The cultural oppression of Indian women described in Samina Ali’s Madras On Rainy Days: Postcolonial Feminism Analysis

ABSTRACT

The oppression of women is never ending problem. Although, we have lived in modern era such now the women oppression issue still exist. In many cases women are placed in the inferior position and discriminated in any aspects of life such as there is the limitation of woman rights and freedom, and the limitation to access the basic resource as health care, education, employment, etc. It is because there is the assumption that women are weaker than men, moreover, women who live in the third world country or postcolonial society. They experience the more complex oppression because the oppression is not only based on gender aspect but also based on the race, tradition and religion. Therefore, the researcher would like to analyze Madras on Rainy Days novel considering in this novel describes woman life in the third world country. In this novel is India.

In this research, the researcher formulates the statements of the problem into three parts, those are: (1) What are the cultural oppressions toward main female character described in Samina Ali’s Madras on Rainy Days?, (2) What are the struggles of main female character against the cultural oppression described in Samina Ali’s Madras on Rainy Days?, (3) What is Layla’s voice as subaltern subject described in Samina Ali’s Madras on Rainy Days?.

This research is classified into literary criticism by using postcolonial feminism theory. This theory is to analyze the women problems in third world country or post-colonized country. In this matter, the researcher analyzes the oppression of women happens in the third world country, it is India.

After analyzing the data, the researcher finds out that Layla acquires the oppression from several sides such the oppression from her family, tradition of arranged marriage and the oppression caused by religion misinterpretation. To face the oppression toward her, Layla makes some efforts such as she asks for helping to her parents in-law by telling them that she wants to leave Sameer, her husband. She also tries to run away although she fails. Then, she begins having firm attitude toward Sameer. As subaltern subject, Layla shows her voice or opinion toward some things such as her voice toward America, the searching of her identity, toward the arranged marriage and toward Sameer.