In Begum Rokeya Sakhawat’s book “Sultana’s Dream,” we find the following excerpt: “Where are the men?…They ought to be in the zenana. Men who do or at least are apt to do, such foolish things should not be allowed to roam about.” What do the following ideas in the book challenge?
Reversal of roles of gender
Understanding Begum Rokeya's "Sultana's Dream" Excerpt
The question asks us to identify what specific idea is challenged by the excerpt from Begum Rokeya Sakhawat’s book “Sultana’s Dream”. The excerpt describes a futuristic world where men are confined to the zenana (traditionally a women's space) because they are deemed "foolish," while women are free to roam.
Analyzing the Excerpt's Meaning
In traditional patriarchal societies, women were often confined to indoor spaces (like the zenana) while men had freedom of movement and public life. The excerpt flips this arrangement entirely. It imagines a world where men are restricted and women are free. This is a direct inversion of the conventional gender roles and spatial segregation imposed by society.
Evaluating the Options
Let's look at how each option relates to the excerpt:
- Option 1: Double standard imposed by male-dominated society. While the excerpt implicitly critiques the double standards of a male-dominated society by showing a world without them, the primary focus of the *specific lines* quoted is not just the existence of a double standard but rather the *reversal* of the positions associated with that standard.
- Option 2: Comparison of work done by men and women in male-dominated society. The excerpt does not mention the type of work performed by men or women. It talks about their location and freedom of movement – being in the zenana versus roaming about.
- Option 3: Reversal of roles of gender. This option directly reflects the scenario described in the excerpt. The traditional roles associated with gender in a patriarchal society (men being free, women confined) are completely reversed (men confined, women free).
- Option 4: Challenging patriarchy. The entire book "Sultana's Dream" is a powerful critique and challenge to patriarchy. However, the excerpt provides a *specific mechanism* or *idea* through which patriarchy is challenged in the story – by imagining a world where the gender roles are reversed. While challenging patriarchy is the overarching theme, the excerpt primarily exemplifies the idea of "reversal of roles of gender" as a means to critique the existing patriarchal system.
Conclusion
The most accurate description of the idea directly presented and challenged in the given excerpt is the complete flipping of traditional gender roles and associated freedoms/restrictions. The excerpt depicts a society with a clear reversal of roles of gender, using this concept to critique the limitations placed upon women in the author's time.
| Idea Challenged | Relevance to Excerpt |
|---|---|
| Double standard | Implied, but not the main focus of the quoted lines |
| Comparison of work | Not mentioned in the excerpt |
| Reversal of roles | Directly depicted: Men confined, Women free |
| Challenging patriarchy | Overarching theme, but reversal is the specific idea used in the excerpt |
Therefore, the excerpt specifically highlights and challenges the conventional expectations and limitations associated with gender by presenting a scenario where these roles are reversed.
Revision Table: Begum Rokeya, Sultana's Dream, Gender Roles
| Concept | Description in Context |
|---|---|
| Sultana's Dream | A 1905 feminist utopian novella by Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain. |
| Zenana | Traditional segregated area for women in South Asian households. |
| Patriarchy | A social system where men hold primary power and predominate in roles of political leadership, moral authority, social privilege and control of property. |
| Gender Roles | Societal norms and expectations associated with being male or female. |
| Reversal of Roles | Flipping traditional expectations or positions, particularly between genders. |
Additional Information: Feminist Literature and Utopian Visions
Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain was a pioneering feminist writer and social reformer from Bengal. "Sultana's Dream" is considered a significant work in feminist literature, especially within the context of South Asia.
- The novella uses the literary device of a utopian dream sequence to imagine a world called Ladyland.
- In Ladyland, women rule and have advanced scientific knowledge (powered by solar energy), while men are kept in confinement, similar to how women were in Rokeya's time.
- This imaginative reversal serves as a powerful critique of the limitations and injustices faced by women under patriarchal rule.
- By depicting a society where women are dominant and successful, Rokeya challenged the prevalent notion that women were intellectually inferior or incapable of participating in public life and governance.
- Utopian literature often serves as a tool to critique existing social structures by imagining alternative, ideal societies. Rokeya uses this form to advocate for women's education, rights, and freedom.
The excerpt provided perfectly illustrates how the book employs the strategy of reversal of roles of gender to highlight the absurdity and unfairness of patriarchal restrictions.
Reversal of roles of gender
✅ Correct Answer: Reversal of roles of gender
Explanation:
The excerpt from Begum Rokeya Sakhawat’s "Sultana’s Dream" vividly portrays a fictional world where traditional gender roles are reversed — men are confined to the zenana, and women run society.
This imaginative scenario is meant to highlight the absurdity of existing gender norms and provoke thought by reversing the roles of men and women, making Option 3: Reversal of roles of gender the most accurate answer.
Reversal of roles of gender
The correct answer is:
✅ Reversal of roles of gender
Explanation:
Begum Rokeya’s Sultana’s Dream (1905) presents a satirical gender-role reversal:
Women rule a utopian society (Ladyland), while men are confined to zenanas (traditionally women’s spaces).
The excerpt directly inverts patriarchal norms, showing men as irrational and women as rational leaders.
Why Not Other Options?
Double standards → Implied but not the primary focus.
Comparison of work → Not the central theme.
Challenging patriarchy → True, but the method is role reversal (more specific).
Key Idea:
The book uses role reversal to expose the absurdity of gender oppression.
Answer: Reversal of roles of gender (Option 3) ✅
Important Questions from The Challenges of Cultural Diversity
The term that literally means ‘pre-judgement’, that is, an opinion formed in advance of any familiarity with the subject, before considering any available evidence is:
Match List I with List II
List I (Books) List II (Authors) A. Stree Purush Tulana I. M. G. Ranade B. Three Sermons on Human Nature II. Tarabai Shinde C. Sultana’s Dream III. Bishop Joseph Butler D. The texts of the Hindu law IV. Begum Rokaiyah Hossain Who considered exclusive nationalism to be an evil?
Social inequality and exclusion are social because:
Which programme of the Government of India directly targets at improving sex-ratio ?
