DEPICTION OF WOMAN AS OTHER IN HIJABISTAN BY SABYN JAVERI

Abstract

This research aims to explore the depiction of ‘woman as other’ in Hijabistan (2019), a collection of short stories by Sabyn Javeri. To dominate and subjugate women has been a serious issue in the subcontinent and Pakistani writers depict this in their writings. Hijabistan also portrays the problems of women, particularly concerning the treatment with them. The hijab, being a cultural code, is highlighted in most of the stories in the book. Women are considered secondary and are assigned subordinate roles. The reason behind it is to subjugate them. Otherness is being executed through hijab as Hijabistan portrays the stories of girls or women with hijab. Javeri portrays that the veil hinders the freedom of women and promotes a stereotypical view of them. Therefore, it depicts various women epitomising gender roles. This study explores through the lens of Simon de Beauvoir’s The Second Sex (1949) (considered to be a Feminist Bible by Judith Thurman) to discuss how far woman is portrayed as other in the selected stories of Hijabistan i.e. Radha, The Urge, The Date, Malady of Heart, The Full Stop, The Lovers and The Good Wife. Hijabistan highlights male characters i.e. boss, uncle, father and husband and these male characters treat women as others. They hold a weird kind of attitude towards the girls and women. Their treatment towards them seems to be conventional and patriarchal. Even the older women i.e. mother, nurse and aunt seem to have been supporting and facilitating the patriarchal roles. Thus, Hijabistan depicts the issues of women, particularly the treatment with them. Woman is treated as other under male domination as highlighted by Beauvoir in The Second Sex (1949).