Subjugation of Women : A study of Easterine Kire’s A Terrible Matriarchy

Abstract

The concept of power and gender stereotype is quite inseparable. Power corrupts the society everywhere and hegemony functions like the same. In the societies if North East India, some customs are still prevalent, which always represent some kinds of domination over the inferiors. The writers of North East India try to showcase some of the conventional norms of the society, where they live in. Easterine Kire’s  “A Terrible Matriarchy” is such an example. The society always considers male to be superior, who always impose their power over the females. But in the novel it is not the similar thing in some ways. Here, it is shown that a person who is inferior or powerless can be dominated by anyone who is powerful.  Pramod K. Nayar states, “ Sex is biological , but the values and the meanings associated with the female and male body are socially ascribed. Gender is this system of values and meanings. If sex and biology is nature, then gender is about the social and therefore, culture. ‘Female’ and ‘male’ refer to the biological characteristics , while ‘feminine’ and ‘masculine’ refers to the social values assigned to these.” The females are in such a position in the society, where she cannot do anything like their counterparts due to their biological structure. Their wishes are very much limited along with little expectations. The novel represents the story of a young girl Delieno and of the Angami society she lives in.The writer also highlights the lifestyle , their bonding, cultural harmony of Naga People in general and Angami people in particular. The character of the young girl is humiliated and treated as inferior due to her biological construct along with another girl Bano. The paper puts its efforts to showcase the power structure of Angami society and how the matriarchy works throughout the novel. It also shows the status of women within the Angami society.