Images of the body and sexuality in womens narratives on oppression in the home.

Abstract

This paper examines the relationship between womens experiences of physical violence and psychological oppression in homes and links some of these experiences to womens notion of their bodies and sexuality. In this article violence in the home is categorized according to the behavior of husbands in the following aspects: verbal abuse withdrawal of sexual activity when the woman may like it and lack of commitment to the home and family. The paper presents several cases of violence in the nuclear home and in a joint family. Narratives of these women clearly demonstrate that women perceive themselves as survivors of violence rather than victims of their circumstances and are very much aware of the effects of their experiences in their physical and psychological well being. Such perception may be manifested in forms of cynicism or feeling of unfulfilled femininity. The narratives also made clear that femininity is defined in relation to body shapes sexuality and inability to conduct themselves within the dictates of a normative femininity. However while these women strive to cope with the situation by maintaining and beautifying their bodies cynicism and bitterness couple their experiences in a deteriorating marital relationship. In conclusion the author poses some question on the possibilities of an autonomous perception of femininity that would enable these women to be free from the oppressive gaze.

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