Exploring the Zenana: Ismat Chughtai and the Vision of Feminist Utopia

Alexandar Rufhi () and Gomidhy Saroph
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Alexandar Rufhi: Department of Sociology, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia
Gomidhy Saroph: Department of Sociology, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia

International Journal of Innovative Scientific Research, 2023, vol. 1, issue 1, 1-4

Abstract: The conventional interpretation of a zenana often symbolizes male dominance over women. However, Ismat Chughtai's work, particularly her story "Lihaaf," challenges this prevailing notion and offers a different perspective. Chughtai seeks to disrupt the association of a zenana with male control and aims to provide it with a transformed meaning. While conventional views perceive a zenana as a space designed to isolate women from the outside world, Chughtai, in "Lihaaf," employs it as a microcosm that represents her own reality. This paper aims to demonstrate how Chughtai subverts the gendered nature of this space and establishes a feminist utopia within it. It explores the notion that patriarchy's inherent disparities unintentionally create opportunities for agency and generate spaces for a feminist utopia to emerge.

Keywords: Feminist Utopia; Sex; Chughtai; Zenana; Philosophy; Realism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:adg:ijoisr:v:1:y:2023:i:1:p:1-4

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