Land, Woman and Lord: An Ecofeminist Study of Tehmina Durrani’s Novels My Feudal Lord and Blasphemy

Abstract

Place and woman have always been considered the utmost important belongings of men since the beginning of life on the earth. Especially in Pakistani rural society patriarchy is more in dominance than in other parts of the country due to the illiteracy and suppression of female rights. Thus, women are treated as entities in the hands of men, just like their places and lands. Female individuality has been marginalized and subjugated ever since. South Asian female writers gave a voice to these voiceless creatures and openly presented their issues in front of the world. With the application of the theory of ecofeminism, this thesis highlights a relative study of particular works of a famous South Asian female author Tehmina Durrani. This thesis will state the ecofeminist stance that women's productive and biological features strongly associate them with land or place owned by men. The study also deals with the effects of patriarchy and the feudal system, which set limitations for women. Ecofeminism, as a tenet of anarcha-feminism, allows women to speak and struggle against the violence they face due to marginalization. Tehmina Durrani has showcased the miseries of women in her books My Feudal Lord and Blasphemy. She has acted as an anarchist who moved a step ahead and crossed the boundaries in which the dominant patriarchy trapped her. Both works will explore the exploitation of women who, like the land, are considered productive and the assets of males. This thesis will propose that females must involve themselves in the struggle to fight for their rights. They must stop the tradition of being treated as puppets in the hands of men. This study will explore Durrani’s struggle as an anarchist and conclude how successful she was in her attempts.