Gendered Subaltern in Atwood's, Cat’s Eye

Abstract

This research on Cat’s Eye aims to show the marginalization of feminine gender, which had been facing underestimation in every opportunity. The concept of masculinity discourse in the novel relates to males and females in terms of the binary opposition where the males are defined absolutely perfect vanguard of Canadian society, in contrast to the females. Women are in feriorized and pressed down domestically and publicly, not despite being incapable, but due to the manipulation of patriarchal bash. The relegation of the females in the lower strata of the society dramatizes the notion of gendered subaltern. The facts associates with passivity and submissiveness of females that American democracy internalized is directly, masculinity hegemony. The control of socio-economic and religious steer, by the males, shown in the novel unfolds the real reality, of female’s deterioration, in Atwood’s Cat’s Eye. Females characters are all marginalized by male i.e seduction of Susie, suicide attempts of Elaine, bitten to Cordelia by her father and many other domestic violence upon females, open the concept of gender subaltern in the novel. In order to assert the superiority of masculinity over femininity in the society Jon does not assist his wife Elaine and sick daughter, rather he indulges in sex with another woman in the next room, which is the open practice of gender stereotypes. The males as powerful, strong and determined in contrast to the submissive, meek and docile females have been illustrated in the novel in the relationship between Jon and Elaine, Hrbik and Susie; which uncovers the genderly biased nature of masculinity discourse.