Beyond Biological Determinism: A Comparative Study of Female Situated Identity in Plath's The Bell Jar And Shah's Before She Sleeps

Abstract

The scholarly article presents a feminist inquiry to examine how the medical and biological sciences have shaped the experiences of women in Plath’s The Bell Jar and Shah's Before She Sleeps. Feminist theorists of medicine argue that considering men independent due to their bodily anatomy is the one side of the coin. Women should not be defined on the basis of their biological functioning and gender. They argue that such a framework ignores the importance of culture, knowledge, geography, and power relations. To support the analysis, the study draws upon Donna Haraway's concept of situated knowledge where she questions deterministic and universal claims of traditional science. Haraway proposes a feminist model of knowledge that values situated knowledge which states that meaning is produced from a specific culture, history, and social standpoints in which an entity resides. In The Bell Jar, Esther Greenwood’s encounter with psychiatric institutions exposes how women's emotional and intellectual struggles are pathologized under the guise of medical authority. Dr. Gordon carries out electric shock therapy which is devoid of understanding of Esther's personal and social context. In contrast, Dr. Nolan, who is a female psychiatrist, approaches Esther’s condition with empathy and care. Similarly, in Before She Sleeps, Shah envisions a dystopian society where women are reduced to their reproductive functions by medical and political powers. The only purpose of women in the Green City is to produce children to maintain the population but this causes extreme distress and psychosis in women. On the other hand, the women of Panah resist this reductionist logic by creating a community that values autonomy, solidarity, and acknowledgement of personal histories.