The Suppression of Women’s Voice in Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Kreutzer Sonata

Abstract

The research entitled “The Suppression of Women’s Voice in Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Kreutzer Sonata” is an effort which, with the light of feminism, tries to show how the social patriarchal system under sizes, marginalizes and under presents women. Both of these texts highlight patriarchal gender roles and imprison women within a home. There is a stereotypical presentation of female characters.They are blamed for the hazardous consequences of the story. So, they are pathetic to endure male domination, discrimination and repression. The writer wants to rein women under the claw of patriarchy. He negates female’s autonomy, and it enables him to complete story in tragic ending. Murder of the female protagonist in The Kreutzer Sonata, discrimination between man and woman in terms of education, job; highlight of women’s patriarchal roles like housewife, lack of women’s autonomy in terms child bearing,abortion etc. are some examples of the gendered issues of these texts. Therefore, these novellas The Death of Ivan Ilyich and The Kreutzer Sonata emphasize on the gender inequalities in the society.