Representation of Women in Kashmiri Literature: A Feministic Analysis of Mahjoor's "The Unwanted Woman's Tale" and Naseem Shiafaie''s "Neither a Shadow nor a Reflection"

: The paper aims to portray the role of women in Kashmiri culture. Both Mahjoor and Naseem portray different roles a woman plays in Kashmiri society, rather than how she is treated in Kashmiri society. Ghulam Ahmad Mahjoor, a Kashmiri progressive poet, and Prof. Naseem Shiafaie a Kashmiri feministic voice portray Kashmiri women in their poems as victims of patriarchal setup. Mahjoor's simple and moving language speaks about the pangs of the woman being both betrayed and powerless. Naseem's forthright language speaks loudly, about the sufferings of women in contemporary Kashmiri society. She argues about the need to allow women and girl children to realize their potential. Feminism can be called a mode of critical discourse which emphasizes culturally determined gender differences in the interpretation of literary works. Feminism generally focuses on the history of male dominance and oppression in all aspects of life. Feminism has become a dominant force in contemporary literary criticism. It has made considerable advancement during a small period. Feminist literary criticism has played a crucial part in breaking the logo-centric tradition and challenging the supremacy of the privileged concepts and values in the patriarchal systems. This is its alternative approach to literary as well as cultural studies. The phrase "feminine mystique" was coined by Friedan to describe the assumptions that "women would be fulfilled from their housework, marriage, sexual lives, and children. The prevailing belief was that truly feminine women should not want to work, get an education, or have political opinions."