Feminism in a Postcolonial Context

with Salman Rushdies Shame

Coordonator tiinific : Lect. dr. Isabela Meril

Absolvent: Dumitrescu Victoria-Laura
Contents
Feminism in a postcolonial context
Rushdies writing between postcolonialism and
feminism
To be a women within an without Shame
Argument
When we pronounce the word woman, we
automatically think of our mother, wife, lover, or it
simply takes us to the thought of kindness, protection
and tenderness.
However, there was a time when the word woman
had a different meaning. It signified the weak, the
unworthy of consideration, the mentally-unstable
human being.
The way in which the woman was seen changed with
the help of intelligent women who fought for the right
of equality.
Today when we talk about feminism we sometimes
forget that it took a long road until the word feminism
could be pronounced. We are today independent due
to yesterdays womens wish of equality.
Feminism is not about involving women into wars
and destroying the male representatives of the
species. It is about gaining equality of rights among
people, regardless of gender, ethnicity or culture.
Not very different from the movement, feminist
literature tries to present its readers the brutal truth of
womens oppression. Thus, feminist literature offers
its writers the chance to express in words their
perspective on this unequal world dominated by
discrimination.
Salman Rushdie is one of the writers who tries to
highlight the mistakes that are made in society and
who makes his readers understand that in order to
evolve, humanity must hear the voices of the
suppressed so that it can change for the better its way
of being.
Shame is one of Rushdies masterpieces that
incorporates problems of gender, culture and religion.
It shows the reader the consequences that appear if
one does not respect others decision regarding his
religion or culture.
It is thus an important source that shows the cruel life
that we live in.


Feminism in a postcolonial context
A social and complex movement, feminism is the belief in
the economic, public and political equality of all people.
Feminism tries to rely on the idea that people come to
know the world, to change it and to be changed by it
within our activity. It tries to affirm the fact that we must
respect life as it is and we must respect our siblings, be it
woman or man.
As well as feminism, postcolonialism claims that every
human being is equal and has the same cultural well-
being. It supports the idea that there should be no division
between people.
Both feminists and postcolonialists are a part of a
system dominated by male power in which they are
discriminated and denied the right to have an identity.
Feminism and postcolonialism are thus two fields that
interpolate and fight for the same idea, that of
struggling against oppression and injustice among
people.


Womens movement has always been in touch with
literature, both struggling for womens rights. Ever
since perspectives on life were questioned in
literature, feminism had its place in it.
Feminist literature was the expression of the self-
consciousness, of women wanting to write about their
suffrage and about their vision of life. It was a way in
which they expressed their inner thoughts.
The purpose of feminist activity, whether in a battle
or in literature was to change peoples thinking by
promoting womens equality.
Postcolonial literature tries to carry forth the way in
which the non-European literatures and cultures were
marginalized by the colonial rule.
While looking for a more equal world, postcolonial
literature criticizes the colonial rule. It is a literature
of equality, protest and hope that tries to understand
history in order not to repeat itself and to create a
better future.
Throughout postcolonial literature, the history of
oppression, colonialism, racism and injustice was put
to an end. Therefore, postcolonial literature is a
literature of critique, emancipation and
transformation.

Making a parallel, while feminist literature has tried to
stop womens oppression and to promulgate the authority
and coherence of women all over the world, postcolonial
literature had to confront the same kind of inequality,
whereas people who did not belong to the Western side
could not express their opinion about their own culture.
Postcolonial literature, as well as feminist literature seeks
to open peoples comprehension on difference and
marginality among human kind. Thus literature helps us
see the importance of understanding our cultural activities.
Both feminist and postcolonial literature tries to center
around the idea that racism and colonialism are bounded
with the gender differences of the non-white and non-
Western women.
Feminist and postcolonial literature fights for the same
goal, that of promoting the concept of equality among
people.

Rushdies writing between
postcolonialism and feminism
When speaking about Salman Rushdies work, we
immediately think of the fantasy world that only he
can create. Inspired from reality, his writings consist
in true stories related under the form of fiction.
Throughout his writings, Rushdie reveals the true
nature of human kind when it comes to power and
politics.
He proves within his stories that he believes in mixed
cultures and identities and not on limiting ones
identity in one place.
Throughout his writings, Salman Rushdie captures
images of reality and creates new languages with
which we can understand the world. Capturing
images of Hindu, Islamic and Western traditions, he
speaks in an equal manner to the East and to the
West.
Although he focuses on the mixture between religious
ideologies and politics, Rushdie highlights the impact
of the social and spiritual corruption upon the
feminine side.
The issues of gender in Rushdies writings are
combined directly with problems of politics, religion
and power.
To be a woman within and without Shame
A novel that touches many perspectives of life, Shame
focuses on two major problems that exist in our life. The
first one consists in the gender issues and the second one
in the identity of the migrant.
Throughout his female characters, Rushdie promotes a
Western view of oppressed Pakistani women.
Rushdie thus creates a masterpiece in which he promotes
feminism and determines his perceptions of the formation
of postcolonial identity.
He unites in Shame different women who suffer the same
burden caused by the oppressions existent in their country.
Conclusions
Whether in literature or in its general movement,
feminism has involved a great deal of resistance
guided by inner frustration and repression and made
huge steps towards modernity and evolution.
Feminism has always been a controversial topic in
our society and thus has passed throughout many
stages until accomplishing our actual position.
Due to the battles that women sustained against
prejudice and inequality in the past, we now have the
power to control our life.
Thus, feminism is an ideology, a complex and a
contradictory philosophy that militates for the right of
gender equality and that promotes womens
affirmation in society.
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