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Misogyny in English Literature Being Studied in a Pakistani Classroom
As a Pakistani girl growing up in a conservative household, I knew from a young age that I was going to have to work twice as hard as the boys in order to achieve my dreams. My parents, while supportive of my education, often reminded me that my ultimate goal in life should be to find a good husband and start a family. But I had other plans.
I loved literature, especially English literature. The works of Jane Austen and Virginia Woolf were my escape from the strict confines of my home life. But when I started taking advanced literature classes in college, I quickly realized that many of the classic works I was studying were filled with deeply ingrained misogyny.
One day, in my 19th-century British literature class, we were discussing the novel “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte. As we analyzed the various characters and themes, I couldn’t help but notice how many of the female characters were portrayed as either weak and helpless or manipulative and deceitful. I raised my hand to speak, feeling a mix of nerves and frustration.
“Excuse me,” I said tentatively, “I’m just wondering if anyone else has noticed how the women in this book are all portrayed in such negative ways. It seems like the author was really prejudiced against women.”
