WOMEN SUBORDINATION AND STRUGGLE  IN THE BREADWINNER TRILOGY: A FEMINISM APPROACH

Authors

In this paper, the writer analyzed about women subordination and struggle in Afghanistan

during Taliban regime which is described in The Breadwinner Trilogy by Deborah Ellis. The

novel captures the treatments which are experienced by women characters as subordinate in

Afghanistan’s society and also they struggle through many efforts as forms of their resistant

toward the subordination. The analysis has two goals which are describing the women subordination

and women struggle. The writer uses Feminism theory and historical approach. The technique that

is applied by the writer is close reading to gain understanding the structure of the novel. The writer

finds four kinds of treatment which is done to women. The first is being discriminated that consist of

lack of educational opportunity and lack of job opportunity. The second is being disregarded in decision

and opinion. The third is being controlled. They are being controlled in their mobility and also appearance.

The last experience is violence. Furthermore, to resist from subordination the women struggle. The first

is establishing women existence that consists of running secret school and disguise for job to earn money.

The second is striving to be regarded that consist of making decision for themselves and encourage women’s

awareness through opinion. The last is ignoring male’s authority. In conclusion, the Taliban had positioned

Afghan women in subordination. The subordination triggers the struggle of these women to fight for the rights

to be equal.

Keywords: Feminism, Subordination, Struggle, Taliban, Afghan Women