Sourav Paul1 and Dr Shri Krishan Rai2
1UGC Junior Research Fellow, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, India. ORCID: 0000-0002-5921-2863. Email: paul.sou.7@gmail.com
2Assistant Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology Durgapur, India. Email: srikrishanrai4@gmail.com
Volume 10, Number 3, 2018 I Full Text PDF
DOI: 10.21659/rupkatha.v10n3.09
Received April 27, 2018; Revised September 30, 2018: Accepted October 27, 2018; Published October 27, 2018.
Abstract
The study explores how the eponymous novel Our Lady of Alice Bhatti (2011) by Mohammed Hanif takes the stance of rediscovering the multifaceted strains of sexual violence as on the backdrop of sainthood. The protagonist (Alice) executes saintly miracles with her unnerving gifts for which superficially she is perceived as a divine human being if not worshipped. But nothing, not even her supernatural skill set, can restrain her from being a victim of sexual violence. Rather spiritual holiness is shattered by the intimidation of the body. Alice’s mystic powers are treated like a witch’s necromancy than a curer’s touch for which she is prejudiced as an easily accessible flesh. This preoccupation of terror is not merely the creed for sex but the greed for violence (hence power). Finding common grounds between two religions on the basis of humanity and nature the paper sounds true to its venture of the issue of sexual violence along with its turnovers in the social, political and cultural dynamism of sainthood.
Keywords: Sexual violence, sainthood, holiness, body, terror, necromancy.
