“Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann: Summary and Critique

Introduction: “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann

“Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann first appeared in the Journal of Commonwealth Literature in 1998. This article bridges third-world feminist and poststructuralist insights to examine the intersection of nationalism, gender, and the politics of rape in postcolonial South Asian literature. Focusing on Saadat Hasan Manto’s “Colder than Ice” and “The Return,” and Mahasweta Devi’s “Dhowli” and “The Funeral Wailer,” Mann critiques Manto’s reliance on the raped woman as a metaphor for national crises, while celebrating Mahasweta’s narrative strategies that foreground women’s subjectivity and agency. The article highlights how Manto’s narratives often exploit female victimization to critique nationalism, reducing women to symbolic markers of partition’s brutality. In contrast, Mahasweta disrupts this androcentric tradition by writing women as resilient agents who resist their oppression. As Mann asserts, “To represent women only in national-metaphoric terms is to neglect the ‘real consequences’ of nationalism for women and fail to ask how women might subvert such processes.” This analysis enriches postcolonial literary theory by underscoring the need for feminist readings that center female subjectivity in narratives shaped by historical trauma.

Summary of “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann

1. Contrasting Representations of Rape in Postcolonial Literature:
   • The article explores how Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi deploy rape as a narrative device in their works. While Manto uses rape as a metaphor for national crisis during Partition, Devi focuses on the material and social consequences of rape, highlighting women’s agency and resilience (Mann, 1998, p. 128).
2. Critique of Manto’s Metaphoric Approach:
   • Manto’s works like “Colder than Ice” and “The Return” position raped women as symbolic representations of Partition’s horrors rather than individuals with subjectivity. This perpetuates androcentric narratives by silencing women’s voices and reducing them to metaphoric objects (Mann, 1998, p. 129).
3. Manto’s Masculinist Perspective:
   • The growth of male characters, such as Ishar Singh in “Colder than Ice,” is achieved at the expense of female subjectivity. The raped woman in Manto’s narratives is constructed as a “heap of cold flesh,” symbolizing the cruelty of nationalism, but without a voice of her own (Mann, 1998, p. 130).
4. Devi’s Feminist Counter-Narrative:
   • Mahasweta Devi’s stories, such as “Dhowli” and “The Funeral Wailer,” challenge patriarchal constructions by giving voice to low-caste and tribal women. Devi’s narratives foreground women’s resistance and survival strategies in post-Independence India, disrupting the male-centric tradition of national allegory (Mann, 1998, p. 134).
5. Restoration of Women’s Subjectivity:
   • Devi critiques the erasure of women’s agency by depicting their struggles within caste and gender hierarchies. She resists the reduction of rape to a mere allegory of national politics, instead tracing its personal and collective impact on marginalized women (Mann, 1998, p. 135).
6. Intersection of Nationalism and Gender:
   • Drawing on Spivak’s insights, Mann argues that nationalist movements often commodify women as symbols of the nation. This subjugates their gendered identities to the larger project of nation-building, where women’s bodies become “mediums of exchange” in the nationalist discourse (Mann, 1998, p. 128).
7. Mahasweta Devi’s Activist Poetics:
   • Devi not only reclaims subjectivity for marginalized women in her writing but also engages in activism, advocating for tribal rights, healthcare, and education. Her literary and political work creates pathways for material and narrative resistance (Mann, 1998, p. 137).
8. Challenge to Patriarchal Narratives:
   • Through her narratives, Devi reconstitutes the female subject of rape, portraying women as active agents who resist oppression. This contrasts sharply with Manto’s focus on male-centered critiques of Partition (Mann, 1998, p. 138).
9. Subversion of Mythical Ideals:
   • Devi dismantles nationalist ideologies that equate women with mythical figures like Sita and Draupadi, which perpetuate gendered oppression under the guise of reverence. She questions the cultural norms that frame women as symbols of chastity and sacrifice (Mann, 1998, p. 139).
10. Feminist Narrative Strategies:
    • Devi’s works employ feminist narrative techniques by centering women’s voices, naming them, and exploring their lived experiences. Her stories emphasize resistance, survival, and agency, offering a counterpoint to the male-dominated narratives of Partition (Mann, 1998, p. 140).

Theoretical Terms/Concepts in “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann

Theoretical Term/Concept	Definition/Explanation	Reference/Explanation from Article
Nationalism and Gender	Explores how nationalist projects commodify women’s bodies as symbols of national identity.	Women are “mediums of exchange” in nationalist discourse, representing the nation while erasing their individual agency (Mann, 1998, p. 128).
Androcentrism	A male-centered perspective that marginalizes women’s experiences.	Manto’s narratives are critiqued for subsuming women’s voices to highlight male suffering during Partition (Mann, 1998, p. 129).
Female Subjectivity	Women as active agents with personal voices and experiences, resisting their objectification.	Mahasweta Devi restores women’s voices, focusing on their agency and survival strategies in oppressive conditions (Mann, 1998, p. 134).
Metaphor of the Nation-as-Woman	The portrayal of the raped woman as a symbol of the nation’s violation or crisis.	Manto uses the raped woman to symbolize the horrors of Partition without addressing her personal suffering (Mann, 1998, p. 130).
Postcolonial Feminism	Examines gendered power dynamics in colonial and postcolonial contexts.	Gayatri Spivak’s insights on how women are excluded from the benefits of decolonization are foundational to Mann’s argument (Mann, 1998, p. 128).
Subaltern Studies	Focuses on marginalized groups excluded from dominant power structures and narratives.	Mahasweta Devi’s work highlights tribal and low-caste women’s resistance against patriarchal and caste oppression (Mann, 1998, p. 137).
Narrative Elision	The omission of the violent act (rape) in male-centered texts, leaving gaps in representation.	Manto’s texts elide the actual violence, reducing rape to a metaphor rather than exploring its physical and emotional toll (Mann, 1998, p. 129).
Feminist Narrative Strategies	Narrative techniques that foreground women’s voices and challenge patriarchal perspectives.	Mahasweta names her characters, centers their voices, and critiques cultural norms, offering a feminist reconstitution of rape narratives (Mann, 1998, p. 140).
Patriarchal Textual Models	Literary structures that reinforce male dominance and marginalize female agency.	Manto’s stories are framed through male perspectives, reducing women to tools for male character development (Mann, 1998, p. 129).
Resistance and Agency	The capacity of women to challenge and subvert oppressive systems and norms.	Devi’s characters actively resist victimhood, using collective strength to overcome societal oppression (Mann, 1998, p. 138).

Contribution of “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann to Literary Theory/Theories

1. Postcolonial Feminist Critique:
   • The article integrates postcolonial theory and feminist perspectives to analyze the intersection of gender, nationalism, and sexual violence in South Asian literature.
   • It draws on Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s framework, highlighting the exclusion of women, especially subaltern women, from the benefits of decolonization (Mann, 1998, p. 128).
2. Gender and Nationalism as Intertwined Constructs:
   • Mann critiques the nationalist tendency to commodify women as symbols of the nation, reducing them to metaphoric representations of national crises.
   • The article emphasizes how women’s bodies are inscribed into nationalist discourses as “mediums of exchange,” obscuring their agency (Mann, 1998, p. 128).
3. Re-evaluation of Partition Literature:
   • Mann challenges the androcentric narratives of Partition in Manto’s works, revealing how they marginalize women’s voices and reduce them to symbolic representations of trauma.
   • This contribution reframes the understanding of Partition literature by emphasizing the gendered dimensions of violence and representation (Mann, 1998, p. 129).
4. Feminist Narrative Analysis:
   • The article underscores the importance of feminist narrative strategies in literary analysis, as seen in Mahasweta Devi’s work.
   • Devi’s focus on women’s agency, resistance, and subjectivity provides a counter-narrative to patriarchal literary traditions (Mann, 1998, p. 134).
5. Critique of Male-Centric Literary Models:
   • By examining Manto’s reliance on rape as a metaphor for national crises, Mann critiques patriarchal textual structures that erase women’s experiences of violence.
   • This critique contributes to the broader discourse on how male-authored texts often elide or exploit women’s suffering for broader political or symbolic purposes (Mann, 1998, p. 130).
6. Integration of Subaltern Studies and Feminist Theory:
   • Mann incorporates subaltern studies into her feminist critique by analyzing how Devi foregrounds marginalized, tribal women’s voices and experiences.
   • This approach demonstrates the need for intersectional frameworks in literary theory that account for caste, gender, and class (Mann, 1998, p. 137).
7. Theorization of Rape Narratives:
   • The article theorizes the representation of rape in literature, contrasting Manto’s sensationalized, metaphorical portrayal with Devi’s materialist focus on its real-life consequences.
   • This contribution challenges existing frameworks that reduce rape to a mere literary or symbolic device (Mann, 1998, p. 129, 134).
8. Expansion of Feminist Literary Practices:
   • Mann highlights the feminist potential of literature to subvert patriarchal and nationalist ideologies by focusing on women’s lived realities.
   • Devi’s narratives, which explore women’s survival and resistance, exemplify how literature can critique and transform cultural norms (Mann, 1998, p. 138).
9. Questioning Cultural Myths and Ideologies:
   • The article deconstructs cultural myths, such as the idealization of women as chaste and sacrificial figures (e.g., Sita and Draupadi), and their role in nationalist ideologies.
   • Mann emphasizes how such myths perpetuate gendered oppression, making this an important contribution to feminist literary theory (Mann, 1998, p. 139).
10. Materialist Feminist Perspective:
    • Mann links literary analysis to material realities, such as the caste-based oppression and economic exploitation depicted in Devi’s works.
    • This perspective bridges the gap between textual critique and real-world socio-political issues, enriching feminist literary scholarship (Mann, 1998, p. 137).

Examples of Critiques Through “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann

Author and Work	Critique/Analysis	Reference/Key Point from Article
Saadat Hasan Manto – “Colder than Ice”	Criticized for reducing the raped woman to a symbol of Partition’s horrors, denying her voice or agency.	The woman is represented as “a heap of cold flesh,” serving as a tool for Ishar Singh’s redemption (Mann, 1998, p. 130).
Saadat Hasan Manto – “The Return”	Sakina’s rape is used for shock value, emphasizing the tragedy of Partition without exploring her experience.	The raped woman is reduced to a metaphor, while her physical violation is only briefly addressed (Mann, 1998, p. 132).
Mahasweta Devi – “Dhowli”	Highlights how caste and gender oppression intertwine, showing the material consequences of rape.	Dhowli, a low-caste widow, resists victimhood despite being ostracized and reduced to prostitution (Mann, 1998, p. 134).
Mahasweta Devi – “The Funeral Wailer”	Praised for portraying collective female resistance and agency through the organization of prostitutes.	Sanichari and her group reclaim power by turning societal shame into material and symbolic resistance (Mann, 1998, p. 136).

Criticism Against “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann

1. Overemphasis on Binary Comparison:
   • The article contrasts Manto’s metaphorical treatment of rape with Devi’s materialist focus, which some may view as overly dichotomous. This framing risks oversimplifying the complexities of Manto’s narratives by reducing them to patriarchal constructs.
2. Limited Exploration of Manto’s Feminist Potential:
   • Critics may argue that the article underestimates Manto’s subtle critiques of societal structures and his ability to humanize victims of Partition violence, focusing instead on his reliance on patriarchal tropes.
3. Neglect of Historical Context:
   • While the article provides a feminist reading, it does not fully contextualize the historical and socio-political realities of the time that influenced Manto’s and Devi’s works, potentially overlooking their nuanced responses to Partition and postcolonial India.
4. Lack of Nuance in Depicting Manto’s Intentions:
   • The article’s critique of Manto’s androcentrism may seem one-sided to readers who interpret his works as deliberately shocking to critique the brutality of Partition. Manto’s portrayal of rape as a metaphor could be seen as reflective of a broader human tragedy, not necessarily erasing women’s voices.
5. Potential Overshadowing of Other Themes:
   • By focusing heavily on the theme of rape and its representation, the article may neglect other significant themes in Manto’s and Devi’s works, such as class struggle, communal harmony, or the broader psychological impact of Partition.
6. Over-Reliance on Spivak’s Framework:
   • The article leans extensively on Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak’s theoretical framework, which could limit its originality or make it less accessible to readers unfamiliar with Spivak’s work.
7. Limited Inclusion of Diverse Perspectives:
   • The analysis primarily reflects a feminist perspective and does not sufficiently engage with alternative critical readings, such as psychoanalytic or sociological approaches, that could enrich the discussion.
8. Imbalanced Attention to Authors:
   • Some readers might feel that Mahasweta Devi’s works receive more praise and nuanced exploration compared to Manto’s, leading to an imbalance in the comparative analysis.
9. Lack of Engagement with Translation Issues:
   • Since both Manto’s and Devi’s works are read through English translations, the article could have addressed how translation influences the interpretation of gender, violence, and cultural context.

Representative Quotations from “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann with Explanation

Quotation	Explanation
“Women can be ventriloquists, but they have an immense historical potential of not being (allowed to remain) nationalists; of knowing, in their gendering, that nation and identity are commodities in the strictest sense.” (Mann, p. 128)	This highlights the commodification of women’s bodies in nationalist narratives, where women are transformed into mediums of exchange, symbolic of national identity but stripped of their agency.
“Manto subsumes the politics of gender under the mantle of a singular, masculinized discourse of post-Independence slavery-in-nationalism.” (Mann, p. 129)	Mann critiques Manto for subordinating the experiences of women to a broader narrative of male-centric nationalism, where women’s suffering becomes a metaphor rather than being addressed as individual lived realities.
“The raped woman is written into the patriarchal national narrative not to thematize her own suffering but merely to signify the horrors of partition.” (Mann, p. 129)	This critique emphasizes the erasure of women’s subjectivity in Manto’s work, reducing female characters to symbols of collective trauma instead of representing their personal suffering and agency.
“Mahasweta writes the violated female body back not only into the literary but also into the politico-cultural text.” (Mann, p. 137)	Mann appreciates Mahasweta Devi’s feminist approach, where the violated female body is given agency and becomes central to narratives of resistance against oppression rather than being reduced to a symbol of victimization.
“Dhowli proposes rape, recognized and compensated as such, as a preferred script for the low-caste woman in modern India.” (Mann, p. 135)	This quotation demonstrates Mahasweta Devi’s challenge to the dominant ideologies of caste and gender. The character Dhowli redefines victimhood by demanding recognition and material redress, rejecting traditional narratives of chastity and shame.
“It is by paying close attention to such narrative strategies…that the reader can complement the author’s feminist appropriation of narrative means with a resistant mode of reading.” (Mann, p. 135)	This suggests that Mahasweta Devi’s narrative techniques not only depict women’s oppression but also engage the reader in an active critique of the systemic structures of power, encouraging a feminist reading.
“Even as he denounces the macrocosmic corruptions of the new nations of Pakistan and India, Manto thus remains complicit with patriarchal cultural as well as textual structures.” (Mann, p. 132)	This critique of Manto points to his reliance on patriarchal frameworks in representing women, even as he critiques the broader failures of post-Partition nationalism.
“The malik now belongs to us.” (Mann, p. 136)	This is a triumphant assertion from Mahasweta Devi’s The Funeral Wailer, symbolizing how oppressed women reclaim agency and power through collective resistance and solidarity, challenging patriarchal and feudal systems.

Suggested Readings: “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi” by Harveen Sachdeva Mann

1. LEACH, JUSTINE. “THE SEDUCTION OF RAPE AS ALLEGORY IN POSTCOLONIAL LITERATURE.” Querying Consent: Beyond Permission and Refusal, edited by JORDANA GREENBLATT and KEJA VALENS, Rutgers University Press, 2018, pp. 83–99. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt1vxm8b1.9. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
2. Mann, Harveen Sachdeva. “Woman in Decolonization: The National and Textual Politics of Rape in Saadat Hasan Manto and Mahasweta Devi.” The Journal of Commonwealth Literature 33.2 (1998): 127-141.