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Haroon Sarfraz

Madam Neelum Almas

South Asian Literature

November 04, 2013

Feminism in “Our Lady of Alice Bhatti”

Feminism comprises the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

Feminist Theory is an outgrowth of the general movement to empower women worldwide. It is a

recognition and critique of male supremacy combined with efforts to change it. It aims to

understand the nature of gender inequality, and examines women's social roles, experiences, and

interests. While generally providing a critique of social relations, much of feminist theory also

focuses on analyzing gender inequality and the promotion of women's interests. Feminists fight

for the equality of women and argue that women should share equally in society’s opportunities

and scare resources.

The goals of feminism are:

• To demonstrate the importance of women

• To reveal that historically women have been subordinate to men

• To bring about gender equity

The origins of the feminist movement are found in the abolitionist movement of the

1830’s. Seneca Falls, New York is said to be the birthplace of American feminism. Elizabeth

Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott spearheaded the first Women’s Rights. Convention in Seneca

Falls, NY in 1848 has important place in the history of feminism. The convention brought in

more than 300 people. The discussion was focused on the social, civil, and religious condition of

women. The convention led to the Declaration of Sentiments.

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The convention marked a 22 year battle to gain women the right to vote in the United

States. In 1920 women won the right to vote. In Germany the feminists were fighting for the

right of women to engage in sexual relations regardless of marital and legal consideration.

Marianne Weber (the wife of Max Weber) was a feminist. Weber thought that women should be

treated equally in the social institution of marriage, along with all the other social institutions.

She made it clear that marriage was between a man and a woman. The contemporary feminism

movement began in the 1960’s. Free love helped escape the sexual double standard. Divorce

became commonplace. Women were “happy housewives” no more. Higher level employment

and fulfillment outside the home were becoming the norm.

Mary Ann Weathers demonstrates intersection in action in “An Argument for Black

Women’s Liberation as a Revolutionary Force.” In this publication, Weathers reveals that in the

twentieth century, working-class women of color embodied the notion of intersection. The first

and second waves of the feminist movement were primarily driven by white women, who did not

adequately represent the feminist movement as a whole. It was-- and continues to be-- important

to recognize that white women faced a different form of discrimination than working class

women of color, which not only had to deal with sexism, but also fought against racism and class

oppression.

Feminist criticism is concerned with "...the ways in which literature (and other cultural

productions) reinforce or undermine the economic, political, social, and psychological

oppression of women" (Tyson). This school of theory looks at how aspects of our culture are

inherently patriarchal (male dominated) and "...this critique strives to expose the explicit and

implicit misogyny in male writing about women" (Richter 1346). This misogyny, Tyson reminds

us, can extend into diverse areas of our culture: "Perhaps the most chilling example...is found in
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the world of modern medicine, where drugs prescribed for both sexes often have been tested on

male subjects only" (83).

Feminist criticism is also concerned with less obvious forms of marginalization such as

the exclusion of women writers from the traditional literary canon: "...unless the critical or

historical point of view is feminist, there is a tendency to under-represent the contribution of

women writers" (Tyson 82-83).

All the aspects of Feminism are perfectly applied on Muhammad Hanif’s famous novel

“Our Lady of Alice Bhatti”. Hanif’s protagonist, the strong-willed, vibrant Alice Bhatti is almost

too incandescent to bear. At times, her portrayal strains credulity, edges slightly toward a

Pakistani version of the manic pixie dream girl, but ultimately I was won over by the character

and by Hanif’s lovely depiction of her. She’s irresistible—which is her biggest problem. The

book follows Alice as she starts her job as a junior nurse at Karachi’s Sacred Heart Hospital, the

bloody, chaotic emergency ward serving as a microcosm of bloody, chaotic Pakistan. Alice must

fend off the interest and attacks of the men who surround her, always fighting against the current

of her culture’s dismissive or degrading treatment of women.

Hanif approaches these touchy subjects with an irreverence that makes them palatable. I admit

there were times when I felt his attempts to comment on the persistent male gaze Alice is

subjected to veer a little close to the kind of objectification he ostensibly was criticizing. But

ultimately I believe in his commitment to the feminist theme and the book’s ending is sincerely

emotional, a truly heart-rending beautiful finish.

We can discuss the novel in feminist perspective keeping in mind the following

questions:
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i. What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming

male/female roles)?

ii. What constitutes masculinity and femininity?

iii. Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change

others’ reactions to them?

iv. What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or

psychologically) of patriarchy?

Alice Bhatti’s first visit to the psyche-ward is significant in the whole novel as for as the

treatment with women is concerned. She is welcomed and mocked at in these words:

“This way, Sister”

“Surprise them” “Reveal yourself”

“We knew you were coming. We were told.”

Her first response and expression is like this:

“Alice Bhatti looks at her keys and tries to hide her nervousness behind a polite smile.

She wields her clipboard like a shield, and gives the old man a benevolent nod, like heads of

state bestow on ushers before moving on to guards of honour.” (Page#33)

She faces the typical behaviour of the mad men and their lustful desires. She is welcomed

there in a mocking manner and dealt as a toy. She is handicapped by them at the ward and she

keeps on resisting getting free herself from their net. Alice feels she is airborne for a long time,

and then she lands in the waiting arms of two men, who shout ‘Howzat!’ like deranged

cricketers.

They lift her up in the air. She feels exalted. And scared. “Lord. Yassoo. Yassoo. Save

me.” (Page#34)
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While happening all this, Teddy Batt comes there with his squad. Alice is saved by him n

taken out from the Charya Ward. That is the first interaction of Alice and the police inspector.

This incident leaves a great impact on Alice’s mind about the power and domination of male

over female.

Another very important incident that shows the power relationship between men and

woman happens in the VIP room. Firstly she observes the whole ward and the patients who are

admitted there. She is told about the background of some patients, especially Begum Qazalbash

who likes to be addressed as Qaz. There a young man is attracted towards her and makes the

victim of his voluptuous desire. She notices his desire through his expression in this way:

“Alice Bhatti notices that the younger man, the clean-shaved one, is restless now. He is

not even concentrating in his cards and he pushes his stack of notes absent-mindedly towards

his senior partner. “He is imagining me naked”, Alice thinks. It never ceases to amaze her that

men, even those on death watch, all think the same thing. One eye on the dying mother, the

other on the paramedic’s tits. (Page#58)

Alice feels very much hesitated and tensed in that situation. She intends to leave the as

soon as possible but she has to sit on the chair and feeling the closeness of the young man. Then

the moment comes when the young man comes very close to her and asks her to suck his penis.

“Junior comes and stands close to Alice, so close that his crotch is practically in her face.

The smell of sweet perfume is so overwhelming that she has to hold her breath in order to stop

herself from sneezing. She tries to stand up. He pins her down with one hand and pulls out a

revolver from under his shirt, then stands there with a blank face as if he has forgotten what he

was planning to do. ‘Suck,’ he says in a low voice, as if asking for another slice of cake, waving

his revolver towards his crotch.” (Page#58)

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This is the most difficult time for Alice since joining the hospital as she is forced to do

something filthy on gunpoint. By finding no way-out he puts one hand on his penis and the

other in her pocket to take the razor blade to get rid of this situation. At the very next moment

she cut the penis of that man which creates a huge screaming by the man. The young man drops

the revolver on the floor and begins to weep. Alice puts the razor blade in the fold of a paper

napkin, then puts it in a little plastic bag, seals it and chucks it in the waste bin. This incident is

the clear example of the power relationship between men and woman. The young man tries to

accomplish his male desire through his power but ultimately his action is countered by the

power of Alice Bhatti.

This incident is also focusing on the question of masculinity and femininity. The way

Alice Bhatti behaves and protects herself from the cruelty of the young man is quite masculine.

She counterfeited the power imposed upon her in a brave manner and punished the young man

for his wrong doing.

In chapter fifteen of the novel, there is the description of Joseph Bhatti, the father of

Alice. Joseph’s relationship with his wife and daughter has been illustrated in this part of the

novel. The relationship between Alice’s parents has been described in the following way:

“Joseph Bhatti can’t remember how he addressed his wife before Alice was born. He

called her nothing; just oye, or listen, or what’s for dinner? Or did you hide my bottles? Or here

is my salary or sometimes when he returned from work with a salvaged object, look what I

found. Now, standing in the doorway, cradling a bird dripping black filth, Joseph Bhatti is

startled by his own voice and the lack of response to it. Nobody says: Father of Alice, you have

brought home kachra, you can’t stay away from garbage even when you are off duty.”

(Page#117)
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They always referred to each other as Mother of Alice and Father of Alice, as if they had

been waiting to become parents so they could abandon their old names. They always referred to

his work as duty, as if his duty was not clearing up clogged sewers but directing the traffic or

standing watch on a glacier to defend his country’s borders.

The relationship between Alice and her father is also having importance in the novel.

Alice Bhatti is not used to being addressed by her father. He makes toys for her, little birds from

discarded wood usually, but he is not the kind of father who hug his child or cradles her to

sleep, especially if the child in question is a twelve-year-old girl. But when Joseph Bhatti sees

Alice sitting under the tap, furiously scrubbing a pot, trying to be her own mother, he comes to

her and puts his hand on her shoulder and says the words that she has been hearing since they

brought her mother home covered in a sheet: “What can we do, my child? He took

her.”(Page#118)

The idea of “taking traits from opposite genders” is well suited on the character of Teddy

Butt. After getting married with Alice Bhatti he shows a lot of change in his behaviour. He

becomes more brave and courageous. Alice Bhatti advises him about different matters and

brings positive change in him. Once he got frightened in his young age which is criticized by his

PT teacher in this way:

“It’s your fidgety self, the fear inside your Teddy heart that attracted the dogs to you.

They can smell a faggot from miles away. Come with me. I’ll show you if the same dog dares to

attack me. Hell, let’s see if that dog even raises its eyebrow. And you will think it’s because you

are small and I am large.”(Page#136)

In the view of PT teacher it depends upon the person what kind of response does he get

from other living beings. According to him the dogs have the ability to smell the fear in the
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heart of the man standing before them. He further says, “And your heart I nothing but a big blob

of fear. Ask yourself. What are you afraid of? A dog can bite. So? You have got teeth too. A

dog jump, you can jump. But a dog can’t prepare. But you can. You can also think, but your

brain works like a woman’s brain: always worrying what will happen next, when will the roof

fall? The roof will not fall. Or the roof will fall when the roof falls. Your sweaty hands and your

shivering legs can’t stop the roof from falling.” (Page#136)

The character of Alice Bhatti also has some relevance to the idea of “taking traits from

opposite genders”. In chapter nineteen of the novel she is found lifting the weight along with

Teddy, her husband, at home. She is in the habit of doing exercise with Teddy. There is the

description about their exercising together in this way:

“Later she is stretched out on his bench press looking at the ceiling, her arms rose,

holding the weight bar. Teddy stands above her and takes two five-kilogram bumper plates from

the plate tree and slips them on to either side of the bar. Her arms tremble a little. He bends

down, puts his hands on her shoulders and presses them firmly down on the bench. He adjusts

her posture, parts her legs slightly and brings her feet in, then presses her knees with his hands

and asks her to start. She brings her arms down and lifts the weight with her full

force.”(Page#144)

An important aspect of the novel which elaborates the concept of feminism is that it

reveals about the operations of patriarchy. The situation presented in the novel clearly makes us

understand that women are treated in an inhumane manner in society at all levels. They are

handicapped and they are considered to be the source of fulfilling the male desires. The very

first interaction of Alice Bhatti in the hospital with Dr. Pereira makes her realize her real

position in society. She is sarcastically treated in different ways- about her name, family name
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and professional abilities. On an occasion the doctor gets attracted towards her physically and

the following views are got from him:

“Ortho Sir moves forward in his chair, clasps his hands, and fixes his eyes on the file in

front of him. The alien on his head seems to have decided to make this planet his home.

‘Postnatal care?’ His eyes are level with Alice Bhatti’s breasts. ‘Inverted nipples. How do

you deal with them? Should you deal with them? Have you any personal experience to share?’

Ortho Sir rolls his tongue around his gum as if there might be nipples struck between his

teeth.”(Page#9)

In Chapter Twenty-Four of the novel the relationship is established between Alice Bhatti

and a doctor in the Sacred hospital. The doctor persuades her psychologically and entangles her

through different talks and actions. Physical relationship is created between both of them. This

clearly shows that the women are used by men for accomplishment of their needs. Women are

exploited psychologically and physically. The relationship that is established between Alice

Bhatti and the doctor is based upon male domination and female exploitation. This aspect leads

Alice Bhatti towards her sad end. Whatever she experiences till the end of the novel is the

obvious picture of clash and encounter between the opposite sexes and the effort to use each

other for personal motives.

After having all the above discussion we can say conclusively that the novel “Our Lady

of Alice Bhatti” is the true representative of Feminism. The circumstances highlighted in the

novel are those that are observed and experienced in daily life of the women of modern era.

Muhammad Hanif has portrayed the character of Alice Bhatti as the typical woman of this time

who faces difficulties during his stay in the society. She is the nurse who is victimized by the

hospital administration and also by the attendants of the patients. Feminist theory is applied on
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the novel through all the incidents and experiences that Alice Bhatti has to face while

performing her services in hospital as a nurse.

We are told about the hardships and difficulties that she faces in her life, especially in the

Sacred hospital. As feminism is the voice against the inequality and injustice towards the

women practiced in the society, it gets perfectly suited in the novel “Our Lady of Alice Bhatti”.

The situation of protagonist Alice Bhatti and the characters associated with her are the typical of

a male dominated society where women are used and exploited for personal desires. From

giving an interview for job in the Sacred hospital to the end of the novel Alice Bhatti receives

harsh treatment from males. She is handicapped by them and she is considered to be a toy for

them to fulfill their wishes and desires forcefully. The writer’s main motive is to bring the plight

of the women under the observation of the world and he wants the society to protect the rights

of the women by practicing equality and justice, careless of the sexes. All the stakeholders of

society should be treated as equal human beings and they should be grant proper rights to live

and excel in society freely.