Abstract
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, regarded as the "morning star" of modern Malayalam literature, wrote the novel "Balyakalasakhi" (Childhood Companion). It is not merely an ordinary love story; it is a tragic document of the poverty, patriarchal structures, and female subjugation prevalent in the Kerala Muslim society of the early 20th century.
This article provides an in-depth feminist analysis of the life struggles of the female characters, particularly Suhara. It explores the hierarchical power of a patriarchal society, the denial of education, physical oppression carried out through rituals, and the violence enacted in the name of marriage. Against the backdrop of Basheer’s unique philosophy of "something a little bigger," this study utilizes socio-historical data to present how poverty and patriarchy converge to shatter a woman’s personality.
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References
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