"DAMNED, DOOMED, DROWNED: A STYLISTIC GENDERED ANALYSIS OF DURRANI'S BLASPHEMY"

Abstract

      This research paper investigates gendered representations in Tehmina Durrani’s novel Blasphemy through the lens of Sara Mills’ Feminist Stylistics, focusing specifically on the analysis of gender roles. By employing Mills’ model, the study scrutinizes how linguistic choices and narrative structures construct and perpetuate patriarchal ideologies within the text. The research identifies and examines key thematic patterns including the portrayal of women as inferior beings, men as masters, women confined to the roles of housewives and maids, and the imposition of cultural and religious obligations upon women. The analysis reveals how Durrani’s narrative exposes the mechanisms of gendered oppression, highlighting the ways in which language functions as a powerful tool in reinforcing social hierarchies and gender-based subjugation. Moreover, the study underscores the novel’s critique of socio-religious institutions that sustain and legitimize male dominance and female marginalization. This research contributes to feminist literary discourse by demonstrating how stylistic choices in Blasphemy articulate resistance against patriarchal norms while simultaneously depicting the pervasive control exerted over women’s identities and bodies. The findings aim to deepen the understanding of feminist stylistics as a critical approach for unveiling gender bias in literary texts, particularly within the context of South Asian patriarchal societies.