistant Professor Shakila Akter who have

constantly motivated and guided me to accomplish my goal.

Furthermore, I would thank my parents for their continuous appreciation for my research

and patience for putting up with all my trivialities. Last but not the least; I would be ever

thankful to my friends, relatives and well-wishers for always inspiring me in all my endeavors.

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CERTIFICATE OF THE SUPERVISOR

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 ABSTRACT

The novels Clear Light of Day (1980) by Anita Desai and Ice-Candy-Man (1988) by Bapsi

Sidhwa are set on the partition period of the Indian subcontinent. Both the novels are somewhat

autobiographical in nature where the authors presented their own hardships and experiences

before, after and during partition period through their writings. In the novel Clear Light of Day,

Anita Desai projected the patriarchal social condition of Indian society and how women being

the marginalized gender faced the social disparities. The women resemble the colonial subjects

of the colonial period being dominated and subjugated by the male members of the society. The

female characters are subordinated by a male authorized culture that doesn’t acknowledge female

subjectivity and individuality. To some point, the author portrays the break free attitudes of some

characters and their urge to establish their own identity. On the other hand, Ice-Candy-Man by

Bapsi Sidhwa presented a feministic view portraying lustful male desire towards women and the

oppressions towards the females under the patriarchal social cultures. The female characters face

discrimination and sexual violence by men yet to some extent remains crucial and insist their

own individuality to expose the wrongdoings in the patriarchal norms. In both the novels by

Anita Desai and Bapsi Sidhwa, it is shown that women are fighting against patriarchy and

struggling to establish their own identity and individual freedom. The struggle exhibits the

subaltern position of women being marginalized and oppressed in the patriarchal social

constitution in the Indian subcontinent. There had been different events, issues and social

changes from pre-partition period to during and after partition time-frame in the subcontinent,

but one thing that remains constant is the social position of women irrespective of economic and

religious pursuits. This research is a detailed and comparative portrayal of the in depth idea of

domination towards women in the Indian subcontinent from both Pakistani and Indian writers’

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texts that showcased every sector of subalternity of women due to their gender. As both texts

acquainted to this research are set on the partition of Indian subcontinent, the paper will also

portray the objectification of women and the abuses towards them during the partition chaos and

the physical and emotional trauma those women went through due to the split. The comparative

approach of the paper will highlight the similarities and dissimilarities of ideologies, accounts,

events and narration by the two sub continental writers Desai and Sidhwa, from Indian and

Pakistani origins. The research follows qualitative research method with close textual analysis

and comparative literary technique to present the research discussion with the key notions of

subalternity of women in the subcontinent. The subjugated position of women as subalterns is

reflected in the research analysis through the texts and creates scope for further research and

studies regarding the subject matter and similar issues enlightening the necessity of women’s

voice in social norms.

Keywords: women, subaltern, Indian subcontinent, gender, domination

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 CONTENTS

Title………………………………………………………………………………………….Pg. no.

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION……………………………………………………………1

1.1 Preamble……………………………………………………………………....1

1.2 Background of the study……………………………………………………...3

1.3 Research Objectives……………………………………………………..........8

1.4 Research Questions…………………………………………………………...9

1.5 Statement of the Problem……………………………………………………...9

1.6 Rationale of the Study………………………………………………………...9

1.7 Definitions of Important Terms………………………………………………11

1.8 Outline of the Chapters………………………………………………………12

1.9 Scopes and Limitations………………………………………………………13

1.10 Conclusion..…………………………………………………………………13

CHAPTER 2: GENDER LENSES & ESSENTIALIST VIEWS……………………………15

CHAPTER 3: LITERATUR REVIEW & RESEARCH GAP ……………………………...20

3.1 Literature Review……………………………………………………………20

3.2 Research Gap………………………………………………………………...28

CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY …………………………………………....29

CHAPTER 5: SUBALTERNITY & WOMEN……………………………………………...31

5.1 Subaltern: A Postcolonial Idea………………………………………………31

5.2 Subalternity of Women: Spivak’s Subjectivity……………………………...36

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CHAPTER 6: DISCUSSION & FINDINGS………………………………………………..39

6.1 Female Domination through Patriarchy……………………………………...40

6.2 Social Subjugation of Women……………………………………………….47

6.3 Sexual Domination towards Women………………………………………...51

6.4 Partition Period Struggles of Women………………………………………..55

6.5 Portrayal of Strong Female Voice…………………………………………...61

6.6 Research Questions Revisited……………………………………………….65

CHAPTER 7: RECOMMENDATION & CONCLUSION………………………………...67

References……………………………………………………………………………...........70

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 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure no. Title Page no.

1 Concept Mapping 1: Marxism 16

2 Concept Mapping 2: 17
Feminism

3 Concept Mapping 3:
Derivation of the subaltern 18
concept from Marxism and
Feminism

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