Patriarchal Practices and Exploitation of Women

Walby's Feminist Reading of Durrani’s Blasphemy

Abstract

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This study is a comprehensive critical account of Patriarchal Practices and Exploitation of Womanhood by the patriarchal society in the novel “Blasphemy”. Blasphemy, a 1998 novel by Pakistani renowned feminist author Tehmina Durrani, draws inspiration from a real-life incident. This study aims to analyse the patriarchal society in the novel Blasphemy. The study employs qualitative methods and draws on Salvia Walby's theoretical framework in "Theorizing Patriarchy" to analyse the culture of patriarchy and the subjugation of women. Within this framework, the research explores the appalling atrocities committed in the name of religion to oppress women, as depicted in the novel "Blasphemy." Durrani conducts a thorough examination of the misrepresentation of Islam by exploitative religious leaders, highlighting how pseudo-clerics like Pir Sain manipulate Islamic principles to exploit his wife, Heer. Trapped in her husband's brutal and corrupted world, she faces extreme exploitation. Despite Pir Sain proclaiming himself a man of God, his cruel actions towards his wife, other women, his daughter, and his son contradict this facade. This narrative sheds light on how contemporary religious leaders exploit their power and believers' faith for personal gain.