LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 12 : 1 January 2012
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.

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“Antara or Majnun?” - Exploring Femininities and Sexualities in
Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah’s The Bull and the She Devil

Sana Imtiaz, M.Phil. in English Scholar

Cover page

Abstract

The story The Bull and the She Devil written by Zaib-Un-Nissa Hamidullah represents the male-female dynamics in Punjabi, predominantly Muslim society. Hamidullah’s collection of short stories The Young Wife and Other Stories raises various social and cultural issues in Pakistani, pre-dominantly Muslim society. The Bull and the She Devil unveils the psychological responses resulting from the suppressed male sexuality. It also explores how the identities and sexualities of men and women are conceived in response to pre- existing beliefs about gender roles.

Taking Mernissi’s (2003) theoretical considerations as the starting point, the study unveils the dynamics behind sexual regulation of Muslim woman living in Punjab as represented in the short story, and whether woman’s sexuality is seen as active or passive in contrast with that of men.

The analysis of the story reveals that the sexuality of Muslim woman is seen as active and the responses of Ghulam Qadir, the protagonist, are emblematic of his attempt to control and regulate that sexuality to satisfy his desire of being Punjabi machismo. His failure in the end results in his suicide.

Introduction

Sexual in-equality is perhaps the most common phenomenon in human history and its roots could be traced into the social set of beliefs of those societies. The Bull and the She Devil by Zaib-un-Nissa Hamidullah is significant because it explores the dilemma of the protagonist, Ghulam Qadir, whose machismo and the world view of being “the master” trains him to see his wife as submissive. Failing to come to terms with this reality, he commits suicide.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Sana Imtiaz
Lecturer
National University of Modern Languages (Multan Campus)

Postal Address:
204-B, New Airport Road
Jameelabad
Multan
Pakistan
sanaimtiaz_7@hotmail.com
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