Volume II Special Issue I January 2022

Name of Author : Anil Kumar Mandal

Title of the paper : Gender Discourse in the Fiction of Alice Munro

Abstract: Women have been constrained in their thought, expression and activities as society has appreciated gender roles as well as the norms, and condition of their social life. A well-observed fact is that human civilizations down the ages have differentiated sex from gender and ordained a code of conduct for women, in conformity with socio-cultural patterns. One may be born woman but it is society that is responsible for defining role models for women as a wife, mother and as an individual. The voice of women has been stifled and they have remained unheard in social history as patriarchal hierarchy has compelled them to remain a shadow of their inner selves. The voice of women in Canada has always been a loud cry of protest against social culture and male hegemony. Marginalized oppressed and victimized by social setups. The condition of Canadian women was not better than in other country across the globe. Therefore, a quest for a private space and the assertion of inner self was a prime concern for Canadian women. While consciousness against subjugation had been longstanding one, it took the form of an organized movement in 1929 with feminists voicing their demand for political right, and right to vote and elect representatives. It also focused attention on men and male social roles, asking questions about the nature and function of gender. Some primary questions regarding gender a matter of much public discussion and debate is gender innate and biological? is the product of socialization and environment? thats why some basic questions lie behind this why gender becomes important it is because Gender means the differentiation usually on the basis of sex, between the social roles and function labelled as masculine and feminine is universal. Gender studies as central feature of all culture throughout the world. The driving force of this paper is to explicit how gender discrimination paralyzes women in general and the Canadian women in particular and their struggles to rise above Gender bias is seen through the experience of Canadian women writer Alice Munro. The paper is an outcome of my interdisciplinary approach to gender Discourse and stories of Alice Munro Canada celebrated creative writer the Nobel laureate fiction story telling is the best way to medium to address the issues such as Gender discrimination and gender victimization related to gender Discourse.

Keywords : Feminism, Gender studies, Feminist studies, Genre, Gender Cultural Politics

DOI :

Page Number : 5-7