GENDER VS CULTURE: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BAPSI SIDHWA’S NOVEL WATER

Abstract

The Critical Discourse Analysis study of Bapsi Sidhwa’s novel Water (2006) aims to explore and highlight the gender stigmatization of women in the name of cultural norms and traditions. Through CDA, the analysis unmasks the element of cultural hegemony by studying the characters of widowed women in Indian culture as depicted by Sidhwa. The miseries of these lower-class widows, represented by the protagonist Chuyia, are examined. The research’s framework, along with Gramsci’s viewpoint of cultural hegemony, is designed with the help of Fairclough’s modal of CDA. The study’s primary purpose is to investigate the terrible situations imposed upon women by Indian Patriarchy as well as the strategies utilized to maintain hegemony and to stigmatize underprivileged women as commodities. Antonio Gramsci’s idea of cultural hegemony reflects the ideological image of Indian society before partition. The study uncovers the ideological schemes and vivacious cultural tricks employed by the upper classes to imprison the widows residing in the Ashram. The Oppressed lives, contentious problems, and the identity of women, especially of lower class are thoroughly evaluated by the effective implementation of CDA and Gramsci’s cultural hegemony for clearer understanding.