4/22/24, 1:11 PM DQ Hossain 10:30AM: Prescilla Pascua

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from DQ Hossain 10:30AM Feb 28, 2024 4:29PM

2. Hossain characterizes men in the text as selfish, hard-headed

animals. In Ladyland, the men are kept inside because they make it
unsafe for women to be out at night and cause chaos. Sister Sara uses an
asylum analogy to explain why they keep the men inside rather than the
woman: "Suppose some lunatics escape from the asylum and begin to do
all sorts of mischief to men... And you do not think it wise to keep sane
people inside an asylum and let loose the insane?" (Hossain 1988, 9). Of
course it would foolish to let the insane roam around public while keeping
the sane people trapped inside, but that's exactly what's happening in
Sultana's world. Men cause further destruction due to their greed for
power. Women, on the other hand, use their brains to solve problems that
affect society as a whole. Although the woman in Sultana's world grew up
to learn that the brains of men are "bigger", Sister Sara explains that, "An
elephant also has got a bigger and heavier brain than man has. Yet man
can enchain elephants and employ them" (Hossain 1988, 12). Hossain is
essentially arguing that woman deserve more representation in their
society than they currently have. Women are not less intelligent in math or
science and when they combat issues that affect whole populations, they
will do so for the sake of the people, not for greed.

3. Hossain is arguing that women have equal power as men. Although the
text shows the women dominating the men, Hossain creates this dystopia
to show that women are capable of doing the same jobs that men do while
also highlighting the flaws in their society. The woman in Ladyland, "...are
all very busy making nature yield as much as she can. [They] do not find
time to quarrel with one another as we never sit idle" (Hossain 1988, 15).
Here, Hossain argues that men value status rather than making useful
advances in technology for the wellbeing of their people. Women, on the
other hand, would find ways to prevent as much suffering as possible in
their societies due to their sentimental nature. Overall, Hossain isn't
arguing that women take over but that women play a role in higher
positions in society because they are capable of doing so.

Q: Should we describe Ladyland from Sultana's dream as more of a

dystopia or utopia?

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