Baseer
The Use of Symbolic Language in Ibsen’s A Doll’s House:
A Feministic Perspective
Abdul Baseer, Ph.D. Candidate
Sofia Dildar Alvi
Fareha Zafran, M.Phil. English Candidate
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Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 Vol. 13:3 March 2013
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Abstract
This paper is a feministic analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in Julia Kristeva’s perspective of semiotic and symbolic language. The focus of the paper is to expose the patriarchy and its ruthless exploitation of women. In the light of Kristeva’s semiotic / symbolic language modes appropriate sentences, clauses, phrases and lexemes have been specified and marked out to uncover the social status of woman, and to demonstrate that how a woman is reduced to mere a toy or / and a breathing object to a maximum extent, and a socially constructed phenomenon working for man. The paper concludes that patriarchy establishes the ideas of man’s ascendancy and woman’s relegation on the basis of symbolic concepts associated with male-dominated linguistic code, and not on the basis of semiotic use of language.
Key Words: Julia Kristeva, Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House, Feminism, Symbolic Language,
Semiotic Language, Patriarchy
Introduction
The paper is a feministic study of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in the light of Kristeva’s feministic theory of language. Feminism discusses the injustices against women which “extend into the structure of our society and the contents of our culture and permeates our consciousness”
(Barkty, 1990: 63). Kristeva states her opinions through the concepts of semiotic and symbolic modes of language. The semiotic is natural meaning while symbolic, on the other hand, is related to power and dominance; the patriarchal functions in society or culture. Semiotic is pre-oedipal
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940
13:3 March 2013
Abdul Baseer,
A Feministic Perspective
Abdul Baseer, Ph.D. Candidate
Sofia Dildar Alvi
Fareha Zafran, M.Phil. English Candidate
====================================================================
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 Vol. 13:3 March 2013
====================================================================
Abstract
This paper is a feministic analysis of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in Julia Kristeva’s perspective of semiotic and symbolic language. The focus of the paper is to expose the patriarchy and its ruthless exploitation of women. In the light of Kristeva’s semiotic / symbolic language modes appropriate sentences, clauses, phrases and lexemes have been specified and marked out to uncover the social status of woman, and to demonstrate that how a woman is reduced to mere a toy or / and a breathing object to a maximum extent, and a socially constructed phenomenon working for man. The paper concludes that patriarchy establishes the ideas of man’s ascendancy and woman’s relegation on the basis of symbolic concepts associated with male-dominated linguistic code, and not on the basis of semiotic use of language.
Key Words: Julia Kristeva, Henrik Ibsen, A Doll’s House, Feminism, Symbolic Language,
Semiotic Language, Patriarchy
Introduction
The paper is a feministic study of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in the light of Kristeva’s feministic theory of language. Feminism discusses the injustices against women which “extend into the structure of our society and the contents of our culture and permeates our consciousness”
(Barkty, 1990: 63). Kristeva states her opinions through the concepts of semiotic and symbolic modes of language. The semiotic is natural meaning while symbolic, on the other hand, is related to power and dominance; the patriarchal functions in society or culture. Semiotic is pre-oedipal
Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940
13:3 March 2013
Abdul Baseer,
References: Barkty, S. (1990). Feminity and the Modernization of Patriarehal Power. New York: Routledge Beauvoir, D Butler, J. (1989). The Body Politics of Julia Kristeva. Hypatia, 3 (3), 104-118. Retrieved from http://wxy.seu.edu.cn/humanities/sociology/htmledit/uploadfile/system/20100825/201008251104 Kelly, L. (1994). Trouble and Strife. New York: Winter Press Keltner, S.K Kristeva, J. (1980). Desire in Language: A Semiotic Approach to Literature and Art. Oxford: Basil Blackwell --------------- (1984). Revolution in Poetic Language. New York: Columbia University Press --------------- (1986) Sree, S.P. (2008). Alien Among Us: Reflection of Women writer on Women. New Dehli: Sarup and Sons