Subversive Women in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children

Abstract

Moving from early feminist criticism that labelled Salman Rushdie’s work as misogynistic, this article examines the portrayal of women Midnight’s Children in order to show how they creatively respond and reshape the oppressive social structures they inhabit. By using Riane Eisler’s partnership model, it will also highlight analogies between the Hindu concept of Shakti (divine feminine power) and mutuality as an effective alternative based on equalitarian relationships beyond the social norms of domination.

Keywords

• postcolonialism
• gender
• partnership
• domination
• salman rushdie