Patriarchal System and Women’s Condition

Bano to Quran. She wants to do something for her daughter’s happiness; however, society does not support her. There is no way to escape for her daughter. She cannot make her daughter run away or marry her fiancée before the Holy Woman ceremony. Everything seems to give rise to a great scandal which will bring their izzat rumbling down and the family will lose of face. “Zarri Bano had no chance, crushed against this wall of patriarchal tyranny…like her mother; it had been drilled into father’s wishes and those of the male elders. To veto and a sign of moral and social disorder….Qaisra: 48.” Based on conflict experienced Shahzada, it can be said that Shahzada is the representation of women opression in Pakistan. They get discrimination from society ruled by men. In addition, Shahzada and Zarri Bano are also representations of women from high class. High class does not guarantee that they will get less oppression. They even get oppression more than any women from lower class because women from higher class should retain izzat as a rich and high class. She was the chaudarani, the queen of this clan. Yet, in one single stroke, her husband had reduced her to the status of the lowest of the low. Even the fishmonger’s wife had more autonomy and would have been able to battle against her husband’s aggression for her children’s sake. She, on the contrary, was tied to a gilded cage. Even if her husband has weakened under the plea, she couldn’t fight single…handedly against the pressure of his male elders, especially his father… as a woman, she was no consequence- her opinion counted for nothing. A law unto themselves, men’s words are commands, and they were born to be obeyed…. They were always step ahead of you and very adapt at that Qaisra: 47. Getting oppression from men, Pakistani women in the 20 th century endeavored to speak up their voices. They founded women’s associations to defend women’s right. Some women activists or feminist appeared at that time PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI and intelligent women joined those women associations. One famous activist who later also became a prime minister was Benazir Bhutto. In this novel, this condition also occurs. Some people in Pakistan in the 20 th century identify that era as Benazir Bhutto’s. “Where have your feminist beliefs and idealism disappeared to? How can’t a woman of your caliber, with a university degree, a former editor of a magazine at the end of the twentieth century, be so blinded? I just cannot visualize it, Zarri Bano. This is the age of woman prime minister, Benazir Bhuttos Qaisra: 84.” Citation above depicts that women in Pakistan actually realised that they got oppression but they could not do anything. Zarri who also represents women oppression shows that education, higher class and feminism cannot break patriarchal system in Pakistan off because a woman, a daughter was always circumscribed to the law of obedient. Further, this condition is represented by Zarri Bano, a feminist who joins a woman association called APWA- All Pakistan Woman Association, which was founded in Pakistan in 1949. This women association concerns on women’s education. “Something has happened to one our APWA woman members- one of my old students, called Zarri Bano. She has written a number of articles on our behalf in the magazines she founded…if this has happened to such a strong member, and then we are all lost. Our cause, our aspirations, our wishes, everything Rucksana Qaisra: 114.” Citation above confirms that Zarri, as a feminist and a high class woman, even cannot break the patriarchal system in Pakistan. It also indirectly represents women associations in Pakistan and also feminism in Pakistan. Women in Pakistan still could not break the patriarchy off because they were circumscribed to law of obedient. Zarri Bano, an educated girl from high class, and also a PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI feminist cannot do anything when her father asks her to be a Holy Woman. She is fearful if she declines her father’s command, her father will get bad image and as a daugter she knows that the only thing she should do as a daughter is to save her father’s izzat. The following citation supports this idea. “I woke up to find that books, feminism, campaigns and education are all utterly useless against the patriarchal tyranny of our feudal landlords. Stupidly I had convinced myself that as an educated, urban, upper class woman, I was different from those poor women, lower down the strata of our society, who had to do as they were told…all I can say is that women in our society also become prisoners of female modesty. If a father refuses to grant permission for his daughter to marry, how can she actively pursue marriage? She’ll be labeled besharm, a wanton….but in the end, female modesty and my pride imprisoned me into a role of obedience Qaisra: 115-117.” Another women’s limitation was on the separation between men and women activities in Pakistan which was called as purdah. In this novel this custom also occurs. Some public events are hindered for women. Readers can find that situation as cited below; The woman made no move to put it back, ignoring the convention of covering her head in a public place amidst a group of men. There were no other women present at the mela part from three elderly ladies, for it was not common or socially acceptable for young women to join openly in all- male set of activities Qaisra: 3-4. Not only on purdah did the discrimination occur. Women in Pakistan at that time were facing difficulties in getting education, contrasting to men who could find special school for men. As a result women found difficulties in their job. “I haven’t been through any school doors. I am just illiterate as you are. It is so unfortunate that there were no girls’ schools in the village in our childhood days. It is so unfair. If I could read and PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI write it would help me enourmously with names for my bussiness…Qaisra: 125.” In addition, according to Robinson, women in Pakistan were not only subordinate to men in Pakistan but also to women in West. Women in West admitted that chador Muslim women was symbol of unchallenged patriarchal system. This condition is also represented by Zarri Bano who tries to explain her clothing style to her foreign friend. “The veil has always perplexed and tantalized the Western world, both men and women alike. It is a disconcerting phenomenon for them as much now as it ever was. Westerners have always misunderstood the reason why women wear it. To add insult to injury, they see it as a symbol of male oppression- a widely acceptable stereotyped myth. They think that women are forced to wear it by their men folk…..we are not freaks; Zarri Bano could not resist adding, just women who like to dress in a modest fashion and believe in covering ourselves well. All we ask is that people respect us and our dress code Qaisra: 197.” In this novel Qaisra does not only represent women from higher class in Pakistan but also women from lower class. Qaisra presents characters Fatima and Firdaus. These mother and daughter represent the struggle of lower class women in Pakistan. They struggle to live under rigid tradition and society’s paradigm of lower class. Fatima should keep silent whenever Kaniz insults her.

2. Marriage System

Marriage in Pakistan was a sort of trade among different families and most marriages in Pakistan in the 20 th century were arranged. Arranged matches were made after taking into account factors such as the family backgrounds wealth, social standing and caste. In the novel, this custom is clearly presented by most parents as Fatima. Fatima, for example, uses a matchmaker named Kulsoom Jee to find a rishta for her daughter. Later the matchmaker will offer some suitors and the matter, whether they are appropriate or not, depends on Fatima or the parents. Coming to a quick decision, Fatima put her hand in her turnic and from the neckline, fished out her small purse. Unzipping it, she took out a 500-rupee note and handed it ceremoniously to Kulsoom. ‘Here, Sister Kulsoom, I think we might be interested in this boy and his family. I am giving you this as a reward for your research and to ask a favor that you keep this rishta a secret and not barter it at a higher price to any of our neighbor or other clients Qaisra: 68-69. This social institution is also represented by the marriage of Ruby and Sikander. Sikander, a man in patriarchal society, even cannot rebuff his mother’s request of marrying Ruby. Ruby, though she loves Sikander, represents her marriage as arrangement. If her parents did not arrange that marriage, she would not marry Sikander though she wants to. Because the marriage was arranged, love did not matter anymore in holding a marriage. Parents’ agreement was the most important in holding a marriage, especially father’s agreement. In the following citation Habib represents how a father has a power to realise a marriage. Besides, he also represents marriage in Pakistan which mostly were arranged and therefore, male did not acquainted with love. Habib does not believe in love and to get married, people do not need love. In contrast, her wife believes in love. “Love” Habib spat out the word. “Since when did our women start falling in love before marriage?.....if you encourage my daughter to marry this man against our wishes, I’ll divorce you on the spot Qaisra: 44.” Moreover, polygyny in Pakistan was also permitted under Pakistani law. A husband was more likely to get him a second wife if he remained childless when the first wife died. After Ruby died, everyone agrees with the idea of marrying him to Zarri Bano. “It is very difficult for men to stay widowed for long. My mother always said that most men remarried even before their wives were cold in the grave. It’s been a year since Ruby died. If not for themselves, men end up marrying for their children’s sakes. That is the excuse they always give, of course, although we know otherwise. So my mother told me. Celibacy is a problem for all of them Qaisra: 244

3. Religion and tradition

Mostly people in Pakistan were Muslim since it was an Islamic Republic. As the result, Islam became the legal law in Pakistan. As Bilal stated, however, people did not only take pride in strictly adhering to the Islamic value but were also ready to sacrifice their loved belongings for the glory and sanctity of Islam. This religion circumstance is represented in this novel on how characters hold Holy Woman traditions in the name of Islam. They believe that they will perform Islamic doctrine; however, in Quran there is no suggestion to be a nun in order to carry out Islamic doctrine. “If you had told me about this Holy Woman farce, I would have helped you Nighat said passionately, this is against our Islam. Our shariah, our courts, both secular and Muslim would have made a case for you against your family Qaisra: 116.” As an Islamic country, tradition in Pakistan was made based on Islamic law and people there deemed it as the best law and the best tradition. Old traditions in Pakistan were still rigid and still venerated. One example was the Holy Woman tradition. People in Pakistan, especially in Sindh believed that the Holy Woman tradition could make a woman refined and pure. This tradition was PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI applied only in Sindh, feudal family, in order to retain lands. This condition is represented by Habib and Siraj Din who live in Sindh. Following Jafar’s death, they determine to hold a great wedding ceremony of Zarri Bano to Quran. That ceremony later legitimates Zarri Bano as heiress in case she cannot marry. “You know very well about our tradition, about the male dying and the eldest daughter becoming a Shahzadi Ibadat. I have no choice, you must try to understand Qaisra: 51.” And; “Sacrifice? He ejaculated, caught on the raw. How dare you say such a thing? My daughter will become a Holy Woman, the most pure, devout, scholarly and revered by all…in his mind he recalled the vision of another Shahzadi Ibadat frm his childhood. How fascinated he had been by that woman and the fane and reverence she had elicited from everyone. Wherever she went, ‘Bibi, Bibi’, had echoed reverently around her Qaisra: 42.” Another old tradition was the relationship between men and women before getting married. People in Pakistan, men and women, were not allowed to engage or to have any contact or relation before getting married otherwise they would be considered as impolite people. This condition mostly is represented by youths in this novel, like Khawar and Firadus, Sikander and Zarri Bano. As adults who are falling in love, they are circumscribed to tradition, not to have any physical contacts. Firdaus, as the example, keeps distance from Khawar though they are going to get married. “She drew her hand away and stood up. They were not married nor engaged. It was not right to be so physically close. She moved, placing a modest distance between them Qaisra: 298.” This tradition is also represented by elders in Pakistan who prohibit a conversation between men and women before marrying. One of the elders is