Narrativization of Gender Trauma in Nasrin's Sodh

Abstract

Taslima Nasrin’s novel Sodh projects the main character Jhummur’s traumatic torture which is caused by her husband’s extreme doubt and suspicious nature. She is pregnant. But her husband is not ready to believe that the infant she carried in her womb is his own. When his doubt reached the limit, he forcibly took her to a local clinic and got her aborted against her will. Actually she is innocent and flawless. She is loyal to her husband. Despite her innocence and fidelity, she is subjected to the traumatic torture brought forth by untimely abortion. She takes revenge on her husband by sleeping with a painter and convincing her husband that she is carrying his child in her womb. Just being a subordinate lady in tyranny of Islamic patriarchy Jhummur is traumatized. The rigid Islamic culture and oppressive web of patriarchy generated cultural trauma in which she is trapped. By using the notion of historic-cultural trauma, the researcher has analytically dwelt upon the issue of gendered trauma in this research.