Partition and Identity Formation: The Case of Agunpakhi and Rajkahini

Abstract

In both Agunpakhi by Hasan Azizul Haque and Rajkahini by Srijit Mukherji, the female characters follow the rules of the patriarchy, and more or less are satisfied with their prescribed roles. However, Partition of the country provides them an opportunity to think about their inner strength and distinctiveness and so, the female characters rise above and subvert their previous dominated identities to become new women. Unlike the remarkable Partition narrative, in both Agunpakhi and Rajkahini, we feel the pains of Partition from the experiences of the female characters. However, they are not only the passive victims of partition, they prove their worth by rejecting traditional gender roles and fighting for the country. The aim of this paper to unmask the repressive and fundamentally flawed patriarchal society that restrain the female characters to form their identities, and at the same time to focus on the opportunities that Partition gives them to fabricate their sense of identity. In this paper, Feminist theory will be used.