Power, Privilege or Right:A Radical-Feminist Evaluation of Attar of Roses and other stories of Pakistan

The present research paper is an evaluation of power, privilege or right enjoyed by the men in Pakistani Patriarchal society in Attar of Roses and Other Stories of Pakistan, a collection by Tahira Naqvi. Naqvi is an emerging female Pakistani writer in English, who has used her fiction to radicalize the marginalized position of Pakistani women. The objective of this paper is to pinpoint the social and political position of patriarchal society through which woman subjugation by men becomes a power, a privilege or a right to be exercised. Radical Feminism will serve as a theoretical and conceptual framework for the apt exploration of the problematic. Naqvi has a well-organized stance to present in her stories and there is a true depiction of woman subjugation, patriarchal oppression and sense of insecurity in housewives and working ladies as well. However, Naqvi has delineated her female characters rebellious of set norms and traditions which show seeds of radicalism in our society. The tentative conclusion of this research will hint at the changing social position of men and women in our society.